Clinton Impeachment was Retaliation for Nixon, Admits Retiring Congressman, Henry Hyde

Note: original story posted on ABC website and captured here before being mysteriously removed by ABC and watered down. Video of Hyde's remarks have been expunged from ABC Web Site no doubt in compliance with White House orders!

By Andy Shaw

April 21, 2005 — Republican Congressman Henry Hyde made some surprising comments Thursday on the impeachment hearings of President Bill Clinton.

He now says Republicans may have gone after Clinton to retaliate for the impeachment of Richard Nixon.

In an exclusive interview Hyde said he might not try to impeach President Clinton if he had it to do all over again.

When asked if he would go through with the Clinton impeachment process again, Hyde said he wasn't sure. It turned into a personal and political embarrassment for Hyde when an extra-marital affair he had in the 1960's became public amid accusations of hypocrisy. He called the affair a youthful indiscretion.

The veteran DuPage County congressman acknowledged that Republicans went after Clinton in part to enact revenge against the Democrats for impeaching President Richard Nixon 25 years earlier.

Andy Shaw asked Hyde if the Clinton proceedings were payback for Nixon's impeachment.

"I can't say it wasn't, but I also thought that the Republican party should stand for something, and if we walked away from this, no matter how difficult, we could be accused of shirking our duty, our responsibility," said Hyde.

Hyde's comments reflect what Democrats have been saying for years about the Clinton impeachment. It will be interesting to see what happens when Hyde's comments hit the national media.