Lamar Alexander :“Rule 297″ of the Little Plaid Book states, “Serve two terms and get out.” ...unless you are set to become chairman of a powerful legislative committee
Like Sen. Alexander’s opponent in the GOP primary, state Rep. Joe Carr, Democrat Gordon Ball has seized upon the evident transgression of one of his own personal canons of political conduct as evidence that Alexander’s words, deeds and principles don’t necessarily align.
But at a candidates’ forum outside Cookeville Thursday, which was sponsored by the state Farm Bureau, it was Alexander who raised the Little Plaid Book term-limits issue right out of the gate in his opening remarks. Alexander said that with respect to retiring after his 12th year in the Senate, he had “thought about doing that,” but the allure of a new term in the majority won out. (Allow me to translate Alexander's government speak: "but the allure of power in the new majority won out")
“I thought about Senator (Howard) Baker, and how he ran for a third term as majority leader,” Alexander said. “I watched him walk across the aisle with the Reagan tax cut, and I saw what he did for the country.” (Walk across the aisle...yes, like you did voting with Obama 62% of the time?)
Alexander said the havoc wreaked upon America the past six years under Democrats like President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is such that he feels compelled to try and stick around another six years to try and undo it.(Yeah...umm OK cuz the stupid party is soooo principled that they will offer something new and different right? I would like to point out that it takes two to tango and we did not get here by the democrats alone...they had help...and they are called REPUBLICANS)
“Our country is in trouble, and I am running for a third term because I believe I have a chance to be part of a new Republican majority in the Senate,(Meaning: I have a chance to have a powerful committee chairmanship and the party will always choose power over principle...it's just the nature of your beast) and I will be in a position to help reverse the Obama agenda on health care, on education, on labor and on energy,” said Alexander. He added that Ball would simply be “one more vote for Obama.”