Senator DeMint and the merits of term limits

November 2, 12:38 PMColumbia Conservative ExaminerAnthony G. Martin

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As a Constitutional purist I am under normal circumstances loathe to tamper with anything the Framers gave us in our founding documents, with the exception of the expansion of our understanding of liberty that occurred over time.

Although the Framers were well ahead of their time in encapsulating concepts that laid the foundation for broad applications of liberty, they were nonetheless men of their time.  And, as time progressed, it became clear that their principles were applicable to matters such as slavery, women's right to vote, and other such necessary expansions of freedom.

For this reason I have been reluctant to endorse the concept of 'term limits' for our elected officials.  The very concept seems to be a restriction of liberty.  Term limits place restrictions on the right of the people to vote for whoever they wish, and it limits the right of any citizen to run for office and get elected as often as they want.

Having said that, the concept of terms limits may well be a justified measure in the current political climate, given the power special interests such as George Soros, the Tides Foundation, Apollo, and other groups whose sole objective is to push candidates that will vote America into tyranny.

And, of course, once these extremist candidates are in place, every single weapon in the arsenal of these tyrannical subversives is used to keep these persons in office until the complete change is made.

Thus, we have career politicians who are essentially entrenched with an omnipotent political machine.  Do some research, for example, on politicians such as Nancy Pelosi, John Murtha, Chris Dodd, Chuck Schumer, Patrick Leahy, John Kerry, Henry Waxman, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, John Conyers, and Charles Rangel.  Follow the money trail.  Look at who is behind them.  And be very afraid.

The problem is that under current law there is no way for citizens to get rid of these parasites on liberty.

Plus, the Framers never envisioned the concept of 'career politicians' to begin with.  Their view was that serving the nation was truly 'service'--not a job with a salary.  They had their own means of earning a living quite apart from their service in the government.

And that brings us to our present circumstances.

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, has introduced a measure in the Senate that would implement term limits on all elected officials serving in the federal government.  We already have term limits for Presidents, due directly to the attempt by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to become 'President for Life.'

It is highly telling that the current occupant of the White House wants those term limits removed.  I will not insult your intelligence by giving you the reason why.  You already know.

DeMint's legislation, which he intends to introduce soon, will impose a 6-year limit on representatives serving in the U.S. House and a 12-year limit on Senators.

The proposal has many merits.  It will prevent entrenchment and concentration of power.  It will de-fang special interests.  It will end forever the concept that was foreign to our Framers--'career politicians.'  It will keep fresh blood flowing through the halls of Congress, which will in turn be conducive to fresh creativity. 

And perhaps the most important benefit of all is that term limits will make it even more difficult for mega-powerful, entrenched politicians, or ANY elected official for that matter, to use their office for nothing more than the purpose of 'enacting new legislation,' most of which is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and oppressive.

Plus, terms limits will carry the extra benefit of ridding ourselves once and for all of entrenched statists such as Pelosi, Lugar, Dodd, McCain, Boxer, Feinstein, Rangel, Murtha, Conyers, Waxman, Schumer, and dozens more.

For commentary on other issues, visit my blog at The Liberty Sphere.