Democrats in Massachusetts are showing America why we have begun to detest and distrust our elected officials. The voters in Massachusetts don’t count. Only the needs of the party.
In 2004 when Kerry was running for president the Democrats feared Mitt Romney, then governor, would name a Republican as Kerry’s replacement if Kerry won the election. No doubt this is what Romney would have done. Of course, in Illinois last year, Governor Blogojevich was going to name whomever paid him the most. Massachusetts Democrats could not abide that happening. So, they passed a law requiring a special election to fill the vacancy. It seems like the right answer, let the people decide. Got done for the wrong reason, but a good result.
Now, with the death of Ted Kennedy the Democrats in the Senate need that vote and can’t wait for a special election which might not happen before 1-19-10, the date set by the governor. Heaven knows some unpopular bills like health care reform and cap and tax may need that critical vote to pass. So, they want to go back to the law they repealed, let the governor name the interim senator.
There is no shame in American politics today. One might think the outcry by the rest of the country and even Massachusetts voters might be embarrassing. The cries of hypocrisy might not be worth having a seat to cast votes for 5 months. Maybe, God forbid, the voters in Massachusetts may be mad and will not vote in the automatic Democrat. Not likely, but possible.
Is it no wonder there are Tea Parties and upheaval at Town Hall Meetings?
Temptations to meddle with the 22nd Amendment have happened with Reagan and Clinton. But no one did it. This behavior and the low poll numbers for congress tend to make one ask again, why not term limits for congress? Instead of voting them all out like Japan just did, let’s get term limits so the incumbent with the big campaign war chest can’t keep buying the seat. For life, like Ted Kennedy did.
Keep watching what happens in Massachusetts, will they do the right thing and live with the law they put in just 5 years ago, or will they insult all of us and rig the deal?
Tags: Blagojevich, Kerry, Massachusetts senate seat, Ted Kennedy
One more example of the Democrats as the party of dependency and never lose power if you can rig it the right way. As a conservative having the great misfortune of being disenfranchised by living in Massachusetts, I am absolutely outraged by this shameless hackarama we see every day here. I’d like to believe if it was the Republicans doing this I’d be equally outraged.
An interesting tidbit to add to the “5 months” without a senator “arguement” put forward by all these concerned hypocrits er Democrats. The last day Senator Kennedy was in Washington was March 31, 2009. Now, follow the math with me … that means Massachusetts has been without a second senator in Washington to vote on important legislation for April = 1, May = 2, June = 3, July = 4, August = 5 months. If he was so concerned, why didn’t he resign in March when he left???
I am just so bitter that in Americn politics these days, you apparently need to pick the state you are going to live in carefully if your vote is going to have any chance of actually counting for something.
The best answer to this question and any other question is to throw all of Congress OUT!
The only infallible, unstoppable, guaranteed way to get a truly new Congress is : NEVER REELECT ANY INCUMBENT! AND DO IT EVERY ELECTION!
Most folks think I am too unreasonable in asking everyone to NEVER REELECT ANYONE IN CONGRESS. They think it’s an ‘extremist’ position. But that’s the whole point! Congress will never listen to us UNLESS we scare the bejesus out of them! To drive the point home, NEVER REELECT ANYONE IN CONGRESS, AND DO IT EVERY ELECTION!
The closer we get to a “Voter’s One-Term Congress”, the closer we’ll get to a “Citizen’s Congress”.
There is only one way to make this happen : The American voter must IMPOSE term limits on Congress by NEVER REELECTING ANYONE IN CONGRESS, AND DO IT EVERY ELECTION! In other words, don’t let anyone serve more than one term. That’s the only way to teach them that the voter is the boss! The “one term limit” can be eased AFTER citizens get control of Congress.
Congress will never allow us to constitutionally term limit them by an amendment. Our only choice is to NEVER REELECT them. All of them!
Remember too, it makes no difference who you vote for, as long as it is NEVER any incumbent.
I believe that even a little success in a campaign to NEVER REELECT ANYONE IN CONGRESS would move us a long way toward a revolutionary change in American politics, much like 1776. Some of the reasons in favor of this approach:
• It gives us a one-term, term limited Congress without using amendments
• It would be supported by 70% of the country who want term limits for Congress
• It is completely non-partisan
• If repeated, it ends career politicians dominating Congress
• It opens the way to a “citizen Congress”
• It ends the seniority system that keeps freshmen powerless
• It doesn’t cost you any money. But you MUST vote! Just don’t vote for an incumbent
• It is the only guaranteed, infallible, unstoppable way to “Throw ALL the Bums Out”
• It takes effect immediately the day after Election Day
• If it doesn’t work, do it again and again! It will work eventually, I promise.
NEVER REELECT ANYONE IN CONGRESS. AND DO IT EVERY ELECTION!
Nelson Lee Walker of tenurecorrupts.com Saratoga, CA
Someone much wiser than I once commented, “We’re all born Democrats — incapable, ignorant, and totally dependent on others. Some of us overcome it.”
I’ve adopted it as a personal motto to annoy my Democrat friends!
I give you the jabs when you deserve them, so now I’ll give you the props. MA needs to live with the law they passed so very recently when the political shoe was on the other foot. I personally believe that a vacancy should be filled, on an interim basis, very quickly after it occurs with a very quickly scheduled special election to follow…. but MA chose a different direction for political expediancy’s sake. Too bad for you!!
Regarding term limits…. Rhetoric is all fine and good but until people get fed up with gerrymandered districts that look like ink spots we will continue to see 95% of incumbent representatives re-elected. Until we get fed up and enact public financing of Congressional races, we will just have more of the same. When Congressman have to spend more time groveling for money to fund their campaigns than they do groveling for votes, we should be smart enough to realize that we are being shortchanged.
Finally, something we can all agree about.
Bill Robertson