Impeachment? Hey,
By Suzanne Tswei
catch those UH Wahine
Star-BulletinIf anybody is following the impeachment process closely, it might be political scientist Ira Rohter.
But while the House Judiciary Committee debated the fate of President Clinton yesterday, Rohter was glued to the television, watching the University of Hawaii Wahine locked in a heated battle for the NCAA volleyball championship.
"If I am not watching it, does that say something? Are the majority of the people paying real close attention to it?" asked Rohter, an associate professor of political science at the UH-Manoa campus and once head of the Green Party in Hawaii.
He conceded that he did channel-surf during commercials and occasionally checked on the doings of the committee in Washington yesterday. The committee approved three articles of impeachment, moving the process closer to a vote in the House of Representatives.
"This is such, clearly, a political witch hunt," he said. "I don't know why the Republicans can't get off this obsession and go do the country's business."
Hawaii political leaders were divided clearly along party lines: Democratic Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Patsy Mink disapproved of the committee's actions, while Hawaii Republican Party Chairwoman Donna Alcantara applauded them.
Meanwhile, an informal survey of public reactions yesterday did generate some opinions -- as well as some signs of indifference.
Kiyoshi Mizota, a receptionist at the Paul Brown Salon & Day Spa, said last night he knew next to nothing about the impeachment efforts in Washington.
"But I know all about Monica Lewinsky," Mizota quickly added as he took a drag from a cigarette during a smoke break.
Mizota said he does not read newspapers or watch TV news programs. But he said he is a faithful reader of the Star, a tabloid publication, and People magazine, both offering minutiae on the former intern.
"Yes, it's bad, I guess, what he did. But he's doing his job. So, I guess it's kind of OK," Mizota said.
Judy Onato, 23, who was browsing through Borders Books at Ward Centre last night, thought Clinton already was impeached.
"Oh, you mean he's not! Well, I don't know.
"Talk to him, then," Onato said, pointing to her companion, Philip Javier, a property title researcher.
"It's a waste of taxpayers' money," Javier said.
"Yes, it was morally wrong," he said. "Yes, he lied. But who hasn't? They should move on, already."
Curtis Solomon, a valet supervisor at Ward Centre, was strongly on the side of the Republicans.
"When (Clinton) took the oath of office, he vowed to uphold the law," Solomon said.
"He broke the law. That's it," Solomon said.
Sandra "Sam" Bangerter, a real estate agent, also was firmly in favor of impeachment.
"We just can't put up with the president's lies anymore," she said.
