In regaurds to the NSA, I am not going to defend nor support their activities. I posted that information just as an FYI.
As per Clinton, he wasn't acquitted. He was impeached by the Senate. But, they did not remove him from office. He was in no way acquitted.
It is important because, as I said before, he lied in a sexual harrasment suit against him and obstructed justice, or atleast tried. Both of which are serious crimes. And the law applies to us all. This has nothing to do with running the country. Now you should rephrase your question to say: Does lying under oath, in a matter that was unrelated to his position (or atleast loosly related), justify him being removed from office? That is the real debate. Not, as you so eligantly put it, "shoving a cigar in some tarts snatch" having to do with running the country.
Why does it matter if he lied about a
private, personal matter? why is this important? If I was to have an affair, would I be placed on public trial - by law or media - for it? What exactly was the 'justice' for? What did he lie about that was in the public - i.e. governmental and national - interest with regards to his capability as a president?
Albeit, he wasn't convicted, was he? AFAIK the Senate rejected the 2 charges of impeachment. So surely it's not like he was 'let away with it' or somesuch, if it got that far? In my understanding, facing a court and not being convicted usually amounts to being found innocent (or, in Scots law, 'not proven' as a third option).
And it's probably quite appropriate for me to use the crudest possible terms, because this was basically a fairly sleazy and pathetic affair. Media and show over actual relevance; political points scorting ahead of maybe actually considering the issues of running a country. And here you are dragging this up again, demanding he be punished in some way despite the fact he was put on effective trial anyways. Basically you're saying that you disagree with that verdict, so you're ignoring it?
We've seen
far more serious crimes committed by the Bush administration (and probably every other Presidency, this is just my - time - frame of reference here).