by Paul Jacobs

Lobbyists love term limits. Because lobbyists get so much extra power as a result of term limits. Which is why many lobbyists work so hard to dismantle term limits.

Wait. Hold on. Something's wrong here.

Just because critics of term limits claim that lobbyists receive a windfall benefit from term limits doesn't mean lobbyists actually get that benefit.

In politics, expect some arguers to lie.

The reason we often hear about lobbyists working to weaken term limits, extend terms in term-limited districts, or just plain kill term limits, is that term limits limit their power, too. There's the reason many surveys have shown how large majorities of lobbyists want to send term limits to the bottom of the ocean in cement galoshes.

This just in from the Los Angeles Times: "The text of a ballot measure that would ask voters to ease term limits in Los Angeles and impose restrictions on lobbyists was crafted by a prominent law firm that represents lobbyists in the city. . . ."

Huh? Restrictions on lobbyists, crafted by lobbyists? Why would lobbyists support that? Pure idealism? Ha!

According to the same report, "Critics say the ethics provisions were added to make the term-limit part of the measure appear more palatable to voters, who in the past have rejected efforts to weaken the restrictions."

In other words: Pretend to move one step forward, so you can take democracy two steps back.

Paul Jacob's "Common Sense" is published by Americans for Limited Government. Their website can be visited at www.limitedgov.org.