Former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder condemned the Clinton impeachment inquiry as too broad in scope in a speech before 75 people in Cook Auditorium yesterday.
Schroeder, who served in the House of Representatives for 24 years before retiring in 1996, said she felt sorry for her friends who are currently in Congress.
Schroeder, who served on the House Judiciary Committee, called the Clinton scandal a "sorry mess," but said it would have been difficult for Congress members to vote against the inquiry because voters might feel they were defending the president.
"There are no heroes" in the scandal, she said.
She called it a difficult time to serve the country and said her husband joked that she should have a couch because she is spending so much time counseling Representatives.
Schroeder said what pained her most about the situation was the president lying to the public. "In politics, all you have is your word."
She said her three rules for politics are 1) tell the truth; 2) don't do something you don't want on the front page of the newspaper, 3) if you do number 2, see rule 1.
Schroeder added that if you tell the truth, most people are forgiving.
In addition, she said she feels the world population is having a "collective nervous breakdown" watching Americans worry about sex scandals while the international economy is fluctuating.
Civil society
Schroeder, who is currently president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, originally planned to speak about "Citizenship and Civil Society: The Future of Public Service."
She said she feels civil society should not be defined by any one person. "It's the rights of the citizens as a whole to define their civil society," she said.
Schroeder bemoaned the loss of places for Americans to gather and talk, optimism and the giving spirit in citizens and politicians. She cited Vice President Hubert Humphrey as an example of someone who brought giving and joy to politics.
She said she thinks the phenomenon of gated communities is detrimental to American communal spirit. The challenge for society is to stay connected to people outside their gates, Schroeder said.
"I know of no other place on the planet that has this energy and excitement generated," Schroeder says. "And this excitement comes from diversity and people talking and realizing no one has a lock on truth."
She said the country's diversity has led to a strong belief in the future, since that is the only thing every citizen has in common.
"My father used to say in Europe you are what you're parents were," Schroeder said. "In America, you are what your child will become."
However, Schroeder said she feels cynicism about the future and the government pervades most of America today. This leads to low voter turn-out, she said.
"We've lost the sense of how we impact our elected leaders," she said. "Civil society can't flourish if we're all sinking in cynicism."
Schroeder said there are two approaches to life; the people who spot a problem and wring their hands, doing nothing to solve it, and the people who roll up their sleeves and get to work solving the problem.
She said a challenge today is to make people see the optimistic attitude of rolling up sleeves as "cooler" than the cynical handwringing attitude.
She said she agonizes for the country, which needs strong leaders. However, she responded to an audience member's suggestion that she declare her candidacy for president with the belief that the political system isn't ready for a female candidate.
A woman could not run today because she would experience difficulties in fundraising, which she called a nightmare for women.
With modern technology, Schroeder said there are phenomenal possibilities for people to connect and for civil society to be strong. She said she hopes the young, who are proficient with this technology, will use it to its full advantage to connect with others.
Civil society works for those who vote, she said.
Schroeder said the possibility of low voter-turnout November 3 scares her, since it will mean a very small percentage of the country will be choosing the leadership.
The speech was sponsored by Women in Politics and the Rockefeller Center.
