Robert Byrd -- Out of Office at Last
The Senate careers of Ted Kennedy, Strom Thurmond and Robert Byrd are all the evidence we need to impose term limits on Senators. While we're at it, we should limit the number of terms of Representatives to the House. The president is already capped at two terms. To make the most of enforced turnover, we should change the rules for Supreme Court Justices. Instead of a lifetime appointment, for them we should set a mandatory retirement age. Perhaps age 75. That sounds good.
Sen. Robert Byrd, longest-serving member of Congress, has died at 92
Monday, June 28th 2010
Walsh/APSen. Robert Byrd, the longest-serving member of Congress, has died at the age of 92. Related NewsArticlesSen. Robert Byrd, 92, in hospital in serious conditionThe nation's longest-serving senator had died.
Sen. Robert Byrd, the controversial 92-year-old from West Virginia, passed away earlier Monday morning.
The politician, who had served more than 50 years in Congress, had been suffering failing health for years and died at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va, according to a spokesman for the family.
Byrd, a Democrat, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday, his condiction considered "seriously ill."
In November, Byrd broke the record for congressional service that had been set by Democrat Carl Hayden of Arizona, who served in the House and Senate from 1912 to 1969. He was the Senate's majority leader for six of those years and was third in the line of succession to the presidency, behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A former member of the Ku Klux Klan, he was known to recite poetry, quote the Bible, discuss the Constitutional Convention and detail the Peloponnesian Wars — and frequently did in Senate debates.
Sen. Robert Byrd, longest-serving member of Congress, has died at 92
Monday, June 28th 2010
Walsh/APSen. Robert Byrd, the longest-serving member of Congress, has died at the age of 92. Related NewsArticlesSen. Robert Byrd, 92, in hospital in serious conditionThe nation's longest-serving senator had died.
Sen. Robert Byrd, the controversial 92-year-old from West Virginia, passed away earlier Monday morning.
The politician, who had served more than 50 years in Congress, had been suffering failing health for years and died at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va, according to a spokesman for the family.
Byrd, a Democrat, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday, his condiction considered "seriously ill."
In November, Byrd broke the record for congressional service that had been set by Democrat Carl Hayden of Arizona, who served in the House and Senate from 1912 to 1969. He was the Senate's majority leader for six of those years and was third in the line of succession to the presidency, behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
A former member of the Ku Klux Klan, he was known to recite poetry, quote the Bible, discuss the Constitutional Convention and detail the Peloponnesian Wars — and frequently did in Senate debates.
Labels: robert byrd, strom thurmond, supreme court, ted kennedy, term limits
posted by no_slappz at 8:46 AM
2 Comments:
It is my view that two terms for any public servant is quite enough. The "good old boys" syndrome is inherently bad for a number of reasons, one being that the longer they are in office, the
less they seem to focus in the public interest, and re-election and adhering to the "party-line" is their first loyalty, their bread, butter & caviar, and their constituents become, to them..."the great unwashed"!
When this happens, they completely lose sight of early goals, and how & why they got there in the first place!
Not good. - reb
____________________________
reb,
The problem with shortening office tenure to two terms is the fact that it could too easily force out candidates who lack big bucks.
If you look at the office-holders who have held their seats the longest, you will find they are people who head the powerful House and Senate committees.
It's one thing for a million people in MA to keep electing Ted Kennedy to represent them. But it's a new ballgame when everyone else in the country is abused by Kennedy because of his seat on Senate committees.
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