Would-be Florida Senator Connie Mack IV joins incumbent in opposition to Congressional term limits

It is hardly a shock. A professional politician from a political family who is not only a Congress member but is married to one, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV (R-Cape Coral) came out strongly against Congressional term limits on Monday.

He was making a campaign stop at the Republican Club of the Northern Palm Beaches and in response to a question made it clear he -- unlike his two competitors for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination -- would not be supporting Sen. Jim DeMint's term limits amendment bill if elected.

"The people who are now in control in the legislature are the staff who are not accountable to the members and not accountable to the voters," he said of Florida's experience with term limits. "I think what we need to do is hold people accountable who run for office. We term them out."

Reports are these cliches felt flat with the crowd. Indeed, the previous day Rep. Mack landed dead last in the straw poll held by the Florida Federation of Republican Women in Tallahassee.

He shares his anti-term limits position with the incumbent he is running against, Sen. Bill Nelson. Whereas both of his challengers for the nomination -- George LeMieux and Mike McCalister -- have signed the U.S. Term Limits Congressional pledge to cosponsor and vote for genuine 3/2 Congressional term limits as represented by the DeMint bill. Florida's current Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is a cosponsor.

In taking this position, Rep. Mack is putting his own self interest above that of the people, 79 percent of which tell pollsters they support term limits. It is funny that he criticizes the Florida legislature -- which enjoy competitive elections and regular rotation in office -- as unaccountable while endorsing the status quo in Washington DC where incumbents running for reelection win just under 95 percent of the time and have since 1970.

"We term them out," indeed. Between uncontested races, nominal challengers and the natural advantages of incumbency, the U.S. Congress is by no means competitive, accessible nor accountable and Rep. Mack knows it -- and likes it that way!

(Pictured: U.S. Reps Connie IV and Mary Bono Mack out on the town.)

Senate candidate LeMieux blasts Mack, Nelson on term limits

The race for the U.S. Senate in Florida is hot and getting hotter. Sitting Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is considered a weak incumbent and has attracted a field of five serious challengers.

Fortunately, all of the challengers but one have signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge to cosponsor and vote for 3/2 term limits as represented in Sen. Jim Demint's term limits amendment bill. Speaking to a Tea Party group on Jan. 12, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux blasted the only candidates who haven't signed on, incumbent Sen. Nelson and fellow Republican primary challenger U.S. Rep. Connie Mack.

"You don't send career politicians to fix Washington," LeMieux told the Indian River County Tea Party in Vero Beach. "I would serve a term or two and go home."

Characterizing Mack's private-sector experience as "a market outreach coordinator for Hooters," LeMieux renewed his call for term limits and noted that he lives and works in Florida. "California doesn't need a third senator," the Gunster Law firm chairman said in reference to Mack's residence in Palm Springs with wife Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA).

Ouch!

Term limits continues to play an important role in the Senate race. Adam Hasner reaffirmed his similar pledge to cosponsor the term limits amendment and even self-limit at the January meeting of the Republican Club of Central Palm Beach County.

McCalister, Miller, Kaufman sign Congressional term limits pledge

Florida U.S. Senate candidates Col. Mike McCalister and Craig Miller are the latest signatories to U.S. Term Limits Congressional term limits pledge. In signing the pledge, the duo committed themselves to cosponsor and vote for the 3/2 term limits amendment bills introduced by Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. David Schweikert in their respective houses.

Some 75 Congressional candidates have signed the pledge so far, including Florida U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hasner, who has taken the additional step of limiting himself to two terms whether the Congressional bills pass or not.

If any of these candidates win, they will join 10 other senators -- including Sen. Marco Rubio -- as cosponsors. The incumbent, Sen. Bill Nelson, is not a term limits supporter.

In the House, South Florida's Joe Kaufman, running for the District 20 seat, signed last week as well.

This is the first time in nearly 15 years that serious term limits bills with cosponsors have been introduced in both houses.

To see these bills progress will require pressure from the citizens. Let the Congress know you want to see action on these bills by signing the online petition here.

(Pictured at top, Col. Mike McCalister with supporter and activist Starla Brown)