John McCain accidentally makes a great case for term limits

[Mac1958]

Wouldn't it be nice if our "leaders" (hee hee) could "vote their conscience without worry" and "speak their mind without fearing the consequences"?

You don't need to be dying of cancer to do that. We could just have term limits. What we have now are professional politicians whose top priorities are fundraising and re-election.

The longer they're in office, the bigger power base they've established. They're entrenched.

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In a new book, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) writes that his battle with brain cancer has given him a sense of liberation to vote and speak his mind. “This is my last term,” McCain writes in his upcoming book The Restless Wave, which he co-authored with former adviser Mark Salter. An excerpt of the book was posted Monday on Apple News.

“If I hadn’t admitted that to myself before this summer, a stage 4 cancer diagnosis acts as ungentle persuasion,” McCain continues. “I’m freer than colleagues who will face the voters again. I can speak my mind without fearing the consequences much. And I can vote my conscience without worry. I don’t think I’m free to disregard my constituents’ wishes, far from it. I don’t feel excused from keeping pledges I made. Nor do I wish to harm my party’s prospects. But I do feel a pressing responsibility to give Americans my best judgment.”

John McCain in New Book: I’m Freer Now to Speak My Mind
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[TNHarley]

“This is my last term,”

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Wouldn't it be nice if our "leaders" (hee hee) could "vote their conscience without worry" and "speak their mind without fearing the consequences"?

You don't need to be dying of cancer to do that. We could just have term limits. What we have now are professional politicians whose top priorities are fundraising and re-election.

The longer they're in office, the bigger power base they've established. They're entrenched.

=========================================================

In a new book, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) writes that his battle with brain cancer has given him a sense of liberation to vote and speak his mind. “This is my last term,” McCain writes in his upcoming book The Restless Wave, which he co-authored with former adviser Mark Salter. An excerpt of the book was posted Monday on Apple News.

“If I hadn’t admitted that to myself before this summer, a stage 4 cancer diagnosis acts as ungentle persuasion,” McCain continues. “I’m freer than colleagues who will face the voters again. I can speak my mind without fearing the consequences much. And I can vote my conscience without worry. I don’t think I’m free to disregard my constituents’ wishes, far from it. I don’t feel excused from keeping pledges I made. Nor do I wish to harm my party’s prospects. But I do feel a pressing responsibility to give Americans my best judgment.”

John McCain in New Book: I’m Freer Now to Speak My Mind
.

I don’t think I’m free to disregard my constituents’ wishes

But you'll continue to do so.....like always.

 

[TheParser]

IMHO:

1. When John McCain was first elected, he was a genuine hero (because of his ordeal in Vietnam).

2. Sadly, he (like so many other politicians) never knew when to leave.

3. As he grew older, he realized that he had two choices: be a Senator who gets outward respect and is pursued by dozens of reporters, or become just another senior citizen sitting on a park bench all day, ignored by everyone else.

So I guess that we cannot blame him for hogging on to that Senate seat. Bless his little heart. I hear that his book has some unkind comments about the President, who -- I hope -- will take pity on the Senator and keep his mouth shut this time.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

“John McCain accidentally makes a great case for term limits”

…and at the same time not – that cuts both ways.

Knowing that this is one's final term in Congress might give a senator or representative license to act recklessly and irresponsibly.

Otherwise, we already have term limits – they’re called elections.

That the voters are too stupid to use elections wisely doesn’t warrant a Constitutional amendment to impost term limits, which are fundamentally un-democratic.

Citizens have the right to elect to office whomever they so desire, for as long as they desire.