Many would argue that had he done so he would have avoided impeachment.

But merely avoiding impeachment will not restore the moral and political authority the President has lost.

The only way to avoid impeachment was through a strong showing in the November elections.

We all knew last-ditch efforts to avoid impeachment would fail.

On 18 August, Musharraf resigned in order to avoid impeachment.

Some within the university said that to accept the papers would be to embrace a failed president who resigned in disgrace to avoid impeachment.

Presidents have been unpopular many times, and yet they have never resigned, except to avoid impeachment.

A Supreme Court ruling also dashed his hopes of avoiding impeachment.

In the end, a once-defiant president resigned to avoid impeachment, and 18 of his aides were sent to jail.

For Clinton, avoiding impeachment should take precedence over any embarrassment or legal liability.