I'm trying really hard to be a more sympathetic person. That said, good riddance to bad rubish. I can't imagine a more shining example of the argument for term limits than this guy:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/politics/29byrd.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1277737308-yptRsBo8y/CqQAqBn6ZU5g
wow, um.
elections are term limits.
death, well that's life's limit.
nutherjrfan wrote: wow, um. elections are term limits. death, well that's life's limit.
I have never really understood Term Limits, thats waht voting is for.
political stagnation in some locales tends to overwhelm voter response.
this is because complacency of the locals and an unwillingness of a party in power to allow any dissention means that democrat in office won't have to worry about not getting national party money against someone in his primary.
If there wasn't national political party money being funnelled into local districts causing this stagnation, I wouldn't support term limits at all. But the issue becomes pretty murky.
Again, very much against term limits. Mainly because it's always someone ELSE's guy you want out, and you never realize that your rep gets out, too.
Michigan is a disaster thanks to term limits, IMHO.
sorry poop- weak to be happy that someone dies. Very weak.
E-
i think michigan being a disaster has alot less to do with term limits than you think. ;p
Panthers,as well as Steelers fan, maybe? That whole Backyard Brawl bidness. term limits means the K-street asshats are the only ones who understand the inner-workings of govt.
I grew up in WV and was registered to vote there until last year. I am by no means willing to celebrate someone's death, but when I first heard the news my first thoughts were, "It's about time."
That man has been less than well for a long time and I really questioned his ability to serve as a Senator for the past several years, not because I disagree with his politics, but because I did not believe he was "all there" mentally.
Nearly everything in the State of WV that has been constructed in the past 10 years is named after the man so he will live on in the hearts and minds of many. He definitely cashed in a lot of favors to get a lot of pork thrown to his state.
As far as term limits go, it was hard to vote against him since he would run unopposed a lot of the time. Term limits are ours if we want them as others have already said. Just vote them out. The problem is that the system is biased to counteract that and an educated and informed electorate is needed.
Term limits put new blood on the ballots. Many times there is no one to run against an entrenched incumbant because the costs would be astronimcal. A vote with no choices isn't a vote at all.
A lot of people vote for the name that they recognize. The best example that I know of was in Italy where Mussolini's granddaughter ran for parliament and won because of her name. She had no experience. We are no better. Many people only vote in the Presidential elections and not any of the others. Especially the local ones that have more impact on their lives.
alfadriver wrote: Again, very much against term limits. Mainly because it's always someone ELSE's guy you want out, and you never realize that your rep gets out, too. Michigan is a disaster thanks to term limits, IMHO. sorry poop- weak to be happy that someone dies. Very weak. E-
I didn't really mean to spark a debate on term limits.
I understand where you're coming from. I'm truly sorry for those close to him greaving his death. Seriously
The guy was a horrible, dispicable, piece of garbage, whose self-centered policies not only represent everything I hate about contemporary politics, but also have helped to turn most parts of the most beautiful state in the country (MHO,) into cesspools.
Good riddance.
carguy123 wrote: Term limits put new blood on the ballots. Many times there is no one to run against an entrenched incumbant because the costs would be astronimcal. A vote with no choices isn't a vote at all.
we have that issue locally here with the sheriff. he's as crooked as a pretzel, does bad things and gets away with them, yet he keeps winning. the deputies loathe him. when the retired FBI guy lost to him, everyone gave up and now he just runs unopposed. his claws are too deep into the old money in the county, while we live in drug trafficking and packaging central being right near interstate highways 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 80, and 90. the only one busting the drug runners is the highway patrol, the sheriff is too busy putting his name on the side of race cars and popcorn bags at the fair.
now - Byrd did some good in his time and some not good, just like the rest of them. but for me he was in a class with Strom Thurmond - they hung on way too long in the senate and needed to retire long before life retired them.
but he did play a pretty mean fiddle 
he was a great senator.... if you define the purpose of a senator to take as much of other people's money to your state in pork as possible.
TJ, i had that same first thought about ol' chappaquiddick up here in MA, as he'd run uncontested for years and represented basically the same politics as byrd. and regarding his lovely KKK wizard days, like teddy's character display with mary jo, i just dont need to know anything more about that man...
that old is too old to be making decisions for people of all ages.
Senator Byrd was a living contradiction.
He was a man who carried a copy of the Constitution in his pocket - and used it as a reference point and proclaimed it as the bedrock of his beliefs. Then, he (arguably) used it to "creatively" use in ways it was never intended - IMHO.
Byrd represented the epitome of pork-barrel politics and used his immense power to funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to his state; good for some, but a waste to most taxpayers.
I hope the pols in WV put enough money in the bank for one more "shovel-ready" project when the good Senator is laid to rest.
term limits = claimer rules
Those who like them are the ones who lack the courage, brains, skill, cunning, and audacity to overcome the "injustice of the system"...
ugh..
patgizz wrote: we have that issue locally here with the sheriff. he's as crooked as a pretzel, does bad things and gets away with them, yet he keeps winning. the deputies loathe him. when the retired FBI guy lost to him, everyone gave up and now he just runs unopposed. his claws are too deep into the old money in the county, while we live in drug trafficking and packaging central being right near interstate highways 70, 71, 75, 76, 77, 80, and 90. the only one busting the drug runners is the highway patrol, the sheriff is too busy putting his name on the side of race cars and popcorn bags at the fair.
dont lose hope. New Rome was disbanded.
oldsaw wrote: Senator Byrd was a living contradiction. He was a man who carried a copy of the Constitution in his pocket - and used it as a reference point and proclaimed it as the bedrock of his beliefs. Then, he (arguably) used it to "creatively" use in ways it was never intended - IMHO. Byrd represented the epitome of pork-barrel politics and used his immense power to funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to his state; good for some, but a waste to most taxpayers.
And a (former?!?) member of the KKK, and blocked Civil Rights legislation. Betcha the new guy/gal gets NOWHERE NEAR the pork he got. And that's a good thing.
I'm sure he is mourned by his loved ones, my sympathies to them.
On to the political part:
He and Strom Thurmond were both long past retirement age and frankly both became an embarrassment. And were both strong arguments for term limits. Once 'The Machine' gets put in place by shoveling pork back home at the expense of the rest of the country, these types are nearly impossible to dislodge.
Since we cannot depend on the electorate to do what's necessary, (witness Byrd, Thurmond, Kennedy, lots of other pols) it's time to slam the lid on career politicians.
I too stay good bye to a person that perpetuated the status quo of nothing good.
But I will say this, until you live here or close, you will never know what it takes to live here and why he was popular.
Brian
He voted for Vietnam and against Iraq, against Civil Rights Bill but got most of the money for the MLK Memorial, and although he was the "King of Pork" he also got into politics playing a fiddle, so he much supported campaign finance reform.
ignorant wrote: term limits = claimer rules Those who like them are the ones who lack the courage, brains, skill, cunning, and audacity to overcome the "injustice of the system"... ugh..
Man, you sure do have me pegged, iggy.
81gtv6 wrote:nutherjrfan wrote: wow, um. elections are term limits. death, well that's life's limit.I have never really understood Term Limits, thats waht voting is for.
Term limits are for stupid voters.
or for voters educated by the government itself that they're 'supposed' to have dominion over. Not the other way around.
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