Term Limits

Our politicians have diminished in stature, honor, and especially in statesmanship since the inception of our republic. Why is that?

Perhaps it is allowing them to give themselves salaries and benefits unequalled in the private sector. Perhaps it is allowing them to oversee themselves without accountability for the hours, heck days, they work or don’t work.

But none of that should account for the massive corruption, cheating, and irresponsibility rampant in D.C. Striking deals, selling votes, abandoning principles – the list goes on.

I’d suggest that, apart from wresting away the ability to oversee and pay themselves, term limits would go a long way to clean up our capital.

The system was never meant to foster career politicians – people were expected to serve one or two terms if called upon and then go back to farming or blacksmithing or whatever their “real” job was.

These, then, were statesmen who were concerned about what was best for their country, rather than concerned about getting elected next time and next time and next time, making a bundle on graft or selling votes, or bringing home the pork in massive deals involving whole pigs – the pigs being not just earmarks but the deal perpetrators and benefactors.

Please. Let’s bring back the statesmen – people we and our allies and enemies can respect. Let’s insist that they relinquish control over their own pay and benefits. Let’s get an overseer until they prove they are responsible enough to show up for work. Let’s deduct from their pay if they don’t. And let’s adopt strict term limits to discourage the career politicians who care about themselves, but care not about the United States of America.

OofDah!