Stenholm wants to double terms

Abilene Reporter News | January 8,2003 | Tara Copp

[Catspaw]

No, what he really wants is four years to raise money for his next election, not two years. The majority of house members--despite the 90%+ reelection rate--campaign and raise money on a continuous basis.

[mhking]

Rockheaded idiot. He just wants to find a way to keep his job forever.

[mhking]

Uh, no offense, rockhead.

[concerned about politics]

"I think two-year terms, the costs associated with them — the constant campaigning and the constant need for money-raising

It's just too much work for a social vampire. I mean really.
Active Democrat is an oxymoron.

[Teacher317]

"I’ve had enough constituents in the last two campaigns say, ‘Why don’t you go to four-year terms?’" Stenholm said. "I think two-year terms, the costs associated with them — the constant campaigning and the constant need for money-raising —

Gee, here's an idea: try concentrating on doing your job, rather than trying to keep it.

that we ought to seriously have this discussion, since we’ve gone to four-year terms for governors, state officials."

We know better than those silly Founders. What have they ever thought of, anyway?

[TontoKowalski]

Well, now, in fairness, the Congressman has waited 20+ years before proposing a Constitutional Amendment.

...unlike a certain junior Senator from a certain eastern state who proposed her first Constitutional Amendment, abolishing the Electoral College, before her ass had completely whooshed the air out of her seat cushion.

[Howlin]

"I think two-year terms, the costs associated with them — the constant campaigning and the constant need for money-raising

Did somebody hold a gun to his head and make him run? He can quit.

[concerned about politics]

LOL.

[Teacher317]

On the other hand, maybe we should just try to figure out a way to shorten the campaign season. However, in this era of "the permanent campaign," I am not sure how that would be done.

Easy... a limit of ONE term. Then NO campaigning will EVER distract a representative from his job for even a single DAY. If America could find sufficient representatives when we had one rep for every 10,000 citizens, I think we can get by now that we have 500,000 to choose from for every post.

That goes for the Senate, as well. The Presidency can still go for two terms, since that is a place for individual leadership, and often it takes more than 4 years to make progress.

[Mo1]

What is it with Democrats not letting the american people vote for who they want to represent them .. when are they going to stop trying change the election rules

[Doug Loss]

How about a law forbidding Representatives and Senators from entering the District of Columbia at all during their terms of office except for specifically designated ceremonial occasions? They could conduct all their legislative business via video conferencing from their home states and districts. In fact, let's forbid them from leaving their states for periods of more than three weeks during their terms of office. Make "federal legislator" something like a home-confinement criminal sentence.

[Theodore R.]

This is ABSURD. The Constitution of the United States (which Stenholm may not have glanced at in years) specifies two years terms for the U.S. House. This will require a constitutional amendment. LBJ proposed this in 1965 or 1967, and a constitutional amendment went nowhere. Abilene people think they can't exist without Congressman Stenholm!

[Theodore R.]

Could it be farm subsidies that keeps Stenholm popular in the little town around Abilene, or is it just incumbency and being recognized?

[Steven W.]

founders wanted elections every two years to hold these guys' feet to the fire & ensure they were totally responsive to the people. The counter to that was that Senators were NOT supposed to be elected at all. Now we have the senate totally politicized, something the founders didn't want, and now congress-critters want to distance themselves even further from the electorate? ain't gonna happen.

[Non-Sequitur]

I'd go for it if the amendment also doubled or trippled the size of the House.

The size of the House of Representatives is set by legislation, not by the Constitution. They can double or triple the size without this amendment.

[Ditto]

Good point. You are correct --- as usual.

[concerned about politics]

I think two-year terms, the costs associated with them — the constant campaigning and the constant need for money-raising —

He'll do anything for the workers but become one.
He stands for what he thinks people will fall for.
I'm sure he's studied both sides of the issue - so he can go around them!

[jmaroneps37]

Don't rats suck?