RSSHenry Hyde Announces Retirement
After a long and brilliant career in the US House of Representatives, Henry Hyde of Illinois announces he will retire at the end of his term in 2006.
Among his many accomplishments including chairing the House International Relations Committee, serving on the House Judiciary Committee and more famously known for being the chief manager in the impeachment against Clinton.
His national profile rose again in 1998 when he was the chief manager of the House impeachment case against Clinton. Some Democrats thought the former Chicago defense attorney with a strong reputation for fairness was the best possible person the Democratic president could expect to see in the job.
But while the Senate was unwilling to remove Clinton from office, Hyde said Clinton should be held accountable for lying under oath.
However, Henry Hyde’s career was much more than that. Here’s a list of his many accomplishments during his 32 years of distinguished service to our country.
Thank you Representative Hyde, you will be missed.
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2 Responses to “Henry Hyde Announces Retirement”
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I have mixed feelings about Mr. Hyde. He was the one who argued against congressional term limits in the 1995-96 session by claiming that you can’t find great public servants merely by going through the phone book.
Watching the response to 9/11, I found myself reminded of how outraged I was when Hyde said that, and became outraged all over again.
I agree that he was invaluable on impeachment, and has been reliably pro-life when that issue has come up in Congress, but his opposition to term limits and his support for gun control leave me with the thought that his successor — from the phone book or otherwise — will probably be at least as good a Congressman as he has been.
McGehee,
I have to agree with you on “term limits”. From what I see in Congress, especially on the House side I think they did randomly go thru the phone book and choose. We have learned from many Reps that have held the position that you do not have to be some high prices attorney or business man to be a Rep. Hell, Gofer from the “Love Boat” was one.
I am such a proponent of TERM LIMITS. If its good enough for the President it should be good enough for the House & Senate. The Founding Father’s never intended these positions to be for life. Unfortunately I think they though people were to have the common sense not to make it one.
Funny though, that campaign finance was nothing more than Incumbent protection. Go figure. If they claim that its the money that corrupts the individual then why not term limit the position so no lobby would dump millions to someone who will not be there after a finite period of time? I love their answer that it should be up to the people. If it was an even playing field then it may have merit, however, the power of the incumbency and gerrymandering in House Seats have all but put an end to fairness of real elections for the House.