Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY) proposes constitutional amendment to repeal presidential term limits

JudyInTheHeartland

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Sun Jan-18-09 03:48 PM
Original message

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-NY) proposes constitutional amendment to repeal presidential term limits

Edited on Sun Jan-18-09 03:50 PM by JudyInTheHeartland

Seems like something worth considering. Eight years may not be enough to undo all that Bush has wrought.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HJ00005:@@@L&summ2=m&

:applause:

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bluestateguy

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Sun Jan-18-09 03:50 PM
Response to Original message

1. "Eight years may not be enough to undo all that Bush has wrought."

True, but I like the term limits (and I would add them for Congress too).

Hillary can come in in 2017 and finish up the job of cleaning up Bush's mess.

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Bucky

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Sun Jan-18-09 03:52 PM
Response to Original message

2. Sounds like a terrible idea

If survival of the republic depends on any one man in particular, we don't deserve to have a democracy.

Given the creeping expansion of the imperial presidency since WW2, any reasonable curtailment of the executive branch is welcome and necessary. After 8 years of Obama, I'm sure we'll be ready for someone else.

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Drunken Irishman

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Sun Jan-18-09 03:53 PM
Response to Reply #2

3. Why did you have to go and make Bush all sexy like that?

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dsc

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Sun Jan-18-09 03:55 PM
Response to Reply #2

5. Ironic that you would take away from people the right to the president of their choice

in the name of Democracy. That is what term limit does.

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Bucky

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #5

7. I come from a parallel universe with no term limits. Sometime around Reagan's 4th term....

I started to recognize that anything that helps Democrats hang onto power also helps Republicans hang onto power. The Founders were strong believers in the importance of rotation in office. Power corrupts and unfair influence accumulates in the halls of power.

Yes, elections are a great form of term limitation, but I'm a believer in experience over logic. Logically elections should be enough. In reality, the power of incumbency inevitably leads to cronyism. The fact that Democratic cronyism is less odoriferous than the Republican version doesn't mean our guys are immune to the arrogance and seduction of office holding.

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dsc

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:18 PM
Response to Reply #7

10. If the people wanted 4 terms of Reagan

then they should have had them. I think they would have wised up but if they didn't, too bad.

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Hosnon

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:02 PM
Response to Reply #5

8. We, as a species, are susceptible to demagoguery, and any democracy

is susceptible to manipulation. It's not ironic that term limits take away the right of the people to decide who is their President. The irony is that democracy itself, as practiced by humans, needs protection from the people.

No one person is so important that this country cannot exist and flourish without him or her.

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leftstreet

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Sun Jan-18-09 03:54 PM
Response to Original message

4. Term Limits for CONgress! Term Limits for Lobbyists!

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Big Blue Marble

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Sun Jan-18-09 03:55 PM
Response to Original message

6. If Obama has a successful first term,

I predict this will happen. And by the way, I think he will have a successful first
term. I was thinking about this this morning. We will need his competent guidance for
at least three terms. It will take at least that long to restore what we have lost,
let alone make progress on so many issues.

He is and will be our FDR guiding us through these very rough times. We need him
now and well into our future. There is no one else that is so perfectly suited for
these times.

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cali

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:04 PM
Response to Original message

9. horrendous idea. Think 3 or 4 terms of a repuke and that should

be enough to convince you what a poor idea this is. it's shortsighted in the extreme.

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Arkana

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Sun Jan-18-09 07:28 PM
Response to Reply #9

24. Agreein' wit' dis.

It'll go both ways--and I guarantee you Chimpster would have run for a third term, even with his horribly sagging approval ratings.

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LoZoccolo

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:20 PM
Response to Original message

11. Bad idea.

How many of the presidents' actions would be geared to getting themselves re-elected if they were allowed to run indefinitely?

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Danger Mouse

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:24 PM
Response to Original message

12. I also think this is a bad idea.

There's all kinds of serious risks here, even with a GOOD president.

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ddeclue

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:28 PM
Response to Original message

13. That's both too much power and too much burden for any one man.

Thank God there was a 22nd Amendment or we might still have King George in office.

We need to build a party not just built on the power of one superstar (be it Bill Clinton or Barack Obama) but one with a deep bench.

Doug D.

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Forkboy

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:30 PM
Response to Original message

14. I actually hate term limits....unless we're talking the office of the President.

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jberryhill

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Sun Jan-18-09 09:03 PM
Response to Reply #14

28. I agree

Term limits confer an advantage on the outside professionals who know how to work the system.

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Lisa0825

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:33 PM
Response to Original message

15. Bad idea.

But I would be OK with making it a 12 year limit. No longer than that, though. What we make possible for Dems, we make possible for all.

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Hansel

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:50 PM
Response to Reply #15

17. I like 12 years too. n/t

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blogslut

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:47 PM
Response to Original message

16. Why the hell for?

We are seeing the benefit of terms limits on this very day. Imagine if ~~Bush~~ (or someone with the same fucked-up ideology) had unlimited access to the power the office brings him, when running for re-election. Nope. Two terms is just fine.

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LeftishBrit

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Sun Jan-18-09 04:51 PM
Response to Original message

18. Bad idea IMO

We don't have term limits on PMs and I wish we did. Maggie Thatcher and Tony Blair both had 3 terms - and would have liked more - and they became little elected dictators and had far too much influence on their parties.

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Muttocracy

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Sun Jan-18-09 05:07 PM
Response to Original message

19. Don't like it - you can get a NEW person with the same policies if they're good

but I'm opposed to a single person having that much power for that long.

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SuperTrouper

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Sun Jan-18-09 05:48 PM
Response to Original message

20. Bad idea. We need term limits. Can you imagine Bushie running for a third term?

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Franks Wild Years

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Sun Jan-18-09 06:20 PM
Response to Reply #20

22. Yeah, I can....

...wouldn't it have been great seeing him struggle to pick up 100 EVs, losing by 15m votes and then having to deliver a simpering concession speech?

I quite like the 12 years idea. It strikes just the right balance for me.

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WinkyDink

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Sun Jan-18-09 06:04 PM
Response to Original message

21. Just Say No.

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bigwillq

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Sun Jan-18-09 07:24 PM
Response to Original message

23. I am not in favor of changing

presidential term limits. But I do favor term limits for Congress members.

24 years for both Senate and House.

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Joe the Revelator

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Sun Jan-18-09 07:39 PM
Response to Original message

25. Just think if this had come up right before W. took office

We'd all be wringing our hands, talking about dictatorships. That IS what this opens the door for.

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Blue_In_AK

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Sun Jan-18-09 08:26 PM
Response to Original message

26. Bad idea.

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RFKHumphreyObama

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Sun Jan-18-09 08:37 PM
Response to Original message

27. But that means Chimpy can run for President again

Entertaining though that may be, I do not want to have to endure his smug mug spewing out its garbage for a whole year of an election campaign

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Clio the Leo

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Sun Jan-18-09 09:39 PM
Response to Original message

29. After 8 years of hard work...

... he'll deserve the rest of his life off. Love the man too much to work him to death.

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ShadowLiberal

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Sun Jan-18-09 10:59 PM
Response to Original message

30. Bad idea, imagine how much more damage people like Reagan could have done with 16+ years

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