Senator for Life

Richard Lugar, Senator from Indiana, lost in the primary tonight.  Though I know little of his opponent, I am pleased by this.  I distrust career politicians; it is my big beef with my governor.  Lugar was first elected to the Senate when I was 9 years old.  If his successor were to last as long, I'd be in my 80s.  As it happens, Lugar is 80 and wanted to serve until he was 86.  Must everyone try to be a Strom Thurmond (47 years), Ted Kennedy (46 years), Robert Byrd (51 years), or Daniel Inouye (49 years and counting)?

Too many of these politicians, be they Republican or Democrat, treat their offices as a title of nobility.  Though they may say they are our representatives, they soon come to view themselves as our rulers.  Few people choose to become servants if there are other options.  However, public servant attracts a lot of "selfless" people.  It is amazing how wealthy these folks get by lowering themselves to be our servants.  This is just another word game.  Few of them serve us, and those who do are generally freshmen who have yet to be corrupted.  It is funny how President for Life is correctly viewed as undemocratic and bad but Senator for Life or Representative for Life is considered normal and even good (seniority, don't you know).

My first option to fix this problem in the Senate would be to repeal the 17th Amendment.  My second option, which could fix things in the house as well, would be to propose a 12 year limit in elective office in the Federal Government.  Doesn't matter the combination of posts but a limit of 12.  Of course, that would require an amendment to the Constitution.  Or, perhaps we could find a judge who would simply rule such; that's how we amend the Living Document these days.