An Affair of State

by Richard A. Posner

"President Clinton's Year of Crisis, which began when his affair with Monica Lewinsky hit the front pages in January 1998, engendered a host of important questions of criminal and constitutional law, public and private morality, and political and cultural conflict."--BOOK JACKET. "In a book written while the events of the year were unfolding, Richard Posner presents a balanced and scholarly understanding of the crisis. Posner clarifies the issues and eliminates misunderstandings concerning the facts and the law that were relevant to the investigation by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and to the impeachment proceeding itself. He compares and contrasts the Clinton affair with Watergate, Iran-Contra, and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, exploring the subtle relationship between public and private morality. He examines the place of impeachment in the American constitutional scheme, the pros and cons of impeaching President Clinton, and the major procedural issues raised by both the im