in moderation.

One of the biggest reasons we’re in such a mess right now, is because there are no term limitations on Congress. Once they’re in, they’re in for life. Lack of turnover allows them to consolidate power, form groups, cliques, buddies and good-old-boy networks. What then ends up happening, is that the less moderate of the bunch, the ones who are on their own personal quasi-fanatical missions, tend to rise to the top of power. This is just human nature. But notice I said less moderate. This polarizes the groups. And, since we only have two basic choices, we’re stuck with right-wing ultra-conservatives, or left-wing ultra-liberals. Moderates are left out in the cold.

Why would a new congressman join either one? Because they would go nowhere, be left out of everything, never get appointed to anything, unless they join and behave and do what they’re told.

By setting up term limits, we break up the consolidated power. We break up the cliques. We break up the good-old-boys. Everyone then gets a shot at the different committee roles and the power they carry. We remove the far-left, and we remove the far-right, and we give the moderates a chance to stand on their own. The system begins to work as originally intended.

Presidents are limited to a grand total of no more than 12 years. Why not everyone else too? Let’s get some turnover, some new blood into the system. Career Politicians are killing us.

There are alternatives to term limits which will work very nicely as well. These should be considered, because term limits, while limiting the terms of bad politicians, also limit the terms of good ones too.

For example, making committee positions a random drawing every two years. This would rotate out some of the old-guard, and remove committee positions from the list of perks for always voting the party line. Add to that the removal of “unlimited intra-campaign money transfers”, and you have pretty much broken up the strangle-hold on power. (You did know that parties can transfer unlimited amounts of cash from one campaign to another, right?)

We could always go for “all of the above” too!