Protecting the 22nd Amendment

Could Obama be a three-term president?

Right now — due to the 22nd Amendment — this is not possible.

Passed by Congress in 1947 and ratified by 41 states by 1951, the 22nd Amendment sets a term limit for the office of President of the United States.

Of course, that doesn’t mean this amendment can’t be repealed.

And if one congressman has his way, a third-term option would be one step closer for our country’s current leader…

Dictatorial Rule

His name is Jose Serrano. And a few weeks ago, this New York congressman reintroduced a bill to repeal the 22nd Amendment.

Here’s how it reads:

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.

Imagine that… a sitting president that would never be pressured by term limits.

You know who else isn’t pressured by term limits? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and North Korea’s Supreme leader, Kim Jong-un.

What the hell are these guys thinking?

The 22nd Amendment serves as a vital tool against the creation of dictatorial rule.

Quite frankly, even suggesting this amendment should be repealed is offensive to those who actively support real freedom and democracy.

And Serrano isn’t the only one; Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer proposed a repeal of the 22nd Amendment during the Clinton and Bush administrations, and Mitch McConnell sponsored a similar bill in 1995.

Presidents, Not Kings!

Of course, some argue that term limits disallow voters from reelecting successful presidents.

In theory, that has some merit, but in practice — well, that’s a whole different kettle of fish…

Don’t think for a second that sitting presidents don’t use their power to dominate the media and work the wheels from the inside. And rest assured, if given the opportunity for unlimited terms, their power would grow exponentially.

My friends, the last thing we need is a more powerful politician pulling the strings of an already out-of-control and overzealous government.

We elect presidents, not kings.

These guys are not meant to reign in a white palace. They are meant to work for the good of the people. They are meant to honor and defend the Constitution. They are meant to serve, then step aside.

But these days, that’s becoming a tougher and tougher sell in Washington.

The bottom line: You will find few in Washington who don’t use their positions as government servants to bolster their own bottom lines.

Think about it…

How many congressmen or senators leave their posts in Washington without having created private fortunes and one-way tickets to “consulting” gigs for high-priced lobbying firms?

You know, guys like George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson never transitioned from public service to lobbying firms where they would create massive fortunes for themselves…

They went back to their farms. Some retired, and some went back to work. They recognized public service as an honor and a privilege, and not something that was ever intended to be a gateway to wealth.

In fact, many of our early leaders and lawmakers served their country at the expense of their own livelihoods, leaving their farms and places of business to do the heavy lifting that would allow this great democracy to flourish. And when they were done, they’d return to their former, quiet lives, where they would go back to plowing fields and cobbling shoes (John Adams did both) and raising families.

But not today.

Nope. Today it’s all about raising cash and becoming a permanent fixture in a sea of complacency and criminal activity.

It’s disgusting.

And suggesting that repealing the 22nd Amendment would not add to this crisis of liberty and justice we already face in the legislative branch is naïve.

Live honorably, live free…

Jeff Siegel
for Freedom Watch