Wellstone's words were "I want to give this all that I have. That means giving it 12 years, two terms. This is my post-campaign promise."

This is in effect how it turned out (unfortunately). So maybe it's not as good an example as you think.

Independent Illinois Grassroots: IllinoisDemNet.com

But on the local news, he actually stated he was breaking his promise, and explained why. All I am saying is that there are examples on both sides of the isle, and do we really want to open this can of worms?

Besides, how many of us really believed that the politicians were going to keep their word over this? I know I didn't. Pointing out broken promises only work when we truly believed in them and have a significant social and economic impact on the populous.

Besides, I am not as interested in finger pointing over minutia as I am in pointing out actual instances of corruption, greed and incompetence. And breaking a promise about not running beyond a certain number of terms is of little consequence compared to say.... lying about WMD to justify invading another country.

Ok, I am just going to say it, making an issue out of breaking term limit promises comes across as petty. Sorry, but it just turns me off. And I am a committed liberal that would never pass at the opportunity to stick it to the Republicans.

And what's more, I would expect every Democrat to also break this promise. At this point in time there are far worse, far more evil, and far more dire actions by the Republican party then breaking a promise not to run again and we need every able body, and not so able bodied, Democrat running for office.

After 9/11 everything changed: a petty, self-serving administration took advantage of the shock our nation experienced. Democrats whom made term limit promises need toss them out and exert every effort in removing the corruption that is the Bush Republican party.

If I had wanted cream and sugar why order the coffee?

I've seen great public officials simply cycled through and churned out for no better reason than there were statutory term limits. It really is anti-democratic.

That said, the people who promised that they'd only stay for a certain length of time, should be held to account.

We're got a guy in IL-11 who promised that he'd leave after six terms. He was part of the 1994 "Gringrich Revolution" and if he were honest, he'd leave now.

Such promises have the same weight as "no new taxes", etc. and politicians ought to be held to them.

Independent Illinois Grassroots: IllinoisDemNet.com