Comments on: The Winter of a Country

The Winter of a Country

four panels — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 09:59:13 -0800

H.J. RES. 25. Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution.

By: four panels

four panels — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 09:59:55 -0800

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier...just as long as I'm the dictator..."
-- George W. Bush, Washington, DC, Dec 18, 2000, during his first trip to Washington as President-Elect

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:01:53 -0800

This makes no sense. Why would the GOP want Clinton to get elected again?

By: mathowie

mathowie — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:02:48 -0800

This was introduced by democrats, right? Do they want Clinton back again?

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:07:33 -0800

Yeah, Matt, I seem to recall reading somewhere the other day that was the idea.

By: kaibutsu

kaibutsu — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:07:41 -0800

'Course, Bush can already get three terms, since he wasn't actually elected the first time around. /troll.

By: gramcracker

gramcracker — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:08:18 -0800

I always thought Congresspeople should have term limits, too, but it looks like they're going in the other direction. I've seen this passed around the net for about a week; doubt it'll go anywhere, anyway.

By: Cyrano

Cyrano — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:09:01 -0800

Or maybe they just want the idea of Clinton back. Who knows with those frickin' people anymore?

By: psmealey

psmealey — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:09:03 -0800

As often as I have wished for it myself, I don't think Clinton would go for it. Why would he? He's got a nice comfortable lifestyle away from all the vitriol, and a multimillion dollar income to boot. Btw, how much does cbs pay him for making Bob Dole look like a jackass every week? Man, that's great work if you can get it. As far as Bush goes, the way the economy has being going, since January of 2000, has much of a shot at a 2d term, let alone a third.

By: XQUZYPHYR

XQUZYPHYR — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:09:07 -0800

Explained here.

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:09:32 -0800

Oh, not so funny (didn't check out the sponsors).

By: bitdamaged

bitdamaged — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:09:37 -0800

In every session of Congress, dozens of Constitutional Amendments are proposed. Almost never do any of them become actual Amendments. In fact, almost never do any of them even get out of committee.

By: grabbingsand

grabbingsand — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:09:57 -0800

Oh, great. Another King George.

By: moses

moses — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:12:25 -0800

This was introduced by a democrat, but also signed by a handful of republicans. Gramcracker's right: it'll never go anywhere. Still seems strange though.

By: the fire you left me

the fire you left me — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:23:49 -0800

Interesting video from the Cato Institute.

By: vito90

vito90 — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:26:31 -0800

Maybe they actually want Reagan back? He's tan and rested, but he doesn't remember if he's ready.

By: nonreflectiveobject

nonreflectiveobject — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:32:02 -0800

Time to write to one's congresspeople, people.

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:32:48 -0800

Since it seems like someone always asks, here's a fairly reputable source for four panels' dictatorship quote.

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 10:40:55 -0800

From what I could find, there've been 41 amendments proposed so far in the 108th Congress. There were 77 in the 107th (none passed).

By: oissubke

oissubke — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 11:43:59 -0800

From what I could find, there've been 41 amendments proposed so far in the 108th Congress. There were 77 in the 107th (none passed). Great link, Moon. I particularly enjoyed HJ RES 15. :-)

By: dhartung

dhartung — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:01:35 -0800

The 22nd Amendment was, of course, introduced by Republicans fearful of another FDR four-term presidency. (In those days, and pretty much up through the 1980s, the Democrats had a very comfortable majority in the House and a manageable one in the Senate, and were perceived as the party to beat.) Eventually, of course, they had a president themselves they'd like to see become a four-termer. The problem with the 22nd is twofold. First, it creates a lame duck presidency. The second term of a president is always a little more of a glad-handing round, the search for historical "legacy", and a period of increasing legislative leverage and decreasing presidential clout. Bold initiatives and constituency-battling reforms are not the thing of second terms. The other problem is that it is anti-democratic and anti-populist. It actually prevents people from voting for someone they would like to be President, and ironically, for someone who may have proven quite good at the job. The experience of term-limits laws in individual states -- many overruled and others constitutionally questionable -- does not suggest they're very effective at doing what they were intended to. In fact, the national trend is in the other direction, suggesting that should this amendment be nominated to the states, several might easily ratify it.

By: NorthernLite

NorthernLite — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:34:27 -0800

Maybe they actually want Reagan back? But, but ... I was reading CNN's site the other day and they said he was dead?! Please tell me Congress has accomplished *something* this year besides: a) altering their cafeteria's menu based on some moron's xenophobic whim, and b) going along with the Admin's desire to start duhbya duhbya three.

By: johnnyboy

johnnyboy — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:39:59 -0800

I know, I know trollish idiocy, but what the fuck. Oh, great. Another King George. Madder, badder and definitely dangerous to know, rather like byron I should imagine.

By: meep

meep — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 12:56:22 -0800

It's interesting to go down the list of proposed amendments from this Congress and note how many have to do with flag desecration and the right to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Jesse Jackson, Jr. has his name as the sponsor of quite a few amendments. I get the feeling he had to have presented all of them at the same time. Some try to change definition of American citizenship; right now almost anybody born in the U.S. is automatically a U.S. citizen, no matter who the parents are (I think children of diplomats are an exemption.) And the Equal Rights Amendment seems to have been proposed in both houses as well.

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 13:08:59 -0800

(According to the Congressional Record, page H1333 (pdf), with links, first names, and affiliations added by me: Introduced by Mr. Steny H. HOYER (D-MD), for himself, Mr. Henry HYDE (R-IL), Mr. Barney FRANK (D-MA), Mr. James SENSENBRENNER (R-WI), Mr. Howard BERMAN (D-CA), Mr. Martin SABO (D-MN), and Mr. Frank PALLONE (D-NJ).

By: thirteen

thirteen — Fri, 18 Apr 2003 14:58:31 -0800

I rather like the idea of an anti-FDR section of the Constitution. Leave it alone!