Term Limits for Congress?

[AVG-JOE]

Personally, I think that they are a good idea...

1 each 6 year term - That'll be a campaign finance reform that would work!

-Joe

 

[Skull Pilot]

absolutely.

we have to get back to the citizen who happens to temporarily be a politician and get rid of the career political hacks.

Another thing I've been discussing with a couple of buddies is this: why if senators and congressmen represent (supposedly anyway) their home states do they get paid on the federal payroll?

let's really make these pols accountable. If senators and congressman got paid by their home states and not the feds you can bet we'd see some change.

to quote tip O Neil "All politics are local politics" so lets have each state's tax payers fund the salaries of their reps and stop having one state pay for another's reps.

 

[Paulie]

I concur.

Although, it's awfully hypocritical to agree with this if you happen to be voting for McCain this year.

 

[Modbert]

I concur.

Although, it's awfully hypocritical to agree with this if you happen to be voting for McCain this year.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I concur.

Although, it's awfully hypocritical to agree with this if you happen to be voting for McCain this year.

well BHO has a political hack for VP

Wanting term limits for all hacks and voting the most conservative ticket are not mutually exclusive

so if 8 years is enough for a president then it should be enough for a senator or congressman.

 

[Paulie]

well BHO has a political hack for VP

Wanting term limits for all hacks and voting the most conservative ticket are not mutually exclusive

McCain/Palin is not the most conservative ticket, btw. But you're right about Obama. As far as not being mutually exclusive, I disagree. It seems unethical, to put it one way, to support term limits and vote for a career politician. Instead of getting the Oval Office, McCain OUGHT to be retiring to Florida.

Just my opinion.

 

[Denny Crane]

Personally, I think that they are a good idea...

1 each 6 year term - That'll be a campaign finance reform that would work!

-Joe

I think their term should be decided by the states they represent.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

We already HAVE term limits, it is called the Vote. There is no reason to limit the power of the people to vote for whom they want, which is exactly what term limits do.

There is no reason to support nanny features with term limits and whine about nanny features like social programs.

I also disagree with the current term limits of the President. Personally if the people wanted Clinton to serve 3 or 4 or more terms, that is the right of the people via the vote.

Also congressional term limits would require an amendment just like the Presidential limit required one.

 

[Jeepers]

Term limits are terrible and give lobbyist too much power.. now if youre too old to drive or dress yourself... its time to move on..

 

[AVG-JOE]

I think their term should be decided by the states they represent.

I'll go along with that, as long as Alaska doesn't do 3 terms of 20 years each!

-J

 

[jillian]

Personally, I think that they are a good idea...

1 each 6 year term - That'll be a campaign finance reform that would work!

-Joe

No... I don't even think the president should have term limits.

I always think of term limits as "stop me before I vote again!".

 

[ignatov]

We already HAVE term limits, it is called the Vote. There is no reason to limit the power of the people to vote for whom they want, which is exactly what term limits do.

There is no reason to support nanny features with term limits and whine about nanny features like social programs.

I also disagree with the current term limits of the President. Personally if the people wanted Clinton to serve 3 or 4 or more terms, that is the right of the people via the vote.

Also congressional term limits would require an amendment just like the Presidential limit required one.

Right on! Term limits are a terrible idea, especially limits on the Congress, the branch that most acutely gives a political voice to the citizenry. If the people like their representatives, they should be able to keep them as long as they want.

As for the Presidency, it's worth remembering that the 22nd amendment was passed by the 80th (Republican) Congress in response to crowd-pleasing, liberal FDR's fourth election. Asked to comment, the 80th Congress said, "Holy shit! The people have too much power!"

 

[AVG-JOE]

Term limits are terrible and give lobbyist too much power.. now if youre too old to drive or dress yourself... its time to move on..

How do you figure? The most corrupt ones we hear about have usually been in office for multiple terms. They usually stay pretty clean through their first 1 - 2 terms.

Not to mention the expense and corruptibility of the re-election process...

-J

 

[AVG-JOE]

No... I don't even think the president should have term limits.

I always think of term limits as "stop me before I vote again!".

Do you really think limiting terms for congress would not affect their corruptibility and the personal power they gain with a lifetime in congress?

Why?

-Joe

 

[DiveCon]

I concur.

Although, it's awfully hypocritical to agree with this if you happen to be voting for McCain this year.

or Obama

 

[DiveCon]

I think their term should be decided by the states they represent.

if you mean by the voters at election time, then i agree, except we should go back to the state governments sellecting the Senate the way it was done in the begining

 

[Jeepers]

How do you figure? The most corrupt ones we hear about have usually been in office for multiple terms. They usually stay pretty clean through their first 1 - 2 terms.

Not to mention the expense and corruptibility of the re-election process...

-J

Lobbyist set up shop in DC and stay for every.. there would be a freshmen crop of legislators possibly every two years... That pixar movie with the sharks comes to mind...

Now dont get my wrong.. most in washington wouldnt know dick without lobbyists.. there is a place for them.. I'd just rather not see them more powerfull than my legislators..

 

[jillian]

Do you really think limiting terms for congress would not affect their corruptibility and the personal power they gain with a lifetime in congress?

Why?

-Joe

Because a) congressmen know their constituents and that takes more than a couple of years. b) people generally like their OWN representatives even when they hate congress as a whole; and c) if new people were constantly running for office, they wouldn't be known commodities, so it would be difficult to raise grassroots campaign $$...which would open them up to influence by the same lobbyists and corrupting influences that you're concerned about.

At least someone who's been in congress for a while can tell thm to piss off and he'll win with or without the lobbyists b/c he's got the power of incumbancy and name-recognition.

That's just IMO... but it's how I see it. Plus, when their are term limits, local pols just switch jobs... and someone who should be in the legislature ends up a judge and someone who should be a judge ends up in congress...etc.

 

[Skull Pilot]

McCain/Palin is not the most conservative ticket, btw. But you're right about Obama. As far as not being mutually exclusive, I disagree. It seems unethical, to put it one way, to support term limits and vote for a career politician. Instead of getting the Oval Office, McCain OUGHT to be retiring to Florida.

Just my opinion.

true let me change the statement. if i vote for the most conservative ticket that has a can actually win, it does not mean i am hipocritcal it means i am a realist or call it enlightened self interest.

since we don't have term limits yet, i will work within the system to vote the ticket that most closely represents my political bent. i won't throw my vote under the current system while i am waiting for a better one.

 

[glockmail]

I concur.

Although, it's awfully hypocritical to agree with this if you happen to be voting for McCain this year.

And Biden?