My question: Why do Republicans flip-flop so much?
Term-limit pledges get left behind WASHINGTON — 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.
"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.
posted by Name Held by Request | 7:17 AM
2 Comments:
Because Truth Keeps Getting In Their Way
Term limits were a noble fig leaf on an evil plan to deny voters their chosen or preferred representatives in the legislatures. Having evicted by a form of "eminent domain" long-term, experienced Democrats, Republicans wormed their way into office, and now they don't want to go.
If I were a GOPer, I'd be embarassed, even more than I am by being a Democrat. At least Democrats try to live up to their publicly stated principles; the GOP uses everything as propaganda to lie, cheat, steal, and subvert democracy.
Bush 2000: "humble foreign policy," "Bal. budget 'no matter what'", etc
no nation building
unite, not divide
gov't out of the people's private lives
etc etc
And it's the same with congresspeople: "Hey, I didn't know!"
Be it an inability to anticipate such things or a crass dishonesty -- either makes them unfit for high-level public service.
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