I stumbled on a document this evening containing details of the impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon in 1974.

President Nixon was not impeached. He resigned rather than allow that process to proceed. Nevertheless, the articles of impeachment are well worth reading.

What, exactly was so egregious in Nixon’s behavior?

What we find is that Nixon’s sins include using the IRS to attack his enemies, and interfering with investigations by lying to investigators and withholding evidence.

Bill Clinton clearly lied repeatedly to investigators during his troubles. These days, using the IRS to target political opponents would seem to be standard operating procedure, judging from the yawns it elicits from the press.

Have a look at Nixon’s rap sheet. Have our standards fallen? Are these behaviors now expected, or did Nixon get a raw deal?

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