Bottom Lines Columnist Jim Kershner’s Take On The News
Term warfare
Term limits went down to defeat in the House, thus completing a breathtaking political grand slam: It was promised in bad faith, presented with bad strategy, killed through bad motives, and it was a bad idea to begin with.
A bad idea whose time has come
Why do I think it was a bad idea? Because when we find great leaders, such as Henry Clay, Sam Rayburn and Everett Dirksen, we should be able to keep them. But then I think about Sen. Jesse Helms, and I see the point.
The Kevorkian-style term limits proposal
Some of these term-limit proposals were doomed from the beginning. I especially liked the retroactive one, which would have required many members to commit career suicide. Gee, why didn’t that one pass?
Self-interest is a bipartisan issue
The Republicans will make a great deal of fuss over the idea that the Democrats have thwarted the will of the people. The truth is, the Republicans couldn’t keep their own senior leadership in line. The key word there is “senior.”
How about voluntary term limits?
The best kind of term limits would be voluntary term limits. For instance, I’ll bet Americans would rally around a presidential candidate who promised to stay for only one term, thus freeing himself to make tough, unpopular decisions. Say, Bill, come to think of it, a guy could make that promise in the middle of his term, if he wanted.
Does Mike really get it?
Gov. Mike Lowry is changing his behavior. He will no longer touch female staffers inappropriately on the legs and breasts. From now on, he will only do so appropriately.
That wild, wild West
Our own Sen. Jim West wants to impeach Lowry, although not because West has suddenly turned into some kind of defender of women’s rights. West has a nobler cause - to draw attention to Jim West.
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