Reply #31: I understand your point, but still think the big difference is bipartisanship

[onenote]

In February 1973, before impeachment was being formally considered, the Senate voted 77-0 to establish the Select "Watergate" Committee, chaired by Sam Ervin. At the time, there were 54 Democrats in the Senate, so that was a significant bi-partisan vote.

The Select COmmittee's work helped build support for impeachment as it produced various revelations. However, the real impetus for a formal impeachment came from the October 1973 "Saturday Night Massacre". It was not until February, 1974, however, that Congress voted to authorize the House Judiciary Committee to consider impeachment. That vote also was overwhelmingly bipartisan -- 410-4. And as previously noted, when the Committee, in July 1974, adopted articles of impeachment, it did so with 40 percent of the Committee's repub members supporting at least one article.

What sealed the deal for Nixon, however, was the disclosure of the "smoking gun" tape in the days following the adoption of the articles of impeachment. With that revelation, all of the repub members of the House Judiciary Committee indicated that they now supported impeachment and Nixon was done.

THus, while bipartisan support for impeaching Nixon grew to irresistable levels over time, there was a level of bipartisanship in the investigations and ultimately the impeachment process that we simply do not have now. In that regard, I see today as more like 98 than 74. I guess we'll just agree to disagree.