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Volume 19 Issue 2
An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program
Impeachment Basics
■ Post Reprint: “House opens impeachment inquiry”
■ KidsPost Reprint: “President’s phone call to Ukrainian leader ignites
impeachment inquiry”
■ Post Reprint: “Pelosi’s statement: ‘The President must be held accountable.
No one is above the law.'"
■ Word Study: A Word About Impeach
■ Retropolis Reprint: “‘He lies like a dog’: The first effort to impeach a president
was led by his own party”
■ Student Activity: 3 To Inform You
October 9, 2019 ©2019 THE WASHINGTON POST
Volume 19 Issue 2
An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program
In
tro
duc
TIon.
An impeachment inquiry, a rare and historic procedure, officially commenced in
September 2019. This resource guide provides reprints of House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi’s statement and The Washington Post article that inform of the decision to
begin the first step of impeachment as required in the U.S. Constitution.
A Kidspost article may be used with younger students to discuss impeachment and
what moved House Speaker Pelosi to make her decision. Teachers may wish to have
a world map for students to locate Ukraine, Russia and the United States before
reading the article.
Impeachment is not new. Word Study gives
A Rare and the etymologic and historic background on
“impeach” that goes back to the 1300s. The
Historic
Post’s Retropolis article focuses on the first
impeachment effort against a president in
America in 1842.
Decision Whether a letter to the editor from a
whistleblower, an article about a whistleblower’s
to Impeach
concerns about a sitting president, or a reporter’s
informative columns, readers learn of decisions
that influence lives and possibilities for action —
even impeachment.
cover art Collage elements: map by laris KARKLIS: PHOTO BY Jim Lo Scalzo/
Bloomberg News; COLLAGE design by CAROLPORTERART
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October 9, 2019 ©2019 THE WASHINGTON POST
Volume 19 Issue 2
An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program
House opens impeachment inquiry
Pelosi calls Trump’s conduct a ‘betrayal,’ sets up political showdown
wide lead over Trump, polls show, in with an official impeachment
by Rachael Bade, Mike DeBonis a potential general election matchup. inquiry.”
and Karoun Demirjian The revelation prompted a rush of The confrontation between the
moderate House Democrats to call Democratic-led House and Trump
• Originally Published September 25, 2019 for an impeachment inquiry into is likely to further divide a polarized
Trump, a step they had resisted nation ahead of the 2020 election
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took for months. On Tuesday, Pelosi while carrying implications for both
the extraordinary step Tuesday of (D-Calif.) relented as well. parties. It remains unclear, however,
initiating impeachment proceedings “The actions of the Trump presidency who will capitalize politically over
against President Trump, accusing have revealed the dishonorable fact the next 14 months.
him of violating the Constitution in of the president’s betrayal of his oath Trump immediately lashed
seeking help from a foreign leader to of office, betrayal of our national out at the Democrats,
damage a political opponent. security and betrayal of the integrity tweeting, “PRESIDENTIAL
Pelosi’s move came after Trump of our elections,” Pelosi said in a HARASSMENT!”
acknowledged that he urged the brief statement before a backdrop of The White House also scrambled to
Ukrainian president to investigate American flags, repeatedly invoking respond, announcing plans to release
former vice president Joe Biden, the nation’s founders. “Therefore, on Wednesday the transcript of his
a contender for the Democratic today, I am announcing the House of July 25 phone call with Ukrainian
presidential nomination who holds a Representatives is moving forward President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Congressional Republicans rallied
to the president’s defense, arguing
impeachment would only motivate
GOP voters.
House Minority Leader Kevin
McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a
statement that Democrats “have been
trying to reverse the results of the
2016 election since President Trump
took office. For them, this is all about
politics. Not about facts.”
Pelosi and many in her caucus had
resisted calls for impeachment from
the party’s liberal base and several
of the 2020 presidential candidates,
citing the absence of public support
and GOP backing.
But over seven days, the revelations
that the president sought the help
Blair Guild/The Washington Post
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called for a formal impeachment inquiry of President
Trump on Sept. 24 after a history of quelling impeachment calls. of Zelensky to investigate Biden
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Volume 19 Issue 2
An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program
infuriated Democrats, particularly nation’s history. Pelosi’s move all While the House could vote to
lawmakers with national security but ensures that the House will vote impeach Trump, his ouster would
credentials. on articles charging Trump with require a conviction in the Senate,
Trump has denied pressuring “high crimes and misdemeanors” where Republicans were dismissive
Zelensky by withholding nearly in a matter of weeks, according to of Pelosi’s move as politically
$400 million in foreign aid. Trump senior Democratic lawmakers and motivated.
said Tuesday that he withheld the top leadership aides, who spoke on “Speaker Pelosi’s much-publicized
money over his concerns that the the condition of anonymity to discuss efforts to restrain her far-left
United States was contributing more private deliberations. conference have finally crumbled.
to Ukraine than European countries Pelosi personally informed Trump House Democrats cannot help
were. of her decision Tuesday morning. themselves,” said Senate Majority
The launch of an impeachment The president, in New York for the Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
inquiry follows an intense 24-hour U.N. meeting, telephoned the speaker “Instead of working together across
period in which 57 Democrats to discuss gun legislation, Pelosi told party lines on legislation to help
— including moderates from lawmakers in private meetings. American families and strengthen
Trump districts who had long The conversation, however, quickly our nation, they will descend even
opposed impeachment — endorsed turned to the president’s conversations deeper into their obsession with
proceedings. In total, 196 Democrats with the Ukrainian leader. Trump re-litigating 2016.”
support an impeachment inquiry, insisted he had nothing to do with his Impeachment has occurred only
according to a Washington Post administration’s refusal to share with twice in U.S. history — against
analysis — and the number is Congress an intelligence community Presidents Andrew Johnson and
continuing to grow. whistleblower complaint about his Bill Clinton. Neither was removed
In a sign of the gravity of the actions, according to individuals from office. President Richard
situation, Rep. John Lewis, an familiar with the call who spoke M. Nixon resigned in 1974 after
influential member in the caucus, was on the condition of anonymity to the House initiated impeachment
one of the latest Democrats to back frankly describe the conversation. proceedings but before an official
impeachment Tuesday. The Georgia Trump told Pelosi that he wasn’t the vote, stepping down rather than face
Democrat, a staunch Trump critic one blocking the complaint. “He said, the embarrassment of such a rebuke.
and close Pelosi ally, had declined for ‘you know, I don’t have anything to Trump, however, has signaled he
months to weigh in out of respect for do with that,’ ” she told her caucus. is ready for a fight. Brad Parscale,
the speaker. She responded that he had the his campaign manager, said
“There comes a time when you power to fix it and challenged him in a statement Tuesday that “the
have to be moved by the spirit of to turn over the complaint: “I said, misguided Democrat impeachment
history to take action to protect and ‘Well, then undo it.’ Undo it. Because strategy is meant to appease their
preserve the integrity of our nation. you are asking the DNI to break the rabid, extreme, leftist base, but will
I believe, I truly believe, the time law. I mean, it’s just outrageous.” only serve to embolden and energize
to begin impeachment proceedings The remarkable series of events on President Trump’s supporters and
against this president has come,” Capitol Hill will continue Thursday create a landslide victory for the
Lewis said on the House floor. “To when the acting director of national President.”
delay or to do otherwise would betray intelligence, Joseph Maguire, who House Republicans wasted little
the foundation of our democracy.” held back the whistleblower’s time blasting out news releases
Congress has launched complaint from Congress, testifies taunting moderate Democrats
impeachment proceedings against before the House Intelligence in Trump districts for supporting
a president only four times in the Committee. impeachment. In a statement, the
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Volume 19 Issue 2
An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program
Congressional Leadership Fund, a not hear one word of dissent, and of Trump if the White House
PAC dedicated to helping House that’s the first time that I recall continues to stonewall congressional
Republicans, said, “Democrats that’s occurred in a discussion of the investigations, including questions
feeling euphoric in the moment, will president,” said House Intelligence regarding reports that Trump asked
awaken to a nightmarish hangover Committee member Rep. Raja the Ukrainian president to investigate
when they’re forced to defend their Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) upon Biden and his son, Hunter.
decision to their constituents back exiting the meeting. “I can take the political attacks.
home.” The House plans to vote They’ll come, and they’ll go, and in
Protecting her majority was one Wednesday on a resolution time, they’ll soon be forgotten. But
of the main reasons Pelosi resisted condemning the administration’s if we allow a president to get away
impeachment until now, arguing that efforts to block the release of the with shredding the United States
Trump was “just not worth it.” She whistleblower complaint alleging Constitution, that will last forever,”
had said any move to impeach would that Trump’s promise to a foreign Biden said in brief remarks Tuesday
require bipartisanship and public leader constituted an “urgent afternoon in Wilmington, Del.
support. She currently has neither, concern” to national security.
though the most recent polling on In a rare, albeit subtle protest from Rachael Bade is a Congress reporter for
impeachment was conducted well the GOP-led Senate, lawmakers The Washington Post, primarily focusing
before the Ukraine controversy adopted a resolution on Tuesday on the House. Her coverage areas include
erupted. calling for the White House to turn House Democrats’ oversight of the Trump
Before Pelosi made her over the complaint to the intelligence administration as well as policy clashes
with the White House, the dynamics
announcement Tuesday, the speaker committees, as is required under animating the historic freshman class
and her leadership team briefly law. and the inner workings of the Democratic
considered the creation of a select In a separate move, House leadership team.
committee to conduct the inquiry, Intelligence Committee Chairman
Mike DeBonis covers Congress, with a
with some in leadership questioning Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) said the focus on the House, for The Washington
whether the House Judiciary whistleblower wants to speak to his Post. He previously covered D.C. politics
Committee was up to the task. committee and is seeking guidance and government from 2007 to 2015.
But liberals balked at the idea and from Maguire about how he could Karoun Demirjian is a congressional
defended Chairman Jerrold Nadler do so. reporter covering national security,
(D-N.Y.) and his ability to oversee “The times have found us,” Schiff including defense, foreign policy,
the proceedings. told his colleagues during the intelligence and matters concerning
By the time Democrats huddled to Democratic caucus meeting. “And in the judiciary. She was previously a
discuss the historic move Tuesday light of the damning allegations the correspondent based in The Post's
bureau in Moscow.
afternoon during a somber caucus president has admitted to, the time
meeting, they appeared to be united. is now.”
“Unlike any other caucus meeting, Biden on Tuesday called for
there was broad consensus — I did Congress to begin impeachment
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KidsPost
President’s phone call to Ukrainian leader
ignites impeachment inquiry
Discussion about rival Joe Biden causes Democratic lawmakers
to start an investigation
A phone conversation between
President Trump and the leader
of Ukraine is one reason the
U.S. House of Representatives on
Tuesday launched an impeachment
inquiry.
Impeachment is the process by
which Congress can charge the
president with an offense that could
lead to his removal from office.
Trump repeatedly urged Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky
to work with Rudolph Giuliani,
Trump’s personal lawyer, and U.S.
Attorney General William P. Barr to
investigate political rival Joe Biden,
according to a transcript of the
conversation released Wednesday.
In the July 25 call, Trump raised
unproven allegations that the former Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
vice president tried to interfere with a Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, addresses the media Wednesday,
Ukrainian prosecutor’s investigation one day after she announced that House Democrats will start an impeachment investigation
of President Trump. A phone call Trump made to the Ukrainian president in July is part of
of Biden’s son Hunter. the reason for the investigation.
“There’s a lot of talk about
Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the is central to the impeachment involve the U.S. government with
prosecution and a lot of people want inquiry launched Tuesday by House a foreign country to investigate a
to find out about that,” Trump said Speaker Nancy Pelosi. political rival.
to Zelensky. Trump dismissed the phone call Trump recently confirmed that he
The conversation between the two as routine. ordered the freezing of nearly $400
leaders is part of a complaint by a The connection to the attorney million in aid to Ukraine a few days
whistleblower, someone connected general marked a new and possibly before the call.
to the government whose name has more serious issue for Trump — September 25, 2019
not been made public. The complaint because it shows he took steps to Associated Press
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“Pelosi’s statement: ‘The President must be
held accountable. No one is above the law.’”
inspector general testified before I was there even earlier in the ’90s
the House Intelligence Committee, when we wrote the whistleblower
• Originally Published September 24, 2019
stating that the acting director of laws, and continued to write them,
Following is the statement made national intelligence blocked him to improve them, to ensure the
by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from disclosing the whistleblower security of our intelligence and the
(D-Calif.) on Tuesday evening complaint. This is a violation of safety of our whistleblowers. I know
announcing the House leadership’s law. The law is unequivocal. . . . It what their purpose was, and we
decision to start impeachment says the DNI, director of national proceeded with balance and caution
proceedings against President intelligence, shall provide Congress as we wrote the laws. I can say with
Trump: the full whistleblower complaint. authority, the Trump administration’s
For more than 25 years, I’ve served actions undermine both our national
Good afternoon. on the Intelligence Committee as security and our intelligence and our
Last Tuesday, we observed the a member, as the ranking member, protections of the whistleblowers. . . .
anniversary of the adoption of the as part of the Gang of Four, even This Thursday, the acting DNI will
Constitution on September 17th. before I was in the leadership. I was appear before the House Intelligence
Sadly, on that day, the intelligence there when we created the Office of Committee. At that time, he must
community inspector general the Director of National Intelligence turn over the whistleblower’s full
formally notified the Congress that — that did not exist before 2004. complaint to the committee. He will
the administration was preventing
him from turning over a whistleblower
complaint — on Constitution Day.
This is a violation of the law. Shortly
thereafter, press reports began to
break of a phone call by the president
of the United States calling upon
a foreign power to intervene in his
election. This is a breach of his
constitutional responsibilities. The
facts are these: The intelligence
community inspector general, who
was appointed by President Trump,
determined that the complaint is both
of urgent concern and credible, and its
disclosure, he went on to say, relates
to one of the most significant and
important of the director of national
intelligence’s responsibility to the Melina Mara/The Washington Post
American people. On Thursday, the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) delivers her remarks Sept. 24 on Capitol Hill.
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have to choose whether to break the and consider whether to exercise its establish our democracy. The times
law or honor his responsibility to the full Article I powers, including a have found us today — not to place
Constitution. constitutional power of the utmost ourselves in the same category of
On the final day of the gravity — approval of articles of greatness as our founders but to
Constitutional Convention in 1787, impeachment. And this week, the place us in the urgency of protecting
when our Constitution was adopted, president has admitted to asking the and defending our Constitution from
Americans gathered on the steps of president of Ukraine to take actions all enemies foreign and domestic. In
Independence Hall to await the news which would benefit him politically. the words of Ben Franklin, to keep
of the government our founders The actions of the Trump our republic.
had crafted. They asked Benjamin presidency revealed the dishonorable I thank our chairmen . . . Chairman
Franklin: What do we have — a fact of the president’s betrayal of Nadler of Judiciary; Chairman
republic or a monarchy? Franklin his oath of office, betrayal of our Schiff of Intelligence; Chairman
replied, “A republic, if you can keep national security and betrayal of the Engel, Foreign Affairs; Chairman
it.” Our responsibility is to keep integrity of our elections. Therefore, Cummings of Oversight. And
it. Our republic endures because today, I’m announcing the House of Chairman Cummings I’ve been in
of the wisdom of our Constitution, Representatives is moving forward touch with constantly — he’s a master
enshrined in three coequal branches with an official impeachment of so much including inspectors
of government serving as checks inquiry. I’m directing our six general and whistleblowers.
and balances on each other. committees to proceed with their [Congressman] Richie Neal of
The actions taken to date by the investigations under that umbrella of the Ways and Means Committee.
president have seriously violated the impeachment inquiry. The president Congresswoman Maxine Waters of
Constitution, especially when the must be held accountable. No one is the Financial Services Committee.
president says, “Article II says I above the law. And I commend all of our members,
can do whatever I want.” For the Getting back to our founders: In our colleagues, for their thoughtful,
past several months we have been the darkest days of the American thoughtful approach to all this, for
investigating in our committees and Revolution, Thomas Paine wrote, their careful statements.
litigating in the courts so the House “The times have found us.” The God bless them, and God bless
can gather all the relevant facts times found them to fight for and America. Thank you all.
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WoRdStUdy
A Word About Impeach
I
t was not an “’clamour’”
easy decision. On the 18th of December [William Laud, Archbishop of or outcry,”
Would Canterbury] was impeached by the Long Parliament, and according to the
impeachment be on the 1st of March imprisoned in the tower. The articles of Encyclpaedia
included in the impeachment were sent up to the Lords in October, the trial Britannica. The
U.S. Constitution? beginning on the 12th of March 1644, but the attempt to bring proceedings
How closely would his conduct under a charge of high treason proving hopeless, allowed parliament
the procedure an attainder was substituted and sent up to the Lords on the to hold the
follow the English 22nd of November. king’s ministers
parliamentary accountable
model? And, most — William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury (1573-1645) for their public
contentious, which http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/laud.htm actions. The first
offenses were recorded cases of
impeachable? impeachment took
What is place during the
impeachment Good Parliament
anyway? Meaning to “impede,” “hinder” or “prevent,” of 1376. The most important was against William, 4th
impeach was first used in English in the 1380s. The Baron Latimer, who had been closely associated with
word comes from the Old French empechier that was Edward III. In his case, a method of trial was initiated.
from the Late Latin impedicāre, “to fetter,” “entangle,” In the U.S., as Alexander Hamilton of New York
or “catch.” Can you see someone with feet in shackles explained in Federalist 65, impeachment “varies from
(pedica) stopping them from walking? We go from civil or criminal courts in that it strictly involves the
that physical sense to the legal. ‘misconduct of public men, or in other words from the
Impeachment in England occurred in the 14th abuse or violation of some public trust.’” According
century. Criminal proceedings were based on to the House of Representatives Archives, “Individual
state constitutions had provided for
impeachment for ‘maladministration’ or
Louis made peace with Holland at Nijmwegen on the ‘corruption’ before the U.S. Constitution
10th of August, and punished Danby by disclosing his was written. And the founders, fearing
secret negotiations, thus causing the minister's fall and the potential for abuse of executive
impeachment. To save Danby, Charles now prorogued the power, considered impeachment so
parliament on the 30th of December, dissolving it on the 24th important that they made it part of the
of January 1679. Constitution even before they defined the
contours of the presidency.”
— Charles II, King of Great Britain and Ireland, 1630-1685 In Article I, Section 2, Clause 5, the
http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/charles2.htm House of Representatives has the “sole
Power of Impeachment.” Under current
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rules, impeachment inquiry begins in
the Judiciary Committee. It is their
job to see if there is enough testimony, “Before the [Tenure of Office Act] was passed, presidents
evidence and disregard of the oath of could fire cabinet members at will. But the law—created to
office to send to the whole House for a stop Johnson’s attempts to soften Reconstruction for Southern
vote on the Articles of Impeachment. states after the Civil War—wasn’t just any Congressional act.
Article I, Section 3, gives the It resulted in an increasingly absurd spiral of one upmanship
Senate “the sole Power to try all that culminated in a rare presidential veto, an even rarer
Impeachments.” If the House approves congressional override, a sensational impeachment trial that
the Articles of Impeachment, the Senate was so well-attended that Congress had to raffle off tickets,
holds a trial. Its members are the jury. and an ongoing conflict over executive power.”
“When the President of the United States
is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: —“150 Years Ago, a President Could
And no Person shall be convicted Be Impeached for Firing a Cabinet Member”
without the Concurrence of two thirds https://www.history.com/news/andrew
of the Members present.” (Clause 6) -johnson-impeachment-tenure-of-office-act
If two thirds of the Senate vote for
impeachment, the President is removed
from Office.
Explore Connections to Impeachment
1. What other English words do you think share the same Latin root as impedicāre? Would it help to know that
pedica, meaning “shackles,” is from the same root?
2. Read more about the impeachment against William, 4th Baron Latimer. What does it tell you about early British
concepts of impeachment?
3. What does the U.S. Constitution stipulate about impeachment? You might want to read the National Archives
transcription from the parchment on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum. It keeps the
original spelling and punctuation. See https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript.
4. Read more about the impeachment inquiries against U.S. Presidents John Tyler, Andrew Johnson, Richard
Nixon, and William J. “Bill” Clinton.
5. What action(s) or statement(s) of President Donald Trump resulted in initiation of an impeachment inquiry?
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RETROPOLIS
‘He lies like a dog’: The first effort to impeach
a president was led by his own party
Long before President Donald Trump, there was President John Tyler
by Ronald G. Shafer
• Originally Published September 23, 2019
On July 22, 1842, Virginia Rep.
John Minor Botts rose from his seat
in the House of Representatives to
introduce the first proposal in U.S.
history to impeach a president. The
president was fellow Whig John
Tyler. Botts vowed to “head him or
die.” Library of Congress
Whig Party leader Henry Rep. John Minor Botts, left, circa 1860, and President John Tyler circa 1855.
Clay of Kentucky cautioned that
impeachment might be a risky way to Pelosi also sent a letter to Republicans after just one month in office.
counter the president’s bitter clashes and Democrats that demanded more The 51-year-old Tyler, a former
with the Whig-controlled Congress. information from the director of Democratic U.S. senator from
“There is cause enough, God national intelligence about Trump’s Virginia, had only recently switched
knows,” Clay said, “but it is a interactions with Ukraine, but did not to the Whig Party. As president, he
novel proceeding, full of important use the I-word. began vetoing so many bills passed
consequences, present and future, When John Tyler faced by Congress that the Whigs kicked
and should not be commenced but impeachment 177 years ago, it was him out of their party. Mobs of
upon full consideration.” the Whigs who decided to create an angry Whigs protested in front of the
Some of the rhetoric aimed at investigative committee headed by White House.
Tyler echoes what House Democrats a respected elder statesman, former The anger boiled over on the House
are leveling at President Trump. president John Quincy Adams, floor, where Rep. Edward Stanly of
On Sunday, House Intelligence who had become a Massachusetts North Carolina got into a fistfight
Committee Chairman Adam B. congressman. with Tyler’s best friend, Rep. Henry
Schiff said allegations that Trump John Tyler was the first vice Wise of Virginia. Stanly complained
pressured Ukraine to investigate Joe president to succeed to the presidency of Tyler: “He lies like a dog.”
Biden’s son may make impeachment in April 1841 when William Henry The president was aware of the
inevitable. House Speaker Nancy “Old Tippecanoe” Harrison died discontent in Congress. He wrote
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a friend, “I am told that one of the Senate to prepare to run for president and committed “offenses of the
madcaps talks of impeachment.” That in 1844, feared a voter backlash to a gravest character.” The majority also
“madcap” was Botts, who on July 11 premature impeachment action. “Let charged Tyler with obstruction of
gave notice of his plans, warning, [Tyler] serve out his time and go back justice by withholding information
“If the power of impeachment is not to Virginia from whence the Whigs needed to investigate the “misdeeds
exercised by the House in less than have bitter cause to lament that they by government.”
six months, ten thousand bayonets ever sent him forth,” he said. The majority concluded “the
will gleam on Pennsylvania Avenue.” Botts rejected such concerns. case has occurred” that was
Eleven days later, Botts formally “There may be some honest but “contemplated by the founders of
introduced a petition to impeach timid men” who fear impeachment the Constitution by the grant of the
Tyler “on the grounds of his efforts would create sympathy for power to impeach the President of
ignorance of the interest and true the president, he said. “But to my the United States.” However, the
policy of this government, and want mind it would be quite as reasonable report didn’t recommend proceeding
of qualification for the discharge of to suffer a mad dog to escape that with impeachment because “of the
the important duties of President of runs through the public streets biting present state of public affairs.”
the United States.” The House voted every living thing he met with, from With the nation sharply divided,
to table the proposal for the time an apprehension that it might excite a the report said, such action would
being. sympathy for him by the cry of kill “prove abortive.” The House
Botts separately specified his him.” approved the majority report.
charges against Tyler. Among them: The Whigs were especially Tyler responded that he had “been
“I charge him with the high crime and frustrated because Congress had accused without evidence and
misdemeanor of endeavoring to excite failed to override any of Tyler’s condemned without a hearing.” In
a disorganizing and revolutionary vetoes. The clash hit a breaking point a letter to a friend, the president
spirit in the country, by inviting a on Aug. 9 when Tyler vetoed a major said he apparently had committed
disregard of, and disobedience to a tariff bill. Adams took to the House the high crime of “sustaining the
law of Congress.” He charged the floor to declare that the president Constitution of the country and
president with “abuse of the veto had put the legislative and executive daring to have an opinion of my
power, to gratify his personal and branches “in a state of civil war.” own.”
political resentment,” and of being On Aug. 11, the House authorized On Jan. 10, 1843, the House voted
“utterly unworthy and unfit to have a 13-member Select Committee on Botts’s articles of impeachment.
the destinies of this nation in his on the Veto headed by Adams to But the Whigs had lost control of the
hands as chief magistrate.” investigate the president’s actions. body in the 1842 election, and the
The same Democratic newspapers Adams despised Tyler because he resolution failed. Tyler eventually
that had pilloried the Whig was a slaveholder. issued a total of 10 vetoes (far below
presidential ticket of “Tippecanoe The committee reported back just Franklin D. Roosevelt’s record 635
and Tyler Too” defended Tyler and a week later. The majority report vetoes).
attacked Botts. “The bastard son of accused Tyler of “gross abuse of The Whigs finally got some
Virginia has performed his foolish constitutional power and bold revenge in Tyler’s final month in
threat and produced articles of assumptions of powers never vested office, March 1845, when Congress
impeachment against the President in him by any law” and of having overrode a veto of a bill on building
of the United States,” wrote the assumed “the whole legislative power Marine service ships. Thus, Tyler
Madisonian. to himself.” The report said Tyler had became the first U.S. president to
Clay, who had resigned from the “strangled” the life out of Congress have a veto overridden.
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3 To Inform You
U.S.-provided bomb-sniffing Mr. Carson isn’t interested Federal Whistleblowers
dogs were neglected overseas, would do it again, even after
As reported in the Sept. 13 news
IG report finds. article “Watchdog clears Carson in retaliation and ‘professional
probe of furniture buy,” the Department suicide’
Why does the U.S. government allow of Housing and Urban Development
foreign countries to treat highly trained inspector general concluded that HUD’s The unnamed CIA employee who
American anti-terrorism investigators like attempt to procure $31,000 in dining reported President Trump’s effort
dogs? room furniture resulted from a “systemic to use diplomacy with Ukraine for
They are dogs — but that’s beside the failure” of oversight. HUD Secretary Ben personal political gain has something
point because they also are bomb detection Carson declared, “There’s probably no in common with A. Ernest Fitzgerald
experts. one in Washington who cares less about — White House wrath.
Consider the case of Athena, a 2-year-old furniture than I do.” I agree. Mr. Carson Fitzgerald was an Air Force senior
female Belgian Malinois — a breed known has no interest in furniture and no interest financial management specialist when
for its strong work ethic — sent to Jordan in the Potemkin village over which he he told Congress about a $2 billion
in May 2017. Less than a year later, a presides. cost overrun on Lockheed C-5A
State Department veterinary team found In point of fact, there was no failure transport planes. That 1968 testimony
her “severely emaciated” and living in a of oversight at HUD. The furniture was followed by other congressional
filthy kennel littered with feces, according purchase was stopped because a federal appearances, a government probe of
to a report by the department’s Office of employee put her job on the line to stop his private life and a smear campaign
Inspector General (OIG). it. That official was me: I refused to “find against him. He was fired in 1970
After being sent back to the United money” for redecorating the secretary’s at the direction of President Richard
States, Athena was properly fed and nursed suite and lost my career in public service Nixon, who has something in common
back to health, and made a full recovery. as a result. The oversight did not fail; it with Trump — potential impeachment.
Mencey was not as fortunate. The was removed by the same officials who “This guy that was fired,” Nixon
3-year-old male Belgian Malinois fell now claim to have been ignorant of it. But bragged in a Jan. 31, 1973, taped White
seriously ill with a tick-borne disease in Mr. Carson is not interested. House conversation. “I said get rid of
February 2018, seven months after arriving In February 2018, when the details that son of a bitch.”
in Jordan. He was sent back to the States, of the furniture purchase were exposed Fitzgerald eventually was reinstated
where he was diagnosed with an ailment by The Post and others, Mr. Carson with back pay. Now Trump wants the
transmitted by sand flies that caused renal still was not interested — instead, he CIA employee, whose anonymity is
failure. Mencey was euthanized. … oversaw a smear campaign against me. protected by law, to be revealed. “This
HUD illegally released sensitive details country has to find out who that person
Federal Insider of my preteen daughter’s disabilities to was, because that person is a spy, in my
Joe Davidson, columnist every major media outlet. My daughter’s opinion,” Trump said Wednesday. …
September 18, 2019 grief is something else that escaped his
attention. PowerPost • Perspective
FOR FULL COLUMN: https://www.washing- What is Mr. Carson interested in? And Joe Davidson, columnist
tonpost.com/politics/these-dogs-make- the electorates who tolerate this in our October 4, 2019
the-world-safer-but-theyve-been-badly- public officials, what are we interested in?
neglected-inspectors-say/2019/09/16/
FOR FULL COLUMN: https://
c8374db0-d898-11e9-adff-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR www.washingtonpost.com/
79254db7f766_story.html
politics/2019/10/04/federal-
AND ARTICLE: https://www.washing-
Helen Goff Foster, Haymarket whistleblowers-would-do-it-again-
tonpost.com/science/2019/09/16/us- September 18, 2019 even-after-retaliation-professional-
officials-knew-bomb-sniffing-dogs-were- suicide/
dying-neglect-jordan-they-sent-more/
13
October 9, 2019 ©2019 THE WASHINGTON POSTVolume 19 Issue 2
An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program
3 To Inform You | continued
1. Journalists, in particular those on investigative teams, serve as watchdogs for the benefit of citizens. They report
on wrongdoing to protect society and to keep those in power accountable for their actions. Read “U.S.-provided
bomb-sniffing dogs were neglected overseas, IG report finds.”
a. Davidson provides two examples at the beginning of his column. Compare and contrast them.
b. What makes the neglect especially egregious?
c. Summarize the point of Davidson’s column.
d. His source is a report of the Inspector General of the State Department. What is the OIG?
e. Do we get an answer to the question in the lede in the first paragraphs?
2. Read “Mr. Carson isn’t interested.” This is an example of a letter to the editor.
a. Why does The Post and other news publications accept and print letters to the editor?
b. What was the finding of the HUD inspector general?
c. The writer disagrees with the conclusion of the IG report. What gives her authority?
d. In addition to the professional ramification of her action, what personal action affected her?
e. What is your answer to her last question?
3. Read Joe Davidson’s “Federal Whistleblowers would do it again, even after retaliation and ‘professional
suicide.’”
a. Davidson makes a connection between current news and an event in 1968. What is the connection?
b. What is a whistleblower?
c. The Whistleblower Protection Act was passed in 1989 and revised “to strengthen and improve protection
for the rights of federal employees to prevent reprisals, and to help eliminate wrongdoing within the
Government.” What retaliation against A. Ernest Fitzgerald might have been prevented if it had existed
in 1968?
d. Do you think the identity of whistleblowers should be protected or revealed?
4. The Office of the Inspector General investigates and audits to detect and prevent fraud, waste, abuse and
mismanagement. There are 73 federal offices and additional state inspectors general. Select a cabinet
department. Read about actions that this department’s inspector general or OIG has taken. Summarize the case
and action taken.
5. Reporters will use reports of federal agencies, scientific and medical groups and businesses as one source of
information for an article. What federal or state agency report might your school community (faculty and staff,
students and their families) be interested? Explain why.
14
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