An idea that's a start...but needs more

Shockingly, I think I may agree with both a Republican, in general, but Jim DeMint, specifically here, today.


His idea:

Term limits for Congress?

By Caroline May - The Daily Caller

Thursday South Carolina Republican Jim DeMint introduced an amendment to the Constitution that would apply term limits to members of Congress.

Ten Republican Senators joined DeMint in his call to limit U.S. Representatives to three terms and U.S. Senators to two terms in office.

“If we’re ever going to permanently change Washington, we must change the process that encourages career politicians to amass personal power instead of making the hard decisions for the nation,” said Senator DeMint. “We need true citizen legislators who spend their time defending the constitution, not currying favor with lobbyists. We need new leaders continually coming to Congress to ensure every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely, not wasted on Washington special interests. We must end the era of permanent politicians that has led us to a $14 trillion debt and a pending fiscal crisis”

My first thought on this was that it's just a bad idea, that the last thing you want to do is to have even more lobbyists up there in Washington, handing out yet more cash and buying influence because more and more representatives in Congress would be filing through.  That wouldn't be good.

But this plan?  This could be a good start.

This could, hopefully, lead to people being in Congress and wanting to be in Congress to do good things--the right things--for the country, instead of just trying to make sure they're taking care of themselves in the cushiest, paying-est jobs in the land.

As my headline above said, it's not enough but it's a start.

What we truly need is campaign finance reform.

We have to get the lobbyist’s and corporation’s and wealthy people's money out of Washington.  We have to erase the need for our representatives in Congress to need this money and that would do it.

That and, as I've said time and again, shorten the election cycle to, say, 3 months, as the British did long ago.

But this might be a glimmer of hope, I think.  

Let's hope this is the beginning of good change for the nation. 

Links:  http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/15/term-limits-for-congress/

http://ebonymompolitics.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/term-limits-for-congress-is-this-a-good-idea/