WASHINGTON – Sen. Russ Feingold, the lone Democrat to vote for calling witnesses in President Clinton’s impeachment trial, said yesterday he could still vote to convict and oust the president.
“I simply cannot say that the House managers cannot prevail,” Feingold (D-Wis.) said, referring to the 13 prosecutors who are hoping to win a conviction.
But Feingold also said that the prosecutors’ case “has some serious problems.
“I regard this as a close case in some respects, and the best course to follow is to allow both sides a fair opportunity to make the case they wish to make,” Feingold said.
In addition to calling witnesses, Feingold, was the only Democrat to break ranks yesterday and reject a vote to dismiss the trial.
“Let me tell you, that was big time,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), whose party had zero defectors on the two votes.
“He did what he believed was right,” said Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), who was the most outspoken Democrat during the investigation into Democratic funny money.
“He had some concern about Article II, on the obstruction of justice [charge], and felt that he wanted to hear witnesses on that – and that’s reasonable,” Lieberman said.