One Lesson of the Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton

One Lesson of the Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton

One Lesson of the Impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton

The middle names we have are, as a rule,
Obscure, pretentious, odd or just not cool.
So someone named John Bloomingblaise McGill

Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky
Pocket
Email

The middle names we have are, as a rule,
Obscure, pretentious, odd or just not cool.
So someone named John Bloomingblaise McGill
Will say, “Just call me John.” And most folks will.
Or even Jack. To them it’s all the same.
But get impeached, they’ll use that middle name.

No matter if it’s Braithwaite, say, or Percy.
They’re likely to repeat it without mercy.
The talking heads will spread it wide and far,
And sound more pompous even than they are.

So run, you guys named Tom or Bob or Mike.
And if you win, do anything you like.
Yes, you can stray or lie or cheat or steal,
Or you can undermine the public weal.
Remember, though, before you touch that dame,
If you’re impeached, they’ll use your middle name.

Support The Nation’s June Fundraising Campaign

With the midterm elections now firmly upon us, the question is whether Democratic candidates will do more than merely occupy ballot lines as mild alternatives to the red-hot crisis that is Donald Trump.

As Trump spends over $1 billion a day on a globally destabilizing war on Iran and admits that he doesn’t “think about Americans’ financial situation,” millions across the country are struggling with the surging costs of essentials. Democrats must seize this moment and advance bold, small-“d” populist ideas—not settle for cynical caution that once again snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Nation elevates progressive ideas, movements, and elected officials achieving real change across the country into the national conversation. At the same time, our journalists are exposing how crypto and AI-funded super PACs are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to knock out candidates they oppose, reporting on the devastating impact of the Supreme Court’s evisceration of the Voting Rights Act, and sounding the alarm on attempts by red states to quickly redraw electoral maps, disenfranchising Southern Black voters.

We can play this critical role because of support from readers like you. This June, we’re raising $20,000 to power The Nation’s independent journalism in the run-up to November’s immensely consequential elections.

It’s in our power to build a more just society, and your support at this critical moment brings us closer to that bold vision. I hope you’ll donate today.

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

Ad Policy
x