Back in 1992, Florida voters chose to limit terms of members of their state Legislature. Despite what the people said, state Sen. George Kirkpatrick might be leading the fight to get this constitutional amendment overturned. While the amendment is up for review by the Constitutional Revision Committee later this year, Kirkpatrick said in one interview that many people believe term limits are a mistake. That wasn't what Florida voters said a few years ago. And now, the idea is gaining support nationwide.
Term limits is a popular rallying cry, especially for Republican lawmakers.
And it's an idea with merit. Just as everyone else hired to a new position is given a limited amount of time to prove himself on the job, legislators should be given a limited amount of time to do their jobs. Then they should step aside and let another person come in and serve the country. U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, who has been in the Senate for almost half a century without making any noteworthy contributions to government in recent memory, is practically a living example of why term limits are necessary to get fresh ideas into the federal government. Yet it would take a superhero to defeat Thurmond, who has made himself so endeared to the people of South Carolina that he gets re-elected every four years.