Determined to impeach Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, House Republican Leader Gerald Ford decided not to introduce a formal resolution That would be handled by the House Judiciary Committee, and Ford was afraid its liberal members might block his move. Instead, he urged a special probe into Douglas' conduct. The only approval required for that was from the conservative House Rules Committee. But liberals rapidly upset Ford's plan.
Indiana Democrat Andrew Jacobs introduced his own formal impeachment resolution. As a result, the Judiciary Committee set up a special subcommittee to look into the Douglas case. Meanwhile, Douglas was under pressure from...