Is it time for term limits in both the House and Senate?

[loyalkydem]

The time has come to start term limits in both Congress and the Senate.

It’s clear to me that despite how hard we progressives work, we are never going to have a say in Washington as long as the corporations are in charge. Make no mistake the corporations ARE in charge. Don’t get me wrong, we have some good democratic candidates but what is prompting me to write this post is Senator’s like Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Jim Bunning who have made a career out of doing the bidding for their corporate masters only answer to what they want.

Jim Anderson, a small business owner said this about term limits, “If we are truly going to start restoring our country in 2010, we must begin at the root of the problem, and elect people that truly want to serve the public, not live off their confiscated earnings,” Anderson said. “The Founding Fathers never intended for citizens to find permanent homes in Washington D.C. They certainly never intended for them to serve national party and special interests over their constituency. But that is what continues to happen, and the country cannot financially or morally afford it any longer.”

Look, I am a democrat. I have been since I was 18 years old. I rarely ever agree with a Republican on anything but in this case. He’s right. While we are at it, why not shorten the time a Senator serves from six years down to two.

[WeDidIt]

1. No n/t

[quiller4]

2. Term limits are not the answer and I'd never support them.

[Mojambo]

3. Nor I

Term limits will only increase the power of lobbyists.

[Bitwit1234]

25. Why not..At least they won't spend all their time

accepting lobbyist money so they can run for re-election and neglecting the real reason they were elected.

The only other alternative is make lobbying illegal. And accepting lobbying money reason to be arrested and jailed.

[Hekate]

4. No. We have something called "elections" to do that. Term limits have been a disaster in California

Do you know why? Because just as an office-holder is getting the hang of how things get done in Sacramento (or City Hall) they get termed-out.

So who's left who knows how things get done (and where the bodies are buried) when the next wave of freshmen arrives?

Any ideas?

Lobbyists. Who are not elected by the people.

And who have no term limits.

Hekate

[notesdev]

13. I suppose it would be too much to ask

to have these guys actually prepare for the job before showing up, so they don't spend so much time as an ineffective newb. Surely there's got the be a spoiler site somewhere.

[Caliman73]

15. Exactly!! Thank you!

California has been decimated by term limits and other stupid legislation that was done "for the good of the citizen". All term limits do is destroy the institutional history of the legislative body. A better solution for the problems within the Congress and Executive branches is to reform lobbying rules, reform campaign financing, and to impose sever limits on PR firms who have taken over elections and made them into spectacles rather than forums where the policies of the candidates are displayed for examination.

[Romulox]

17. Incumbency rates are in the 90s even though approval rates are in the 30s..

Something doesn't jibe.

[Selatius]

42. That's because incumbents are often supported by entrenched monied interests.

Candidates who want to fight incumbents are more often than not heading into a gun fight with just a pair of brass knuckles. They need to have massive amounts of money to challenge an incumbent. With a robust public financing mechanism, the playing field should be leveled. The current system does not provide matching funds to a candidate who takes public financing if he is being outspent by his opponent, and it limits when he can air ads, forcing him or her to rely on third party interests to air ads in his or her favor. This is why so few candidates even bother with public financing of campaigns anymore.

[Romulox]

44. Agreed. Which makes it silly to argue "we have elections" in response to complaints

of a 2 party duopoly.

I do think you've overlooked the most basic factor, however: the incumbent uses the power of the purse to purchase the support of wealthy benefactors, who in turn provide the money to keep the tv commercials rolling.

[yurbud]

5. term limits encourage corruption and empower lobbyists and staffers

We have them here in California, and by the time a legislator has figured out how things work, he is turned out.

Also, if you know your political career has an expiration date, you will be even more tempted to carry corporate water to help line up a job for when that expiration date comes.

I would rather go the opposite route and make it like the priesthood--they have to take a vow of celibacy to never fornicate with corporations ever again.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. Is it 1994 again?

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. I'm not opposed to term limits, so long as they are reasonable.

Say, 9 two-year terms for congressmen, 3 six-year terms for senators. 18 years is plenty time enough to figure the job out, but short enough that they don't ossify in their seats.

As for the senator term, I have no problem with it being six years. The two-year congressional term allows for high turnover, and shifting public passions. The six-year senate term brackets the 4 year presidential term on the other side from the congressional term, giving more stability and continuity than either congress or the presidency. The power of congress is in their numbers. The power of the senate is in their length of term - each in different ways limits the power of the executive, while at the same time act as a brake on each other.

On the other hand, it could potentially backfire, as upon completing their maximum mandated terms the senators and congresscritters would be young enough for yet another career in industry - by which I mean, of course, the MIC. Term limits forcing them into the private sector could potentially increase the corruption as they wrangle cushy jobs through the lobbyists they meet.

[KamaAina]

8. That would require a constitutional amendment

certainly shortening a Senator's term to two years would. Besides, one of the big flaws with the present system is that Representatives, who already have two-year terms, are basically on a nonstop cycle of electioneering and fundraising for the next election.

[undeterred]

9. No, but its time for campaign finance reform.

[KrR]

10. You want public financed elections not term limits. n/t

[notesdev]

11. I've always been skeptical of term limits

but after a while I can't help noticing the correlation between how long these guys have been in DC and how corrupt they are.

I once saw a time-series of Denny Hastert starting from when he became Speaker to when he left... it was literally like watching someone morphing into a pig. He got fatter and fatter and rounder and rounder, and of course his actions got further and further from anything that could credibly be called sane.

[clear eye]

12. Wrong. Getting corporate money out of the process

and banning e-voting and counting would help. Just replacing one group of corrupt officials w/another who we may or may not have elected every two years is a distraction. It also would stop us from keeping the few who represent us in good faith in office.

[Shagbark Hickory]

14. Yes. n/t Long overdue. Federally funded campaigns too. No private donations.

[Caliman73]

24. I would add...

I agree that public and fairly funded campaigns are necessary, but I would add severe restrictions on another insidious problem in campaigns, the PR firm. PR firms are about manipulation and selling of an image rather than substance. I would say that campaigns should consist of speeches about policy positions, the examination of political or relevant experience such as voting records, management of agencies and the like, and debates that are well moderated. Just my opinion though.

[Shagbark Hickory]

27. works for me . n/t

[spanone]

16. you'll never get congress to vote themselves out of office

[LiberalFighter]

18. Do you understand that there is already term limits in both Chambers?

It's called voting.

I would also suggest that you read a bit about the history of our Constitution as it deals with terms for the House and Senate. A good one would be "Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 reported by James Madison"

[spanone]

19. gerrymandering districts obstructs votes so it's not as black & white as you portray

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

20. Term limits would make congress critters MORE endebted, not less.

If no one has name recognition they can rely on, every one has to raise boatloads of money to get elected. Guess who has boatloads of money?

[sponge_bob_128]

21. Yes it is time for term limits.

Almost all the politicians in our despicable corrupt system
are power hungry subhuman scum. The US Senate is the only body
that "really" matters in our mathematically idiotic
system and just listen to most senators after they have been
there for a while, they start out okay, but soon become
anti-change pro-corruption, pro-privilege and unaccountable
rat-bastards.  Did you know the only way for Connecticut to
get rid of Lieberman before 6 years is to kill him?

I would totally support term limits, also after their term is
up do not let them take ANY public office (otherwise they play
musical chairs).  Also restrictions on accepting money or jobs
from any industry they ruled on.  But come to think of it our
"representative" Democracy is a despicable joke
based on ancient "caveman" legacy garbage. Why can't
I choose my representation and change it anytime I want? (I
pretty much hate (or are disgusted) by all my
"representatives").

Basically the whole system is garbage and needs to be nuked.

[cali]

22. No. No. And No.

[amborin]

30. agree, only b/c it takes time to gain expertise; still, some kind of limits are necessary

[pinto]

23. No. Term limits are a passive, feel good substitution for improving voter turn-out

in the actual 'term limits' that are regular elections, instituting more campaign finance reform and establishing accountability based on a member's voting record.

Term limits, outside of established regular elections, are short-sighted and counter productive.

I don't favor term limits for any elective office.

[Behind the Aegis]

37. "I don't favor term limits for any elective office. "

Does that include president?

[truebrit71]

26. It is WELL past time...

..if the Prez is limited, so should the Congress..

[dysfunctional press]

28. how exactly do you see that being implemented...?

congress would have to initiate and pass legislation that screws them personally out of their positions money and power.

good.
luck.

it was part of gin-grinch's contract on america, and it didn't get out of the gate then, either- even though the members of con-gress had been voted in on a pledge to do just that.

they.
didn't.

tell you anything...?

[bigwillq]

29. I would like to see some form of a term-limit, age-limit

Yes, sorry to discriminate, but I am against career politicians. As much as I loved Kennedy (and Byrd) they were/are no longer as effective as they used to be. If I missed month after month at my job, I would be fired or let go or replaced. It's time to do the same in Congress.
I understand that some of these people were stricken with illness, and that can happen to anyone, but a lot of these career politicians are well past the average retirement age.

[classysassy]

31. Make it easier

to impeach them when they get caught with their hands in the cookie jar,or accepting bribes.

[anonymous171]

32. NO NO NO NO NO. Term limits are undemocratic and should be Constitutionally abolished.

How about allowing for federal recalls instead?

[Iggo]

33. So lame.

So the lobbyists just sit there and wait for a new rube to come through every couple of years?

[anonymous171]

34. Yeah, term limits are sort of an implicit recognition that the people are too stupid be elect their

own representatives.

[Major Hogwash]

35. It was a good idea 20 years ago, it's a great idea now.

Just look at how many of those Senators have been there for more than 3 terms in the Senate and how unresponsive they are to the electorate!!

Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond hated the idea of term limits.

And there was a reason for that!!!!

[LiberalAndProud]

36. No, thank you.

Edward M. Kennedy
Edward M. Kennedy was the third longest-serving member of the United States Senate in American history. Voters of Massachusetts elected him to the Senate ...
http://tedkennedy.org/

_______________
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Chambers

Ernest (Ernie) W. Chambers (born July 10, 1937) is a former Nebraska State Senator who represented North Omaha's 11th District in the Nebraska State Legislature. He is also a civil rights activist and is widely-regarded as Nebraska's most prominent and outspoken African American leader. As a State

He served his final day as a Senator in the Nebraska Legislature on April 17, 2008, due to a term limits law passed in 2000. It is generally agreed that even after 38 years he would have easily won re-election. As he put it, "They had to change the constitution to get rid of me."


ETA links.

[AllyCat]

38. While I am with you in the frustration over these horrible people with Ds after their names

term limits won't help. I believe we need public financing of campaigns as a good start. But how to do it?

[Raine]

39. I was always against term limits but now

I'm thinking maybe they should be gotten out before they lose all there principles and morals.

[Selatius]

40. Absolutely NOT. Any proposal is dead in the water if it does not address campaign finance reform.

Campaign finance reform, or lack thereof, is killing this republic. Get that Republican to agree to publicly financed federal campaigns, and then come back to me. Otherwise, don't bother.

[Bonn1997]

41. What abouterm limits for the Presidency? Are people who oppose term limits for Congress opposed to

them for the Presidency too? If not, what's the difference?

[FLAprogressive]

43. Term limits do not fix any problem....in fact I say they make matters worse by creating automatic

lame ducks who are no longer accountable to voters.