'Nailing Bill Clinton is like trying to nail a f--t to the wall'

The extent of scandals in Bill Clinton's administration and the president's uncanny ability to escape political harm from them led one well-known congressman to compare handling the ex–commander in chief to a fight with elusive flatulence.

"Nailing Bill Clinton is like trying to nail a fart to the wall," former Rep. Bob Barr, R-Ga., reportedly said. "There's a lot of smell and you know it's there. You just aren't sure where to nail."

The account of the fragrant remark comes from Barr's fellow Republican, former Rep. James Rogan of California, who led impeachment proceedings against Clinton in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rogan unveiled the comment in his brand-new book, "Catching Our Flag: Behind the Scenes of a Presidential Impeachment," published by WND Books.

Find out the juicy, never-before-disclosed details about Clinton's impeachment hearings from the congressman who ran the proceedings. Get your personally autographed copy of "Catching Our Flag"

In his in-depth analysis of the story that captivated America in the late 1990s, Rogan reminds readers there were actually impeachment efforts underway even before news of Clinton's sexcapades with his former intern, Monica Lewinsky.

"Most people now forget that two months before the Lewinsky story broke, Congressman Bob Barr introduced a resolution authorizing an impeachment inquiry for his foreign campaign money laundering operations," writes Rogan. "If Mrs. Clinton's 'vast right-wing conspiracy' supported this, its membership must have missed Bob Barr's invitation to the dance. Only a handful of Bob's 228 GOP colleagues cosponsored his resolution; not one was in the Republican leadership."

Rogan explains the reason Barr had no meaningful support was because most Republicans at the time thought impeaching Clinton was a bad idea.

Monica Lewinsky

He noted that just days after the Lewinsky scandal became public, he had a private discussion with 1996 GOP vice presidential nominee Jack Kemp.

"'Why is Bob doing this?' Jack asked. 'It makes us look silly. Newt [Gingrich] handled himself beautifully in interviews when he urged caution, and not jumping to conclusions until we get all the facts.'"

Rogan says soon after, he ran into former Vice President Dan Quayle, and despite plenty of media coverage of the Lewinsky affair, Quayle "felt it was better politically for the Republican Party to see Clinton survive the tsunami."

Rogan says another high-profile Republican unhappy with Barr's impeachment proposal was the man who controlled the committee of jurisdiction for impeachments: Chairman Henry Hyde of Illinois.

Two months before Lewinsky, Rogan says he asked Hyde if he thought enough evidence would ever merit an impeachment inquiry against Clinton.

According to Rogan, Hyde opined, "There's no smoking gun yet on the president, but we all know he is dirty."

Rogan noted, "When I asked Henry why Bob Barr introduced an impeachment resolution before our committee received the anticipated report and recommendations from Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr (who was concluding a four-year investigation into Clinton scandals), Henry scowled: 'Publicity,' he grumbled, 'pure and simple.' Later that afternoon, I ran into Bob ... . I asked if he felt there was enough evidence to impeach Clinton right now. 'No,' he conceded. 'There's a lot of smoke though. Nailing Bill Clinton is like trying to nail a fart to the wall. There's a lot of smell and you know it's there. You just aren't sure where to nail."

"Catching Our Flag" is an uncensored, behind-the-scenes look at what went on during America's last presidential impeachment.

"This first-hand narrative provides a fascinating inside tale of politics, power, expendiency and intimidation," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who wrote the foreword. "Other books in this subject invariably rely on fading recollections (or wholesale fantasies). Congressman James Rogan was more than a witness; he was a leading figure in the most important trial in our country's political and legal history. It is a story only he can tell."

Personally autographed copies of "Catching Our Flag" are available exclusively at the WND Superstore.