Republicans Renege en masse on Term Limit Pledges

[Scriptor Ignotus]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20060413/pl_usatoday/termlimitpledgesgetleftbehind

Term-limit pledges get left behind

By Andrea Stone, USA TODAYThu Apr 13, 7:06 AM ET

Jeff Flake pledged during his first campaign for Congress in 2000 that if elected, he would serve three two-year terms. But the Arizona Republican is running again to keep his seat in the House of Representatives.

"It was a mistake to limit my own terms," says Flake, a conservative who has challenged Republican leaders on federal spending. He says the once-fashionable movement to limit terms in Congress has "just petered out."

Flake is one of at least seven House Republicans who had vowed to leave Congress next year but will be on the ballot in November. They ran as citizen legislators - antidotes for "career politicians." But after six or 12 years on Capitol Hill, they say they're just getting the hang of the job. None faces serious opposition because redistricting has protected incumbents.

How things have changed since 1994. That year, self-described Republican revolutionaries ran on a "Contract with America" that promoted a constitutional amendment limiting terms for members of Congress. Republican George Nethercutt, for example, defeated then-House speaker Tom Foley partly by pledging to serve only three terms. He helped end 40 years of Democratic rule in the House.

/snip

[Common Sense Party]

1. All politicians are liars. I'm sick of the whole Washington elite

ruling class. Serve 12 years (House or Senate) and GO HOME. Go get a real job.

[Atman]

2. We have a name for this where I come from...

"Jeff Flake pledged during his first campaign for Congress in 2000 that if elected, he would serve three two-year terms. But the Arizona Republican is running again to keep his seat in the House of Representatives."

It's called LYING, Mr. Flake. I cannot think of a more apropos name for you. Well, I can, but...

[Scriptor Ignotus]

3. FLIP.

FLOP.

FLIP.

FLOP.


Remember that one, you hypocritcal Republican a-holes?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

7. Not necessarily

To give the devil his due, lying is when you say something, believing it to be false at the time. Mr Flake may well have done so, but it's far from improbable that he intended only to serve three terms at the time, and then changed his mind at a later date.

That's not an admirable thing to have done, but it's far less contemptible than having made the promise while not intending to keep it at the time, in my book.

[BR_Parkway]

4. So why should anyone believe anything else you say Rep Flake?

And apparently that whole Repub committment to 1) small government 2) fiscal responsibility and 3) no nation building just petered out too.

[Bake]

5. Sue 'em for breach of contract!

Well, I wish we could anyway! But we CAN and MUST vote the bastards out. I'd remind the voters EVERY DAY of the broken pledge, ask them if they really want to vote for womeone who cannot keep his/her word.

Bake

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Geez! What a flake!

He broke is promise. Why should he be trusted with another term, and another, and another, and another??