Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 21, 1995 TAG: 9503210143
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
That was before they assumed the majority leadership. Now they're a bit more interested in job security.
Cries Paul Jacob, executive director of U.S. Term Limits, a grass-roots group: "I am beginning to think some congressmen signed the Contract with disappearing ink."
What a whiner. What did he expect? Voters limited the terms of Democratic politicians the old-fashioned way - by voting them out. Today, a constitutional amendment limiting congressional terms looks understandably less appealing to the newly reigning Republicans.
They postponed a vote the other day, until March 27, and if the citizenry sort of forgets about the term-limits proposal in the Contract, well, the GOP won't mind.
Yet some are refusing to go quietly. Term limits have been enacted in 22 states so far, 21 of them by ballot petition.
Predicts Wall Street Journal columnist Paul Gigot: "House Republicans are close to killing term limits, a political crime that could well become their O.J. Simpson trial. Their blood will be all over the place, their alibis won't stand up, and everyone in the country will be watching."
That's too harsh. We feel for the Republicans in their plight. To help ease their pain, we propose a remedy: They should acknowledge their newfound doubts about term limits, and focus instead on meaningful campaign-finance reform.
If fewer lawmakers were bought and sold, it would make less difference how long they're in Washington.
by CNB