Term Limits from the Grass Roots

Constitution Day, 2009 | cc2k

[cc2k]

Previous postings:

The Two Million Frog March (Why 9-12-2009 spells trouble for Republicans and Democrats alike)

[cc2k]

A follow up to “The Two Million Frog March (Why 9-12-2009 spells trouble for Republicans and Democrats alike)”. I thought you might be interested.

[Puppage]

[US Navy Vet]

I like the Second Amendment’s method for “term Limits”!

[wastedyears]

Well, here’s the reality. We the voters determine who represents us in Washington, DC. We also decide who represents us in our state capitols, our county seats and even our city halls. We also elect (directly or indirectly) leaders of the executive branch in Washington DC, and in all the lower levels of government. Term limits are possible with no changes to the current rules! All that needs to change is the behavior of the electorate.A lack of term limits is why we have people like McCain, Byrd, Kennedy, Murtha, Schumer in office so long.

[Paladin2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRywBfkuQNk

[Paladin2]

WWAAAYYYYYYY ahead of me. ;-)

[taxcontrol]

No person shall serve more than 12 years in total as a US Senator. No person shall serve more than 12 years in total as a US Representative. No person shall serve more than 12 years total for the offices of President or Vice President. No person shall serve more than 12 years in total in any position that answers directly to the President, Vice President, Senator or Representative

[Eternally-Optimistic]

I like your idea but would like to change it as follows:
No person shall serve more than 12 years in total as a US Senator. No person shall serve more than 8 years in total as a US Representative. No person shall serve more than 8 years total for the offices of President or Vice President. No person shall serve more than 12 years in total in any position that answers directly to the President, Vice President, Senator or Representative. No person shall serve more than 10 years as a District or Supreme Court judge.

[stockpirate]

They should serve only two terms, one in Congress and one in jail.

[sickoflibs]

Term limits are critical, but neither party will pass them. They were part of the Republican contract with America 1994, broken contract obviously.

[Walrus]

cc2k, you nailed it. "Term Limit" legislation is a total fantasy. IT SIMPLY CANNOT HAPPEN !!! No legislator would actually vote to throw himself out of office. On the other hand, we citizens can ---and should--- apply de facto term limits by regularly voting our own congressmen and senators out of office, regardless of party and regardless of whether or not we think he or she "has done a good job." And, yes, we DO intend to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The "baby" has been crapping in the tub!

[wastedyears]

I’m not cc2k

[Wonder Warthog]

Sorry, but I’d still rather see term limits embedded in the Constitution by means of a formal amendment.

[Wonder Warthog]

"cc2k, you nailed it. "Term Limit" legislation is a total fantasy. IT SIMPLY CANNOT HAPPEN !!! No legislator would actually vote to throw himself out of office."

Wrong. Term limits have been successfully voted in, in MANY local and state governments. And the politicians really, really, really HATE THEM. Which, in my view, means that they are "a good thing".

[xeno]

[cc2k]

First a few questions for each of you. Will you join me in my pledges? And, how much have you contributed to the RNC or DNC, or to the Republican/Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee, or the Republican/Democrat Senatorial Campaign Committee? Have you ever contributed to the campaign of an incumbent who exceeds your preference for term limits? If you favor term limits, why would you contribute to these committees which are for the most part dedicated to re-electing incumbents way beyond the term limits you claim to support?

wastedyears wrote:

A lack of term limits is why we have people like McCain, Byrd, Kennedy, Murtha, Schumer in office so long.

Sorry, I won’t buy into that. Lazy voters in Arizona, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New York are what have kept McCain, Byrd, Kennedy, Murtha and Shumer in office for so long.

If we had term limit laws or a term limit amendment, it would force the issue. But there is no reason, other than laziness, why voters can’t enforce term limits on their own.

sickoflibs wrote:

Term limits are critical, but neither party will pass them. They were part of the Republican contract with America 1994, broken contract obviously.

If you believe any politician who promises to support term limits, you’re very naive. They might follow through, it has actually happened, but it isn’t very likely.

Wonder Warthog wrote:

Sorry, but I’d still rather see term limits embedded in the Constitution by means of a formal amendment.

Nowhere have I said that I am against an amendment specifying term limits. However, I am pointing out the hypocrisy of many who claim to support such an amendment, but also support candidates who exceed the very limits they are proposing.

Are you saying you are unwilling to search for new candidates unless the Constitution is amended to force the issue?

Walrus wrote:

And, yes, we DO intend to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The "baby" has been crapping in the tub!

Well stated. I can’t add to that, but I thought it was worth repeating.

[algernonpj]

thanks for the ping.

I’m proud that my town in the middle of ‘blue’ NJ, elected an independent mayor a couple of years ago - a fiscal conservative. It was close, but he won; I supported him with my available resources.

Unfortunately this did not work with the last presidential election nor our current gubernatorial one.

I sent back notes to the RNC and state repub party when they come begging, but they seem to care less.

[Wonder Warthog]

"Nowhere have I said that I am against an amendment specifying term limits. However, I am pointing out the hypocrisy of many who claim to support such an amendment, but also support candidates who exceed the very limits they are proposing."

There's no hypocrisy at all involved. A voter would be a fool to vote against a long-serving legislator who he feels is doing a good job WITHOUT statutory term limits, due to the power incrued by that legislator from seniority, which would then be lost.

This is one of the main reasons IN FAVOR of statutory term limits, that it minimizes the loss of power from seniority.

[Truthsearcher]

The problem with this is that gerrymandering laws that are passed by those who got elected has made voting out incumbents nearly impossible.

The incumbents have rigged the game in their favor to make it virtually impossible to kick them out.

It’s actually a direct and blatant attempt to make and end run around the representative system. We do not have a real republic until the entire gerrymandering system is abolished.

My proposal is to have randomly drawn districts that changes every 2 years. That will more than anything ensure term limits.