Dewhurst cynically panders to nutjobs in Senate runoff

[NoPasaran]

Obviously worried about his chances of prevailing on July 31, David Dewhurst steps up his efforts to paint his opponent as a career politician, Dewhurst is a simple country boy who has been Lt Governor for a decade.

At an event in Waco, Dewhurst called for curbing congressional pay and benefits, limiting members to 12 years in office and preventing elected officials from lobbying immediately after they leave office.

"Congress has increasingly grown out of touch with the private sector and the rest of America, and we must re-align the values and priorities of our representatives with the people they represent," Dewhurst said in a statement.

The policy ideas are hardly new and have no chance of ever being enacted, said University of Texas government professor Sean Theriault, who studies Congress.

"This is total pandering to a public that views Congress with 8 to 15 percent approval rating," Theriault said, adding that the proposal is quite similar to that offered by Gov. Rick Perry during his failed presidential bid.

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/dewhurst-proposes-term-limits-lower-pay-for-congress-2402404.html