Presidential candidate Gov. Gary Johnson: "I'm a believer in term limits, absolutely"

Now that Sen. Jim DeMint has reintroduced his Term Limits for All amendment with 10 cosponsors, the issue is back on the national stage and we need to hear where all national candidates -- including presidential candidates -- stand.

First to speak out has been former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico, who is a presidential candidate in all but paperwork (although this too might change on April 21).

Johnson includes term limits as a theme in all his stump speeches. Although mild mannered in person, he is remembered as the governor who vetoed 750 bills and was willing to speak out on controversial issues, such as marijuana legalization.

In typical Johnson fashion, he proclaimed on the Colbert Report television program as early as last May that "I was term limited, Stephen, but i'm a believer in term limits, absolutely. I think politicians will do things they wouldn't ordinarily do when they are term limited, and I probably come under that category. Would I have been as bold?"

DeMint bill is back -- with 10 cosponsors!

For the first time in over a decade, term limits has reemerged as a major issue in Washington DC. Yesterday, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) reintroduced his amendment for Congressional term limits -- this time with 10 cosponsors on day one! -- and a House companion is expected to be introduced imminently.

This shot across the bow of Washington's entrenched incumbency is occurring in an environment where some 78 percent of Americans are telling pollsters they want Congressional term limits. It is a bipartisan call, with 84 percent Republican support and 74 from both Democrats and independents.

Americans laughed derisively at Congress after a week of political rodeo in which the parties locked horns, even threatening to shut down the government, over less than $1 billion in budget cuts, according to the Government Accounting Office.

In a body based on seniority in which special interest-backed incumbents almost never lose elections, what else could be expected? Sure, they put on a good show for their respective bases by battling each other at the margins, but in the end the leadership in both parties and in the House and Senate have the same job: they have to keep their big special interest constituencies on the government dole.

The budget battle underscores the need for institutional reform, for term limits. And the DeMint bill is real term limits, mandating a maximum three consecutive terms in the House and two in the Senate. The leadership of both parties and their lap dogs in the media will try to ignore this bill. We cannot let them.

Please take action today:

1) Sign the online petition here supporting the DeMint 3/2 term limits bill.

2) Forward a link to this page to everyone you know.

3) Support U.S. Term Limits with a financial contribution to help promote the bill.

As cosponsor Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) argued in an earlier post on this blog, the time is now for term limits. Let's push this issue to the top of our agendas and take advantage of an opportunity to change Washington forever.