Watt, Coble on Opposite Sides of Impeachment Votes

BY MARK WINEKA
SALISBURY POST

North Carolina congressmen Mel Watt and Howard Coble, both members of the House Judiciary Committee, came out on opposite sides on all three articles of impeachment voted on Friday.

Watt voted against each article, joining his 15 fellow Democrats on the committee in each vote. Watt, of Charlotte, represents the 12th District, which will include all of Rowan County in the next Congress.

A Greensboro Republican, Coble voted for each article of impeachment. His 6th District includes a portion of Rowan County, although that area will be served by Watt come January.

"It was my sad, but Constitutional duty, to vote for the first article of impeachment against President Clinton today because I do believe he committed perjury and that perjury is an impeachable offense," Coble said Friday. "We members of the House Judiciary Committee did not seek out, nor do we relish this assignment, but the Constitution requires us to act."

Coble said President ClintonÕs Rose Garden speech Friday "did nothing to advance his cause."

"Given his past pattern," Coble said, "I believe this was just the latest trial balloon floated to see if the members of our committee and Congress would accept this latest defense of the charges leveled against him."