by Bobby Keith

Created on: June 22, 2009   Last Updated: July 09, 2009

Ever since the 1994 Contract With America, I, like many other conservative minded Americans, have been in favor of term limits for both houses of Congress. The abuse of power in Washington, D.C. seems to increase each time a Congressperson is re-elected to another term.

I recently attended a political forum in my city in which several potential candidates were asked questions in a format similar to that in which John McCain and Barack Obama answered questions from Pastor Rick Warren at the Saddleback Church during the 2008 Presidential campaign. One of the questions was in regard to term limits. Two candidates, both of whom had impressed me up to that point, said that they did not support term limits, and both gave different reasons. I have to admit, I was turned off to both candidates after they answered the way they did.

However, later I began to think about their response to the question, and I received a "revelation" that changed my opinion concerning term limits for members of Congress. I am now opposed to term limits, and I would like to give you four reasons why, as well as tell you what I think should be done to control the abuse of power that has become the norm.

The first reason that I am opposed to term limits in Congress can be summed up in two words: "lame duck".

During the second term of any President, especially if the opposing party is in control in Congress, what gets accomplished? Very little. Why? Because Congress knows that all they have to do is bide their time, and very soon a new administration will be in power. Lame duck Presidents have very little success in getting their agenda through Congress, unless of course members of Congress think it will help in their re-election bid.

So, if those in Congress were limited to a certain number of terms by law, they could go into their final term with very little power to get anything accomplished. We all know that getting things done in Washington is all about compromise. If a Congressperson was in the final months or even the last year or two of their term, others may just as soon wait for the next person to be elected from that district instead of working with the current Congressperson from that area.

Second, term limits could lead to more corruption. If a Congressperson knows that after their final term they can no longer be elected to the office they are holding, then they may be more tempted to "pad" their own pockets. Not having to worry about being re-elected could mean that the

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