Senate considers motion to drop Clinton charges

The Dem. motion would mean an abrupt end to the impeachment trial. The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The Senate closed its doors yesterday to debate a Democratic attempt to dismiss all charges against President Clinton and bring his impeachment trial to an end. House prosecutors pressed their case for testimony by Monica Lewinsky and a shortened list of additional witnesses. Senators deliberated for 4 1/2 hours in a rare secret evening session as the White House, confident of Clinton's ability to win eventual acquittal, announced it would ignore a written list of questions submitted by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and other Republicans. An attempt by two Democrats to open the debate to the public was rejected, 57 senators voting against it and 43 for it. A two-thirds majority was needed to pass. The senators began their closed-door debate after two final hours of arguments by the White House and House prosecutors on the question of dismissal. The Senate was reconvening at noon today, when it may turn its attention to the subject of possible witnesses. Rep. Henry Hyde, the lead prosecutor, told the Senate that dismissal would mean that "charges of perjury, obstruction of justice are summarily dismissed, disregarded, ignored, brushed off, and these are charges that send ordinary folk to jail every day of the week and remove federal judges." There will be continuing contention about Clinton's case, he said, unless the articles of impeachment themselves are brought to a vote. "The case cannot be made. It is time to end it," countered Nicole Seligman, a private attorney who has long represented Clinton and is part of his impeachment defense team. No votes are expected before today or possibly tomorrow, but after more than two weeks, the first presidential impeachment trial in 131 years was fast approaching a pivotal moment. House Republicans are expected to produce a formal proposal for witnesses on Tuesday, to be voted on after the Democratic attempt to dismiss the charges. At the same time, a spokesperson for Lott (R-Miss.) confirmed that Republican leaders were seriously considering a plan by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to allow the Senate to find Clinton guilty without removing him from office. The proposal would prevent Clinton from emerging from the trial unscathed if the 67 votes needed for his conviction do not materialize. A decision by the House prosecutors to winnow their witness list during the day marked an attempt to hold the support of wavering Republican senators whose votes will be crucial when the roll is called. Lewinsky remains at the top of the list, House officials said, and there is continued interest in seeking testimony from Betty Currie, the president's secretary. Additional consideration is being given to adding presidential friend Vernon Jordan to the list, or perhaps a White House aide, either chief of staff John Podesta or Sidney Blumenthal. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the idea of trying to question Kathleen Willey had been dropped, as had the idea of summoning any of a handful of other, less well-known women who have alleged that Clinton made unwelcome sexual advances. House prosecutors had long sought their testimony to see whether Clinton or associates tried to intimidate them to change their stories. "We've got to prioritize this and get down to the bare minimum and not run the risk of getting zero witnesses because we put on too many," said Rep. James Rogan (R-Calif.) a members of the House team prosecuting the president. Prosecutors and defense lawyers were granted an hour apiece to argue the motion to dismiss the charges. But Republican leader Lott claimed enough votes to squash the attempt, and no Democrat disputed him. In fact, one Democrat, Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, sought unsuccessfully during the day to have the effort to dismiss separated into two votes, one for each article of impeachment, thereby leaving open the question of how he might vote. At the same time, Democrats expressed confidence they could produce enough votes to make it clear that Clinton will eventually be acquitted on the impeachment charges. It takes a majority vote to dismiss the charges, but two-thirds to convict the president.