Lame Ducks

Sacrificial Duck for the
Sake of an Agenda

Posted on September 12,2010

Essentially, a lame duck politician is one no longer accountable to the people. This can come about through the process of term limits, the loss of an election, or those wishing to retire.

A president’s second term is called a lame duck term because whatever he does, he is not responsible to the voters anymore. Congressional term limits have been debated, but never enacted. Term limits are a bad idea for a lot of reasons, but then so is the entrenchment of the career politician.

One argument against instituting term limits is the creation of lame ducks. There is something unseemly about our system that doesn’t address the lame duck issue. Chris Dodd is a lame duck senator. Chris Dodd announced his intention to retire several months ago. Under the present system, Chris Dodd is no longer accountable to the voters. He maintains his position as Committee Chairman as if he was still a man responsible to those who elected him. He is free to use his position as Chairman of the Banking Committee to usher in legislation that would normally not see the light of day if he had to face his voters.

At the present, whenever a politician becomes a lame duck, he/she maintains the status of a fully franchised office holder until they retire or expire. Without rules governing the status and power of lame duck office holders, they become a potential threat to our republic. Politicians unbound by voter accountability present the country with a situation for mischief of the highest order. This is especially true whenever the lame duck politician is the head of a powerful committee.

Examples of lame duck malicious mischief:

S.1619: Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) has authored a bill S.1619 titled the “Livable Communities Act.” It is one of the most dangerous bills to ever threaten our liberty. Worse even than the Obamacare scheme.

S.1619 creates a new permanent federal office, the “Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities” -- the "Development Czar" if you will.

A Lame Duck Congress: Should the Republicans win control or parity in the congress in November; the democratically controlled congress will become a lame duck congress because the voters will have rejected the Democrats and their agenda. The Democrats have publicly stated their intention to return after the election for a lame duck session to use their current majorities to force unwanted legislation in furtherance of their agenda. The Democrats have in effect, adopted the lame duck benefits of unaccountability as a strategy.

Again, there are no restraints on the activities of lame duck political parties or individual politicians. Rules of the road need implementation with or without instituting term limits for politicians or political parties if they achieve lame duck status.

Instituting lame duck rules:

1.) Notice of retirement or the decision to not seek office again will require 6 months advance notice. Excepted only by illness or other emergency.

2.) Upon receipt of such notice, the lame duck politician immediately loses any chairmanship, and authority to propose legislation unless it pertains to a national emergency.

3.) Congress shall not hold lame duck sessions unless National Security makes it necessary to convene congress.

4.) Restrictions would apply to any party or politician who is no longer accountable to the voters.

It is scary to think of the trouble a rogue senator or political party can put the nation through when they are no longer accountable to the voters. Instituting term limits is not enough, it is also necessary to regulate lame duck politicians and any lame duck congress to keep the people in charge of the politicians.

Support term limits but also insist upon lame duck rules.

"Ability will never catch up with the demand for it."
- Malcolm Forbes

Cheers,
-Robert-

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