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Common Sense

George Washington Leads the Way

He was the most powerful political leader in our history. He could have been elected again and again as president of the United States. Some historians believe he was so popular that he could have declared himself King.

But George Washington didn’t want himself or anyone else to be king. After his second term, George Washington stepped down making it clear that no one should monopolize a seat of public power. He faithfully gave back to the people the enormous power they entrusted to him.

Thus, Washington established the tradition of a two-​term limit on the president that continued for 142 years until broken by Franklin Roosevelt. Once the tradition was broken, Congress moved quickly to make it the law of the land through the 22nd Amendment. The states ratified the amendment within a year. We just celebrated not only Washington’s birthday but also the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, his legacy of presidential term limits.

When the Amendment was passed, Harry Truman was president. True to Truman’s “the buck stops here” philosophy, he stepped down after two terms, even though the amendment exempted him. Truman told us, “In my opinion eight years as president is enough and sometimes too much for any man to serve in that capacity.” And he added, “There is a lure in power. It can get into a man’s blood just as gambling or lust for money have been known to do.”

Washington and Truman understood the corrupting nature of power, and they had the character to hand back that power. Great men lead by example; an example today’s leaders would do well to follow.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.

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term limits

Keep Your Word, George

term limits, flag, hand, stop,

“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.

Categories
Common Sense

A Congressmen in Your Bowl

Congress is in the toilet.

Now, I’m not talking about their public approval ratings, but something that truly hits home. For Americans moving into newly constructed homes, there is growing frustration with toilets that simply don’t get the job done.

The new toilets contain less water. Folks are finding they often have to flush several times to do … well … what toilets are supposed to do. Needing several flushes uses more water and wastes the most precious of all commodities: your time.

So why don’t contractors simply go back to the old toilets people want?

Because Congress legislated these new toilets. It’s against the law to put in the old-​style. In fact, a black-​market is developing as people plead with their plumbers to install toilets that work.

What will Congress do? Change their silly law or create a new federal police force to raid houses looking for illegally installed toilets? And why didn’t Congress install these new toilets in their own offices first? Why are we always the guinea pigs?

Congress should lead, not just dictate to the rest of us. Out-​of-​touch politicians think they can change the laws of nature by decree. Haven’t they a clue that the marketplace embraces any product that uses less water or less energy or less of anything that costs money. But the product has to work.

Today, 59 members of Congress have pledged to term-​limit themselves. We need more of these citizen statesmen to keep Congress in touch and out of our toilet.

These legislators are on a deadline. They think differently than career politicians. Their goal isn’t to dictate every last detail of our lives. I think Congressmen who aren’t spending the rest of their lives in Washington won’t be so quick to mess with our toilets frankly, something that works pretty darn well, without the help of career politicians.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.