Sunday, June 24, 2007

Term Limits--The Time Has Come




Gadabout has not read the volumes written by the “Founding Fathers” of this great nation, but has spent a few days while in graduate school looking over a speck of the works by Madison, Jefferson, Adams and a few others. Even though I freely admit not being a scholar of the “Founding Fathers” I cringe whenever I hear someone making an argument or stating opinion based upon the “Founding Fathers” motivations, since these self proclaimed knuckleheads have no scholarship in these historical matters whatsoever. Show me your law degree, supported by a master’s degree in American History and I’ll listen up. If you are simply coughing up unsupported facts collected from three hours of radio talk shows a day, then back to the books for you. Gadabout knows enough from formal schooling to know when to shut his pie hole, and so should most of America.

Okay, back to my point, term limits, and how Gadabout believes that our system is flawed. I don’t know what the Founding Fathers had in mind regarding term limits or lengths of terms for elected officials, and I don’t care, because I have devised a better system of governance than is in place today.

I am proposing an 18, 24, 12 plan for the House, Senate, and President respectively:

House of Representatives should be limited to 18 consecutive years of service. If so desired, a member of the House, after vacating a seat may be allowed to once again run and serve another 18 years if elected. But the string must be broken and the incumbent must yield his/her seat and reset the clock. The term length for a House member should be lengthened to 3 years so as to avoid the ridiculous every other year campaign cycles. These endless campaign cycles disrupt law making and promote inefficiencies. Let’s face it, House members, for the most part, are hacks and criminals, so limiting them to 18 years may not be such a bad idea. Giving them a shot at reelection after a break may be desirable for those proven worthy, and for those not worthy hopefully they’ll be canned for good. This limitation would not affect the member to run for a Senate seat or for the Presidency.

The Senate likes to hold onto seats of power for generations. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Carl Levin (D-MI) and Robert Byrd (D-WV) have collectively served for 124 years. Enough is enough. Gadabout proposes 24 years (four 6 year terms) and then the incumbent must vacate his/her seat and reset the clock (as in the House as described above) before allowed to run for their seat again. This limitation would not affect the member to run for a House seat or for the Presidency.

The President should be allowed to run for a third term. President Roosevelt ran and won four terms. He died in office before completing his fourth term, but the country supported his leadership during a time of war, so he became the first President to hold office longer than 2 terms. This option of an additional term, during periods of national distress, should be allowed for under the constitution provided certain circumstances arise. Who would ever want that thankless job for longer than eight years is a mystery to me, but it should be an option. Under no circumstances should any one individual hold the office of President for longer than 12 collective years—period.

Gadabout is here, for all of you, promoting fresh ideas to lead the nation.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on term limits for Congress. There are way too many seasoned lawmakers who have given us the new concept of "Earmarks" and other pork friendly procedural doctrine. The people have a Congress who serve only a cherished (campaign giving) few and the rest of foot the bill. If you really knew what your Congressman or Senator really did for your vote--I suspect you would rather have Mickey Mouse in their seat.

Anonymous said...

Twelve years with GWB? I voted for him twice, and NEVER would I vote for him again.

Gadabout Jack said...

I wouldn't either, but someday there might be a President we want to keep longer than 12. GWB would not run again--he knows it is over!
GJ