Limited Intelligence
Terrorism is a big threat. So how do our representatives in Congress meet that challenge? Well, just recently, senators on the Intelligence Committee took action to remove one threat. They voted to remove the impending limits on the terms of Intelligence Committee members.
The result of the vote was publicized. Just exactly how each individual senator voted on the repeal, well . . . that remains secret. Incumbent security, no doubt. The reasons for removing the term limits remain sketchy, too. Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, ranking Democrat on the panel, said, “The world has gotten very chaotic, and we’re not governmentally responding to it adequately. There’s a lot we can do to make ourselves more effective.”
Apparently, only when politicians are protected in their monopolies on power can we expect proper oversight of the intelligence community and avoid another 9/11. The only solution Senators seem to see is for them to stay in their powerful perches term after term after term until they become competent. Eventually theyll get the hang of it. We expect the president to hit the ground running. And CEOs must regularly take over and manage new people and projects, gather knowledge quickly and make good decisions. But no such stepping-up for our congressmen; they demand coddling.
“It is clear to me that change is needed,” said Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, the committee chairman. So, they nix term limits: the change that “is needed” is for there to be no more change!
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
