Arkansas Pols Still Not Over Fighting About Clinton Impeachment

Former President Bill Clinton speaks during a meeting of the State Budget Crisis Task Force at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Philadelphia. The event is designed to bring attention to th... Former President Bill Clinton speaks during a meeting of the State Budget Crisis Task Force at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Philadelphia. The event is designed to bring attention to the eroding financial condition of state governments. MORE LESS
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In the Arkansas gubernatorial race, politicians are still throwing jabs over the 1999 impeachment trial of Bill Clinton.

Former congressman and Democratic candidate for Governor Mike Ross has criticized a Republican opponent, Asa Hutchinson, for his role as prosecutor in the impeachment case, according to the Associated Press.

Ross says Hutchinson, who is also a former congressman, is too partisan since he worked to impeach another Arkansas lawmaker.

“There’s 435 members of Congress and less than a handful actually conducted the trial in the U.S. Senate,” Ross told the AP. “For an Arkansan to say ‘Send me to remove Arkansas’ only president from office’ shows how partisan he is.”

Hutchinson argued to impeach Clinton before the Senate when his brother, former Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-AR) was in office. The Senate voted to acquit the president, which Ross has used to criticize Hutchinson’s skills as a lawyer.

“He may be the only lawyer in America who has conducted a trial with his brother on the jury and lost,” Ross said.

Hutchinson called Ross’ criticisms “snarky.”

“That’s such ancient history. And if Mike Ross wants to run his campaign on mean-spirited comments that reflect the past, then that’s his business,” Hutchinson told the AP. “Arkansans are much more interested in the devastating impacts of his recent votes in Congress, including the trillion dollars in spending and including his votes for President (Barack) Obama’s health care package coming out of the Commerce Committee.”

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