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Walking a squiggly line on term limits

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Illinois

* Umm…

Congressman Rodney Davis (IL-13) says he has not yet signed the petition that calls for limiting members of the Illinois General Assembly to eight year terms. But he says that he would.

Davis, a Republican from Taylorville, says he also backs term limits for Congress, at least in concept.

But he says he will not set a self-imposed term limit on his time in Washington.

“Unfortunately, what’s happened is there have been so many good legislators that have had self-imposed term limits and they leave, or they break their pledge,” he said. “The problems in Washington are caused by those who have been there and have no intention of ever leaving.”

He’d sign Rauner’s petition, and he’s for term limits, but not for himself?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 12:45 pm

Comments

More likely he supports term limits like John Shimkus supports term limits.

Comment by Highland, IL Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 12:52 pm
A true Illinois statesman!

Comment by Buster Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 12:53 pm
As if he ever intends to leave. His name isn’t Rodney Shimkus for nothing!

Comment by Marty Funkhouser Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 12:55 pm
Term limits are a bad idea. The issue makes the worst people liars, the middling people hypocrites, and the best people unpopular.

Comment by jake Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 12:56 pm
“Don’t limit you, don’t limit me, limit that state rep fellow behind the tree!

Comment by Knome Sane Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 12:57 pm
Do as I say not as I do …

Comment by Sir Reel Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:00 pm
Rhetorically weak…..
Intellectually weak….
Politically weak….
As for the courage meter….didn’t even budge!!!

Comment by northernwatersports Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:02 pm
while this simpleton plan gives all the power to lobos and staff it seems like it will just be too much work so don’t sign anything

Comment by circularfiringsquad Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:12 pm
Captain Obvious strikes again.

Comment by dupage dan Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:16 pm
From the Bill Brady School of Political Theory.

For what it is worth, Davis is an amateur compared to Bill “Twenty for Me, Four for You” Brady.

Comment by Smoggie Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:26 pm
So he’ll support term limits for a job he couldn’t win (state rep), says he would support term limits for the job he has, but won’t promise anything and won’t entertain any concepts about being a model for service.

Comment by Precinct Captain Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:27 pm
“The problems in Washington are caused by those who have been there and have no intention of ever leaving.”

I wonder if he was talking about Luis “Remax” Gutierrez and his current House ethics investigation.

Comment by fed up Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:35 pm
@fed up:

Give it a rest already. Not everything is partisan man.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:37 pm
Boy, that’s some tortured rhetoric from Davis there. I’m not quite sure what he means.

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:41 pm
Don’t dump on Rodney folks. Obviously he has every intention of leaving D.C. someday. Now, that day might not come until after he passes on, but that is neither here nor there.

Comment by Draznnl Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 1:44 pm
Dummie.

Comment by A guy... Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 2:11 pm
MJM with another project for the November ballot: Protecting voters’ rights. Check-out HJRCA52.

Comment by Linus Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 2:14 pm
Davis is killing himself politically by trying so hard to be careful that he has paralyzed himself as a candidate. The Trib nailed his problem: “Davis is running a cautious race. It’s not an inspiring act.” With this craven statement on term limits Davis doubled down on “not inspiring.”

Comment by Riley Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 2:37 pm
“what’s happened is there have been so many good legislators that have had self-imposed term limits and they leave, or they break their pledge”

so in theory you’re saying it’s okay for the good legislators to stay longer than their term limits, huh? for the newer guys, like you? what we gotta do is get rid of the crappy old timers cause they’ve been there too long, right? then in another 20 years, when you’re still in Congress, you will eat your own words about term limits.

Comment by PoolGuy Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 3:13 pm
I believe that the SCOTUS has said that term limits cannot be imposed upon the Congress without an amendment to the Federal Constitution. Circulating petitions alone is not going to limit the terms of Congress.

Comment by Upon Further Review Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 3:35 pm
Good one, Rodney. Now we’ve seen a politician baffle himself with his own bull$&/@……wow

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 3:38 pm
Whatever my last Boss did was ok so why don’t I try it too…..loser, hopefully.

Comment by flea Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 3:52 pm
Rodney Davis complains about politicians in Washington — as though his entire adult career hasn’t revolved around such folks. When he ran for his seat in 2012, his brochures discussed his work in his family’s restaurants — which was his job about 18 years earlier, when he was in high school. Nothing about his work in the intervening years: first for George Ryan and then John Shimkus. But hey, you know, he’s really a McDonald’s employee working for mom and dad in his heart.

Comment by Anonymous 85 Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 5:27 pm
Upon Further Review, you are correct. I believe in 1995 the Supremes struck down an Arkansas law that set term limits. That being said, how much is this talk is for the base and campaign literature.

Comment by Fishingvest Tuesday, Mar 25, 14 @ 7:18 pm