Category: term limits

Is This Seat Taken?

Ah, women . . . you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them.

What’s that got to do with anything? Not much, just thought I’d use an easy trick to get men shaking their heads in agreement.

I’m not much for the battle of the sexes. I’m generally for peace. But while I don’t think a person’s gender matters when picking the best candidate to represent us in public office, it is troubling to consider how difficult it is for new people to break into politics.

Numerous studies show that women do as well as men once incumbency is taken into account. One study by the National Women’s Political Caucus found, “[O]ur political system is tremendously biased in favor of incumbents. . . . Since at one time all officeholders were men, women did not start with a level playing field.”

In states without term limits, there is less turnover and far fewer open seats, so women candidates constantly have to overcome the power of incumbency.

Take New Jersey, for example. The state has fallen from 10th in female representation back in 1974 to 43rd today. Without term limits, every member of the State Assembly ran for reelection two years ago. Not a single seat was open.

Term limits break up entrenched incumbency the good ole boy network. So is there any indication term limits help women? Sure, under term limits Arkansas and Missouri have set records for the number of women legislators. Four of the five states with the highest percentage of women in the legislature have term limits.

Just a coincidence? Hardly.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

term limits

The Silver Bullet

Remember the Lone Ranger? With the help of Tonto, he fought corruption and injustice in the old West. His trademark was a silver bullet.

In his new book Completing the Revolution, columnist and TV commentator Robert Novak says, “Term limits is the silver bullet, because unless you have term limits . . . you can’t do the other things I talk about cutting taxes, ending the IRS system, privatizing Social Security because they’re afraid they’re going to lose their seat.” Novak blames the lack of progress by the Republicans on their careerism.

The rest of us see it too. A Rasmussen Research poll confirms that 72 percent of Americans now view the federal government as “a special interest that looks out primarily for its own interests.” The longer politicians stay in office the more they become part of the special interests of Washington, and the more they pursue their own power through their constant reelection.

Not surprisingly, those in Congress who have imposed term limits on themselves don’t suffer from this careerism bug the dreaded Potomac Fever. They’re more concerned with doing what they came to do than with scrambling to protect their own political career.

We need more representatives in Washington with the courage and integrity of the Lone Ranger. Folks who will fight the good fight. And that’s why term limits are the silver bullet.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Tags Bob Novak

political challengers term limits

Bad and Worse

The best argument for voting for the Democrats is they aren’t the Republicans. On the other hand, the best argument for voting Republican is they’re not the Democrats. With choices like these, no wonder we’re fed up with both parties.

One of few things Congress did to change the corrupt culture of Washington was term-limit committee chairmen. It was the most significant reform of the Republican Congress because it would have ended the near dictatorial rule of a small number of career politicians.

With term limits on chairmen, power was to be more equalized and opportunities for corruption reduced. Good thing, right? So guess what? Speaker Denny Hastert and the Republican leadership are weakening the six-year term limits on committee chairmen. The GOP leadership’s new interpretation allows a chairman to step down from chairing one committee and immediately begin chairing another committee. Still too much power in too few hands.

Now flip to the Democrats. They boast they’ll kill committee chair term limits altogether if they win back the House this year. Maybe their election slogan should be “The People Be Damned.” Too often our election choices come down to the lesser of two evils.

Well, the lesser of two evils is still evil. Is there anything behind door number 3, for goodness sake? Well, forget about parties. Look for principles. If you want a real choice, look for the candidate who takes the term limits pledge the guy who refuses to be a career politician for either party.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

term limits

Eternal Vigilance

There have always been prophets of doom. Thomas Malthus predicted that over-population would exhaust our resources by the end of the century. And that was two centuries ago. Mankind steadily progresses, building on our learning, our methods of production and our technology. The doomsayers are quietly left behind.

But in politics it’s different. A little bit of doomsaying makes sense. Expect the worst and try to prevent it. Our Founders wanted to contain political power. They believed unchecked power would destroy the freedom they had fought for and won. This wasn’t pessimism; it was realism. They had seen the destructive nature of power throughout history. George Washington said, “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master.” This is why the Founders took such great pains to limit the power of government.

And they knew we were fighting against the odds. As Thomas Jefferson said, “The natural tendency is for government to gain ground and liberty to yield.” Today, we’ve only reconfirmed the lessons taught by the Founders. Even in America, we’ve seen the federal government take more and more of our freedoms and the fruits of our labor. As those in Congress became career politicians, the size and power of the federal government exploded.

We must fight to protect our freedom against those who monopolize political power. According to Jefferson, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.” That’s why he didn’t want eternal politicians.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

Tags George Washington, Malthus, Thomas Jefferson

term limits

Keep Your Word, George

“For what shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

That Bible passage has special application to politicians. Many a politician has lost his perspective, integrity, sobriety, car keys, family if not his soul while engulfed in the euphoria of wielding political power. Throughout history, power corrupts.

Take George Nethercutt. Once a hero of the term limits movement, today George has a big decision to make; one that could brand him forever as a Benedict Arnold. In 1994, Nethercutt became the first person to defeat a sitting Speaker of the House since before the Civil War. In the campaign, Foley, the 30-year incumbent, boasted of his “clout in Congress,” the pork he could deliver.

Why on earth did the voters of eastern Washington trade Congress’s most powerful player for a rookie?

Term limits.

Foley actually sued his state’s voters over the term limits law they passed. Speech after speech, Nethercutt pledged to serve no more than the three-term limit voters mandated. Nethercutt’s term limits pledge gave people confidence they could trust him to go to Washington and clean up the mess without becoming part of it. That was a heck of a lot more important to these voters than claiming first dibs on more pork.

Now Mr. Nethercutt himself is getting groggy with Potomac Fever. Now he says six years may not be enough for him. Step down as you promised, George, and give someone else a chance. Setting an example of honor and integrity is more important than another term in the Capitol. Integrity was why the voters sent you to Washington in the first place.

George, keep your word.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.