On November 3, 2010 every newly elected congressman began campaigning for 2012. We can all agree we're in a mess, a fight for our way of life as a country.  But how did we get here?  There is no simple answer but there is one underlying factor that  seems to perpetuate fraud, waste, abuse and arrogance.  "Career politicians" are people who have paid their dues to their political party and have been rewarded with a greased path to power.  Once "in" as an elected representative the eye is always on this prize:  how do I keep this gig going?  It's one endless campaign.

This system undermines the pursuit of solutions in favor of political expediency.  As a congressional candidate I saw this from the inside.  Politicians are advised to "stay in the middle," to not talk about controversial subjects (like social security) with any substance, and to never commit to anything.  At a conservative summit in Denver last spring I sat and heard Dick Morris tell a roomful just that:  don't talk about the explosive stuff, stay in the middle, keep your head down.  Get elected, then get re-elected.

A so-called Congressional Reform Act of 2010 (and now 2011) has been circulating virally; this Act has not been introduced by anyone and probably won't ever.  Although several parts of the proposed law are debatable, there is one provision we need now that will require the guts of a patriot and leader -- term limits.  The idea is that no elected federal representative could serve more than 12 years, in any one of the following ways:

A. Two Six-year Senate terms    

B. Six Two-year House terms

C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

With this limitation, the freshmen we elected two months ago would not be making decisions today based on how they can get reelected ad infinitum.  Many "tea party" candidates stated they would "self-limit" - can we believe them?

Every financial disaster we now face comes back to this: politicians will do anything to get and stay in office.  While the Federal Reserve, accountable to no one, prints billions of "dollars,"  few politicians will speak out against the Fed because it provides a great service to politicians:  if the Fed keeps printing money, no one has to raise taxes.  One grubby hand washes the other.  The end game is disaster. Think Weimar Republic. Politicians fight for pork for their districts, often voting for bills that are disastrous in the big picture because there's a gift for the home crowd embedded deep in the bill.  A pol who "brings home the bacon" is more likely to get re-elected.

Look at the list of long-term politicians in Congress: (Mitch McConnell, John Boehner , Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid...).  These are not leaders.  They are the same crew that got us into this mess.  So now they will balance the budget?  After a dozen years as a representative, one should step aside and let others take the helm.  But these folks will not go gently.  We need to force career politicians to leave DC and find honest work.

Who will be the brave representative who introduces such a bill?  Will it be your congressman?  Did your representative run on a term limits platform?  Will he/she tell you outright, in writing, in response to a question:  Yes, I will support term limits? 

You have one congressman and two senators.  That is three phone calls, three e-mails.  Contact them today and ask the term limits question and INSIST ON AN ANSWER.  Speaking as a constituent of the Third District of Colorado I can tell you that one reason John Salazar lost in 2010 was because he stopped responding to people.  INSIST ON AN ANSWER, a commitment, in writing.

How wonderful it would be if the House of Representatives really lived up to its name and allowed for the growth of true citizen leaders instead of perpetuating the good old boy network of destruction.  Find out today where your representatives stands and if they are brave enough to give up a political career for a limited time of true service to the country.