Last year, Nikki Haley called the U.S. Senate "the most privileged nursing home in the country." Hard to argue with that.
With no term or age limits, the 100 senators can hang around as long as they want and keep getting elected. Their $174,000 a year salary sounds good to the rest of us, though that's not the biggest appeal of the high-profile job. One way or another, they've all somehow become millionaires.
Unhappy voters often whine about the lack of congressional term limits, which they could easily impose themselves at the ballot box, but don't.
Across-the-board term limits would take a constitutional amendment. That requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by at least 37 states. Which means it ain't gonna happen.
Five-term Sen. Dianne Feinstein died last fall at 90. Sen. Chuck Grassley is also 90 but still going strong. Joe Biden had six Senate terms before he retired to take on the second-fiddle job of vice president, which pays $238,000.
Despite turning 82 this year, historically low job approval, and almost daily signs of his cognitive decline, Biden says he wants a second term until 2029. Voters will have a say about that come November.
Last year, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had two very public brain freezes in front of media. He has now announced that he will be stepping down as Senate party leader after November and then finishing out his current term.
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BREAKING: Mitch McConnell to Step Down As Senate GOP Leader
Mitch McConnell Leaves Behind One Remarkable Legacy
It's a wise recognition for him, for Kentucky, and for the country. This week our audio commentary takes a look at McConnell's six-term Senate career and, more importantly his record 17-year tenure as a Senate party leader.
McConnell interests me because he's old-school, getting-something-done-now-is-better-than-a-loud-argument-and-getting-nothing-tomorrow. He has a dour appearance and is not into the kind of empty photo-ops that modern legislators prefer over hard work.
Most importantly, McConnell's long service and strategic, albeit silent savvy are what finally engineered today's conservative Supreme Court majority and the significant decisions already issued. Thank you, Mitch.
That's what we explore here this week.
If you're tired of the grey overcast hanging over the politics of our nation these days, RedState has kindly posted another of my occasional Memories. This one was great fun to experience and to write: I drove an Indy racing car 150 miles an hour at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where NASCAR raced last weekend a lot faster than that.
In advance of Joe Biden's State of the Union Address, this week's column examined what's at stake for the 46th president, what he is likely to talk about, and what he simply cannot talk about.
Perhaps more importantly, we also look at why millions of Americans will be watching. Hint: How's he going to screw it up, as he does pretty much every public appearance these days?
It's painful to watch if you're human and have seen family members slide into what are delicately described as "senior moments." Bottom line, though, it's also downright scary because this mean man is currently commander in chief. And he's "backed up" by a clueless diversity hire who recently announced she's "ready to serve."
Numerous RedState colleagues have been all over the emerging results of so-called Super Tuesday elections -- the progress of Donald Trump's long campaign nearing the Republican presidential nomination for the third time, and the "suspension" of Nikki Haley's campaign, although it is clearly not goodbye to her presence on the political stage.
Finally, we realize that not everything in the news circles around politics. So, here's a look at what's next in the amazing college basketball career of Caitlin Clark and another scrappy victory against Russian forces by the underdog military of Ukraine.
