Editorial: Specter’s switch suggests it’s time for term limits

Opinion

Discussion

May 12, 2009

Anonymous Allied News Tue May 12, 2009, 02:30 PM EDT

The (Shamokin) News-Item

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter’s abrupt switch of parties should not be viewed as a win for Democrats or a loss for Republicans. It’s a loss for all of us.

While an accomplished leader and quality human being, Specter, like many today in Washington and Harrisburg, is so ingrained in the process of politics that he’d do anything — without shame — to win re-election.

At 79 years old, survivor of several battles with cancer, and after nearly 30 years in the U.S. Senate, Specter, under challenge for the Republican nomination in the 2010 primary election, could have recognized that his time had come, that he should bow out gracefully. Instead, he was guided by, what, ego? Greed? The promise of money and support from President Obama and the Democrats? No matter the answer, it had nothing to do with legislation, or with the common constituent that he is sworn to serve.

The argument continues to be made that veteran legislators are valuable because they know the issues, they know the people, the process and the politics, knowledge that a rookie lawmaker would take years to acquire. More and more, however, that argument is exactly why we DO need term limits. Those who serve for decades on end begin to believe they are larger than the system itself, and, with that, spending and bureaucracy simply grow further out of control.

Suburban Philadelphia resident Joe Torsella, the only declared Democratic candidate for Specter’s seat, may have said it best in his reaction to the news of Specter’s switch: “I believe we need new leadership, new ideas and new approaches in Washington ... Nothing about today’s news regarding Sen. Specter changes that.”

The Associated Press

Text Only

Opinion

Freedom of seas critical to global commerce
A U.S. aircraft carrier passed through the Straits of Hormuz inbound to the Persian Gulf recently operating in international waters.

February 3, 2012
Support grows banning cell phone while driving
As of Jan. 2, it is illegal for commercial truck drivers to use hand-held cell phones on the nation's highways.

January 27, 2012
Relax, everyone: it's still to early to go negative
T.S. Eliot once wrote that the world will end "not with a bang, but a whimper." But he didn't say exactly how it would occur, or when.

January 11, 2012
Counting the blessings
Have you heard any good news lately? Bad news abounds. 2011 was another tough year. Economic woes continue. Greece and Italy are on the verge of bankruptcy.

January 11, 2012
Curiosity rockets toward Mars
Contrary to popular notions, the U.S. space program didn't end with the mothballing of the space shuttle

January 10, 2012
Many played Santa Claus for charities this season
YOU don't have to wear a red suit and have a white beard to play Santa Claus. A lot of wonderful people did it by simply putting money in a kettle.

January 10, 2012
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following editorial, among the most famous ever written, appeared in The New York Sun in 1897 and remains appropriate for this holiday season 106 years later.

January 10, 2012
USPS and Congress must make bold changes
The U.S. Postal Service's decision to reduce its first-class delivery time from one to three days to two to three days is the latest move to stop financial losses that last year totaled $5.1 billion.

December 30, 2011
Down syndrome adult speaks for herself
The foundation of this constitutional republic, as we used to be taught, is individual liberties -- as in the Bill of Rights.
Enter 25-year-old college student Melissa Reilly, brought to us by health news writer Kimberly Hayes Taylor in Down syndrome's rewards touted as “new (contrary) test looms" (msnbc.msn.com, Sept. 29):
“She travels to represent the Down syndrome community internationally, and is a Special Olympian who brings home gold medals in skiing, cycling and swimming. Additionally, she interns for a Massachusetts state senator and tutors pre-school students with Down syndrome in math and reading."

December 22, 2011
National memory must enshrine day of infamy
Wednesday marked the 70th anniversary of a turning point in American history, a day of enormous shock and tragedy that must always remain strong in our national memory.

December 22, 2011
More Opinion Headlines

Opinion

Search Results

Discussion

Editorial: Specter’s switch suggests it’s time for term limits

Site Map