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North Carolina Bev Perdue has gotten herself in some hot water. Across the internet tonight, the delicate lacy undergarments of America's Conservative movement are bunched in outrage over the following quote:

“I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won’t hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover,” Perdue said at a rotary club event in Cary, North Carolina, according to the Raleigh News and Observer. “I really hope that someone can agree with me on that.”

Hmmm... now kids, I'm not in favor of dousing the Constitution in gasoline and lighting it on fire, but behind this somewhat mangled, ill-concieved idea is a rather interesting notion worth exploring a little bit. It's an undeniable fact that Congress- at least the House anyway, is locked in a perpetual cycle of fundraising and electioneering. Two years does not give our representatives enough breathing room to actually concentrate on making sound policy for the country. There's a tiny, tiny window where Congresspeople can actually worry about governing before they have to start fundraising for their next campaign.

You want to lessen the influence of money and special interests in our politics? Extending the term of the House of Representatives to four years would be a good start. Let them govern for a bit before they dip back into the mudpit of re-election. Adding term limits of 12 years to both the House and the Senate (and why not the Presidency too, to make everyone equal?) would be a good second step. A third step would be slightly more complicated- but for sure, banning double-dipping for all elected officials would be one component worth exploring as well as a ban on all lobbying for at least four years after they leave office.

While Governor Perdue should probably be more careful about what she says, the Conservative panty-bunching is a bit much, I think. Bad quote? You bet. Bad idea? Oh yeah. But bad notion? Lurking behind all the mangled blabber is an idea worth talking about. I just wish the Governor had put this in terms of amending the Constitution with an eye towards making Congress work a little better than ripping it up in favor of some kind of pseudo-emergency rule.