Opinion | Notable & Quotable: Impeachment After Nixon

We are likely to overlook the truth that [Richard] Nixon—for all of the distrust, resentment, and profanity captured on audiotape—in the end cooperated with the novel calls for fabricated from him throughout Watergate. He didn’t destroy the tapes and he didn’t defy the Supreme Courtroom. Administrations since have discovered to not be so complaisant. Each presidents who’ve these days been impeached have first, in a method or one other, misplaced political management of the levers of justice. Invoice Clinton, after withdrawing two controversial attorney-general nominees below hearth, was saddled with

Janet Reno,

who, although not hostile, was not of his political circle. Donald Trump, as soon as his legal professional common

Jeff Periods

bowed to Democratic stress and recused himself from directing any investigation that could possibly be linked to Russia, had seen his White Home penetrated by hostile investigators in a manner that successfully ended his administration in its first weeks. In a well-functioning post-Nixon White Home, the legal professional common not solely upholds justice but in addition assures that prosecutors and authorized activists who would neutralize the president judicially can achieve no foothold. That’s the operate

Eric Holder

carried out for

Barack Obama

when the president was accused, credibly or not, of getting used the IRS to audit his political enemies.