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Thursday, November 05, 1992     Page: 10A QUICK WORDS: CONGRESS

Term limits for Congress picks up a head of steam
   
(EDITORIAL)
    A snowball even bigger than the one carrying Bill Clinton rolled out of
   
Tuesday’s election. It’s headed straight for PennsylvaniaAnd it’s got “term
limits” written all over it.
   
Term limits were on the ballot in 14 states. They passed in all 14 . In a
country where people seldom agree on anything, and where most candidates
squeak to victory by margins of 2 or 3 percent, that’s an absolutely amazing
show of popular support.
   
The states ranged in population from South Dakota to California, in
location from Florida to Washington, in politics from progressive Oregon to
conservative Wyoming. Their voters split wide open on the presidency. But they
lined up like fans at a carnival to give members of Congress a resounding
“whack.” They slapped their members with new rules holding senators to 12
years, and representatives to six to 12 years (depending on the state).
   
The rebuffs are all the more significant because the limits will hurt each
state in the short run. Seniority still rules the roost in Congress. That
means states with term limits stand to lose seniority, and thus power, to
states without term limits.
   
In other words, term-limit supporters not only had to overcome normal
American contrariness to win victory for their measure. They had to convince
each voter to set aside his or her own personal interest. Ask any politician
which of those is the tougher task.
   
That willingness by voters to endure pain shows why term limits are
Congress’ nightmare. Most voters aren’t willing to give up the specific perks
that their own politician’s seniority brings. That’s a key reason why Paul
Kanjorski, Arlen Specter and virtually every other congressional incumbent
from Pennsylvania were re-elected. It’s the old story of “throw the rascals
in.”
   
But voters on Tuesday showed they’re perfectly willing to endure those
losses in general — that is, provided other districts endure them, too. The
power of incumbency may never be the same, for the days of career politicians
now seem to be numbered.
   
Bill Clinton will serve for a maximum of eight years. Term limits, however,
promise to be woven into the very wool and fabric of American government. The
next step will be up to the U.S. Supreme Court; and if the court finds term
limits legal, this little-publicized result from Tuesday’s election may well
outlive us all.