The death last week of Teddy Kennedy got me to thinking about one of my favorite soapbox issues: term limits.
Now aside from the fact that his father was the reason the fourth place finisher in the family’s political empire lottery got a seat in the house, and forgetting for a moment that the family name and the collective sympathy it generates in Massachusetts, is the reason Teddy maintained a seat at the big kid’s table for far too long. Unfortunately for him, Lady Destiny’s wheel spins for everyone and Karma finally caught up with him. You’re welcome Mary Jo.
Now the scramble is on to replace him and the Democrats are regretting their haste in changing the law on how Senators are replaced in mid-term; guess they thought old Teddy would live forever.
Same thing in West Virginia right now with Grand Wizard, the Reverend Robert C. Byrd and Jay “The Carpetbagger” Rockefeller, who look to be settled in until judgment day. And don’t start with me about the issue. I grew up in West Virginia after my Dad left the Marine Corps and I have never known another Senator other than Byrd. I also remember when Old Jay came down from New York to save the hillbillies. Unfortunately, they bought into it and he became governor before going to the Senate. That’s part of the reason I decided not to go back.
Think of the ones that you know about, along with Kennedy and Byrd: there have been ones like Strom Thurmond and Jessie Helms, both who I thought would never go away.
Currently, we have Byrd who has been there since 1959, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii since 1963 and Patrick Leahy since 1975. That is stopping just three spots down the list. There are many that have been there from 1977 through 1989. I didn’t count ones there less than 21 years when there are 85 members with 36 plus years in office.
What I want to know is how in the world could these people have any clue as to what is going on in the parts of the country they claim to represent; when they haven’t been there in almost two generations?
It would be like me going back to Charleston, W.Va., to run for the Senate. I don’t have a clue what the needs are in my birth state because I haven’t lived there in 25 years. I would be only a little better than a carpetbagger myself. And many of the members, such as Rockefeller/Hillary, are textbook carpetbaggers.
I heard a great argument for term limits on NPR the other night when a guy, whose name I missed, said that the reason incoming administrations have such a hard time (he was referencing President Obama and his slowly dying healthcare legislation) is because that they come in and have to fight these old entrenched politicians who only care about keeping their seats.
We, as a people, think it is wise that Presidents only get eight years. Admittedly, we like the idea more when the person in the office is one we don’t like, but it is a good thing because we don’t do monarchies here, so I ask, why not the same for House and Senate members?
What would be so hard about making eight years the maximum for all of them? If they can’t get done what they want in eight years then what makes us think they can get it done in 16 or 30 or 56?
House elections and Senate elections need to mirror presidential elections and everybody get a four-year term. It would end the pain-in-the-butt mid-term elections and maybe save a little money. Then cap them off at eight years, and maybe, just maybe, we could get back to a real representative government. Otherwise we are going to have to wait for them to die off, and this country just doesn’t have that kind of time.
One more thing, just so folks don’t misunderstand, I also believe that term limits should be placed on every office above class president. Local politicians across the country also outlive their usefulness.
After all, as Mr. Twain said, “Politicians and diapers should be changed often, and for the same reason.”
