Classic

Not to make this entire post one big "I told you so," but I TOLD YOU SO! Not only have a vast majority of Republicans who pledged terms limits in order to weasel their greasy ways into Congress suddenly "realized" that its a bad idea, but they're literally using the same arguments to support their brand-spankin-new positions that the incumbents they beat used. Some favorites:

"Rep. Timothy Johnson of Illinois 'underestimated the value of seniority," spokesman Phil Bloomer says of his boss's decision to run for a fourth term. 'As a rookie going in, (he) didn't understand what he could accomplish for his district by being there a longer period.'"

"Flake is one of at least seven House Republicans who had vowed to leave Congress next year but will be on the ballot in November. They ran as citizen legislators - antidotes for 'career politicians.' But after six or 12 years on Capitol Hill, they say they're just getting the hang of the job."

"Term limits eventually stalled in Congress. Once Republicans took charge, 'a lot of the motivation disappeared' to stick to them, says John Pitney, a former House Republican aide who teaches political science at Claremont McKenna College near Los Angeles."

Apparently to GOP minds keeping one's promise to voters on something they actually have control over doesn't provide much "motivation."

Another goodie:

"Flake says it's easy to be of two minds on the issue. He cites the career of Rep. Henry Hyde (news, bio, voting record), R-Ill., chairman of the House International Relations Committee. Hyde, a term-limit foe, is retiring in January after 32 years in Congress.

'The institutional memory and that kind of consistency has been a huge plus,' Flake says. 'But for every Henry Hyde, there are four or five members who have stayed beyond their effective phase.'"

In other words: incumbent Republicans = institutional memory, incumbent Democrats = useless old hangers-on.

Ah, the character, commitment, and reform brought to us by the "Contract With America."