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The Return of Term Limits
National Review ^ | September 20, 2015

Posted on 09/21/2015 3:53:22 AM PDT by nuconvert

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Hear, hear !

And I'd like there to be an age limit, too. Mandatory retirement at 72 or 74 at the most.

1 posted on 09/21/2015 3:53:22 AM PDT by nuconvert
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To: nuconvert

Gets my vote!


2 posted on 09/21/2015 4:02:26 AM PDT by FES0844
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To: nuconvert

Could backfire.

What about Senator Cruz?


3 posted on 09/21/2015 4:05:52 AM PDT by samtheman (2014: Voters elect Repubs to congress... 2015: Repubs defund NOTHING... 2016: Trump/(Cruz or Palin))
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To: nuconvert
Personally, I think term limits will do nothing to fix the problem of corruption in Washington. In fact, they may even make it worse.

Term limits would deal with the idiocy of having useless old bastards like Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd and Thad Cochrane running the nation's affairs long after they've passed their expiration date. But the problem isn't just those jerks. It's a Federal bureaucracy that has turned into an entire self-perpetuating industry unto itself.

The biggest problem isn't an octogenarian in the U.S. Senate who can't even dress himself in the morning. The biggest problem is actually illustrated with a guy like Rick Santorum, who served two terms in the U.S. Senate, who was voted out of office even without any term limits ... and who probably hasn't worked a job in his life that didn't involve: (1) working at the expense of taxpayers, or (2) working for a lobbying firm or a "think tank" whose sole purpose is to soak taxpayers for one pet issue or another.

Implementing term limits would do nothing more than increase the speed of the revolving door for people like this. They'll spend less time in government, but they'll simply do more favors in that time before they walk out the door and land in a thoroughly unproductive, but personally lucrative, job doing favors for their benefactors.

4 posted on 09/21/2015 4:08:27 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("It doesn't work for me. I gotta have more cowbell!")
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To: nuconvert

Term limits wouldn’t be needed if we did away with Washington DC. It should be a meeting place once or twice a year (State of the Union address and one or two emergency sessions). The rest of the time senators and congressmen should work from home. They would then have to face their constituents daily and have to live under the laws they pass. Also would make the lobbyist jobs harder and more costly.


5 posted on 09/21/2015 4:12:37 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: nuconvert

Term limits are in the hands of voters.

We proved that when we Cantorized our weasel, the sitting Majority leader.


6 posted on 09/21/2015 4:19:04 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: nuconvert

The bigger the government the more money and power to corrupt the players. If the voters are serious about corruption, they should demand a smaller government.


7 posted on 09/21/2015 4:29:03 AM PDT by monocle
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To: samtheman

“What about Senator Cruz?”

What about him? He can serve 2 terms, then he goes. That gives him 12 yrs to make a difference. That’s long enough.


8 posted on 09/21/2015 4:33:15 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

And if you put a mandatory retirement age of 72, he’d be out.


9 posted on 09/21/2015 4:34:36 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: Alberta's Child

You raise some very valid points. The issue of lobbyists and access to government is indeed a huge issue, probably larger than that of term limits.

But the lack of term limits is indeed a big part of the problem. What’s nice is that it is easily definable.

Lots of things need to be done, and they all weave together. We have to start unraveling Govco everywhere we can.


10 posted on 09/21/2015 4:41:50 AM PDT by Eccl 10:2 (Prov 3:5 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding")
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To: nuconvert

Since we actually elect officials every 2, 4 or 6 years, we already have term limits.
The broader question to ask is how those elected into office use their power to ‘gin’ the system and get reelected.

I submit several ways to mitigate this:

1. A Constitutional Amendment that says no law can be passed or regulations enacted that gives exemption to anyone in Government. (Like Obamacare)

2. The elimination of money laundering as practiced between unions and Democrats, or like between pharmaceuticals and GOP. (Pass a law to benefit me and I will donate to your party).

3. Zero funding of any Green Energy Schemes. (Only awards fatcat backers).

4. No Government spending is to occur without a prior-approved budget for that fiscal year. (Continuing resolutions just keep congressmen from hard choices needed)

5. No elected or appointed official is to receive a pension that is above the average of the private sector for similar work and number of years of service.(No more career politicians, need an incentive to return to private work like the Founders intended)

There are others, but note the preponderance of money in these. Always, always follow the money.


11 posted on 09/21/2015 4:43:42 AM PDT by bestintxas (every time a RINO loses, a founding father gets his wings.)
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To: nuconvert; P-Marlowe

Term limits can be passed by Congress IF they exclude the legislation from judicial review. It will be subject to change by a future Congress, but a serious Congress could impose it immediately upon themselves.

Just a suggestion: there are some levels of the bureaucracy that should be term limited, especially the senior executive service (SES). They are equivalent to flag rank in the military, and serve just below cabinet level. But...they can stay forever.


12 posted on 09/21/2015 4:49:00 AM PDT by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! True Supporters of our Troops PRAY for their Victory!)
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To: bestintxas

“Since we actually elect officials every 2, 4 or 6 years, we already have term limits.”

No, we don’t. We need a limit on how many terms someone is allowed to run and a mandatory end to their position.


13 posted on 09/21/2015 4:49:25 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Khomeini promised change too // Hail, Chairman O)
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To: nuconvert

I’m all for term limits also including the SC. But look who makes the laws. They aren’t going to term limit themselves out of a lifetime cushy job. I’m also for taking away their pensions, and letting them fund their own, but that ain’t happenin’ either....


14 posted on 09/21/2015 4:49:57 AM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: nuconvert

“No, we don’t. We need a limit on how many terms someone is allowed to run and a mandatory end to their position.”

I do not know what you are referring to by the “No, we don’t” comment. No we don’t what?

At the end of an elected term, that person is terminated, and has to begin a NEW term by a fresh reelection process, as per the Constitution.

Attack the abuse of the ability to reelected and you resolve the issue.


15 posted on 09/21/2015 4:55:17 AM PDT by bestintxas (every time a RINO loses, a founding father gets his wings.)
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To: nuconvert

The single biggest hypocrisy against term limits would be the actions to stop it by the very same people it would be throwing out and the same people sworn to uphold the constitution that don’t do it in office.


16 posted on 09/21/2015 5:07:08 AM PDT by Bobby_Taxpayer
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To: b4its2late

WTP will never see these ‘esteemed’ critters ever vote themselves out of their cushy chairs. As Oh, the dark won would say: ‘The future must not belong to John Boehner”. This congress critter has no future in the Republican Party as soon there will no longer BE a Republican Party.

WTP say: The future AMERICA is the only future and the Republican traitors need to be gone...now. (period)


17 posted on 09/21/2015 5:11:20 AM PDT by V K Lee
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To: nuconvert

Term limits don’t work, at least here in MI at the state level.

For example, state legislators get together and put something onerous in a bill then pass it knowing that they will gone in a year.

Same with an excess budget, then only to be term-limited out after 6 years and they have no accountability for their actions.

Then someone else takes their place who in not responsible for the cronyism/lobbyist payouts etc. that just took place and this leads to bad things happening.

Term limits work in theory but don’t work in practice.

Vote them out instead - and if they broke any law while holding office, prosecute them instead of a political party running their mouths.


18 posted on 09/21/2015 5:21:56 AM PDT by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
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To: McGavin999

That’s a great idea, and how it was supposed to be in the first place. We were supposed to have public servants, not career politicians. And it could only be positive to make government not only smaller, but more local.


19 posted on 09/21/2015 5:29:34 AM PDT by mrsmel (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: bestintxas
Yes. It's the unearned perks and power which have made exactly the wrong people, for the most part, want to be in modern politics in the first place. I could spit nails when I think of how they pulled the dirtiest tricks in the history of public politics to shove CommieCare down our throats, and then exempted themselves.
20 posted on 09/21/2015 5:32:21 AM PDT by mrsmel (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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