Josh Kleinbaum
When former Rep. Jim Rogan decided to vote to impeach President
Clinton, a Republican leader told Rogan that the vote will cost him
his congressional seat, and suggested Rogan throw the vote.
"He said, 'We have enough votes. We don't need your vote,' " Rogan
said. "I said, you shouldn't have asked a former district attorney
and prosecutor to review the evidence.
"When I reviewed the evidence, it was absolutely clear that
President Clinton committed perjury and obstructed justice."
Rogan voted to impeach the president, and then served as one of 13
prosecutors against the president.
In 2000, Rogan lost a reelection bid to Democrat Adam Schiff
(D-Glendale). Rogan believes the loss was a direct result of his role
in Clinton's impeachment, but he has no regrets.
"I had a poll that said if you vote to impeach the president, 75%
of voters in your district would never vote for you again," Rogan
said. "It wasn't quite that high, but Schiff beat me pretty good. I
knew that would be the vote.
"I'm sorry I lost, but I don't have any regret over my role and my
service in the House Judiciary Committee. I did my job, and that's
what I was paid to do."
Four years after being voted out of office, Rogan returns to his
old district to promote a new book, "Rough Edges: My Unlikely Road
from Welfare to Washington." He will speak at the Glendale Central
Library -- the same place he announced his initial Assembly run in
1994 -- at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and then appear as a guest on the "Larry
Zarian Forum" on Thursday.
The book details Rogan's rough upbringing. It chronicles his life
from college dropout to congressman, telling stories about his days
as a bartender and a bouncer at a porn theater. But it ends before
Clinton's impeachment, which some would consider his most fascinating
chapter. Rogan saved that for a sequel.
"There's no end to the stories a bartender would tell," Rogan
said. "Originally, I wanted to write about life, getting into
politics, the Legislature, Congress and the impeachment. I never got
to politics. The book ends with my leaving the bench and running for
Assembly.
"I've probably got another couple of books in me. When I run out
of things to write about, I'll go do Jim Rogan's beauty and diet."
Rogan would not say if he has another election in him, although
his actions may speak volumes. After spending three years as an
undersecretary of commerce in the Bush administration, Rogan resumed
practicing law in Orange County, Southern California's Republican
stronghold.
"It would have to be a job where I thought I was uniquely
qualified to serve and I had something to offer that hasn't been
offered," Rogan said. "Even if I decide to, running is one thing,
winning is something else. I let the future take care of itself. I'm
enjoying being in the private sector, making a little money and
trying to pay off my debts for the first time in 20 years."
Rogan will speak at the Central Library auditorium at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, part of the library's "Authors, Artists and Friends"
series, presented by the Friends of the Glendale Public Library. For
more information, call 548-2042.
