prof. fonerthe constitution says that the president can be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. what is a high crime and misdemeanor? that is whatever the majority of the house of representatives determines. we've only had two impeachment trials, as you know. we also had a voter's impeachment against nixon. in each case, the so-called "crimes" were very different. i think they just got fed up with johnson. the charge was violating the tenure of office act. they had put that in to keep stanton as secretary of war. then johnson dismissed her. so he violated a law, but it was a murky law that people thought was in constitutional. if incompetence is a grounds for impeachment, he certainly should have been impeached. if being impossible to deal with was grounds for impeachment, he should have impeached. nobody liked him, but they did not quite have an ironclad legal grounds for impeaching johnson. mr. brookhiser: there is the pregnant moment when johnson is inaugurated before lincoln is. in 186