Term Limits

As you may well know if you've read this blog before, I am a huge opponent of "career politicians".  I don't care which party they belong to, I don't care how good or how bad they are.  The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was enacted following FDR's death in office during his 4th term, thus ensuring that no person shall serve more than two terms (8 years) as President.  This in effect ends the possibility of a dictatorship or one person gaining the office and refusing to step down.  It's a good, if not great, amendment but my question is this, what about Congress?  Why isn't what's good enough for the goose good enough for the gander?  Why do we keep our nations lawmakers, which is what Congress is, in the same position year after year ad nauseum?  I believe that the lack of term limits for congressmen promotes laziness among the American people.  I you ask most people how often we have elections, they'll tell you, "every 4 years."  Wrong.  We have elections every 2 years for each member of the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate.  The term for Senators is 6 years and is staggered so they are not all elected at once.  In my opinion, anyone serving in an elected office should be limited to 2 terms per office.  This will keep anyone from serving longer than 24 years if they managed to serve as a Representative, Senator, and President.  Here in Nevada, Senator and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been serving as a U.S. Senator since 1987.  That's 24 years, and he still has 4 more years on his current term.  What's worse is there are several Congressmen, past and present, who have served longer than Reid.  This is insane!  The founding fathers believed, as I do, that serving public office should be a privilege and an honor, not a career.  I feel the longer you are in office, the more susceptible you become to all the special interest groups, lobbyists, and all the other trappings that have given political office the negative stigma is has today.  I firmly believe, and I know I'm not alone, that once someone gets into public office and gets that six figure salary and all the perks that go with it, they will do and say anything to stay there.  And while I'm at it, how absurd is it that Congress gets to vote their own pay raises?  When was the last time you told your boss that you gave yourself a raise?  I'm sure that gave them a good chuckle.  I think they should get a cost of living raise or 3% of their salary, whichever is less.  No discussion, no debate. The only ones who have the authority to change it are We the People.  Furthermore, they should not be paid anywhere near what they are paid now.  This is supposed to be an honor, not a way of life.  The less they're paid, the more people of honor and integrity will serve because they will not be doing it for the money.  Folks, if less than 1 out of every 5 Americans approve of the job Congress is doing, why do we keep putting the same people back in power?  Wake up!!!  Pay attention to what is going on and get rid of the vermin that are infesting our house!!  Please, as you read this, I beg you, don't keep this to yourself.  Tell your friends, co-workers, whoever will listen.  I don't even care if you tell them about this blog.  Just get involved so we can save this once proud nation.  I am proud to be an American and I don't want to ever use that in the past tense.  I don't think you do either.