Kay on term limits...

Kay once ran her entire campaign in the early 1990s on term limits. You think I am kidding? I was around politics in Texas at that time, and it was the number one thing she pushed in her special election campaign. Not just that she would introduce term limits as a part of her 28 part ethics reform package... which incidentally never materialized... but that she would serve two terms and two terms only. Kay of course never introduced her ethics reforms, never pushed for term limits with any significance, and she broke her 2 term pledge.

Kay is now for term limits and is signing on with the two true reformer conservatives of the senate plus Sam Brownback (link). Excerpt follows...

WASHINGTON – Three-term Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has thrown her support behind a constitutional amendment that would cap Senate service at two terms.

The stance echoes her argument that Texas governors should also face term limits and that Gov. Rick Perry, in particular, has served too long already. But it contradicts her own career.

When she won the Senate seat in a special election in 1993, she pledged not to seek more than two six-year terms. She argued in 2006, however, that it made no sense for Texas to voluntarily give up the seniority and influence she had acquired.

"[She] did not believe that Texas should unilaterally disarm," said spokesman Jeff Sadosky.

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., filed the term-limit amendment Monday. Two other GOP senators are co-sponsors: Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, who is seeking a second term next year, and Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, who is retiring next year to fulfill a two-term pledge. (Coburn gave up a House seat in 2000 after three terms, as he had promised six years earlier.)

"Sen. Hutchison has fought for term limits throughout her career, and was proud to support Sen. DeMint's efforts," said Sadosky.

The move drew snickers from the Perry camp.

"The senator has no credibility on the issue of terms limits, considering she broke her own promise to serve only two terms and then ran for a third," said Perry spokesman Mark Miner.

I guess Kay thinks she will get brownie points and also in a round about way hit Rick for being in office too long, but she broke her promise. I think this is not exactly an issue she wants to bring up. There may be a small strain of people who want term limits but people hate hypocrites and politicians who break their campaign promises even more.