|
 Jumping
Jim Jeffords
Jumping Jim
Jeffords, the flip-flop frog, flits from lily pad to lily pad, seeking
personal political promotion by declaring himself an Independent
instead of a Republican, leaping nimbly from the Republican lily
pad to the Independent lily pad. Is there a Democrat lily pad in
Jeffords' future? Only when it suits the ambition of you-know-who.
If we had had
congressional term limits in place twenty years ago, Jeffords would
never have gotten this far. Given Vermont's proclivities for liberalism
it is unrealistic to suggest that he would have been replaced by
a conservative. But under term limits the replacement senator would
never have gained the prominence enjoyed by Jeffords, and thus never
been tempted to use party-switching to his own personal advantage.
Many other
members would be history by now under a constitutionally term limited
Congress. How many of these losses would we mourn? 1
How many would be irreplaceable? 2
A by-product
of term limits would be the death of the seniority system, which
now keeps the moss-backs hanging on. Is seniority what the Framers
intended? Why not merit-based leadership?
1 Only those who take seriously their
oath to protect and defend the Constitution.
2 None
back
to articles index
After
referring us to your friends, then visit our other website by clicking
below to go to www.citizencongress.org
to send your lawmakers your message.
|
