BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE -- Three of the five Fourth District congressional candidates pledged Thursday to serve no more than three terms in the U.S. House. U.S. Term Limits, a Washington-based group that pushes legislators to limit the amount of time they spend in Congress, asked all five candidates in the race to sign declarations pledging to stay only six years in Congress.
Those who signed were Democrat Ken Lucas of Richwood in Boone County and Republicans Rick Robinson of Fort Mitchell and Jim Kidney of Fort Thomas.
Republican Gex "Jay" Williams of Verona in Boone County and Dr. Howard Feinberg of Russell in Greenup County did not sign.
Pledges important
The seat is held by U.S. Rep. Jim Bunning, a Southgate Republican who is leaving the House after six terms to run for the U.S. Senate. The candidates who signed have "listened to the voters and agreed to abide by their will," said Paul Jacob, executive director of U.S. Term Limits.
"By signing this declaration, (the candidates are) showing the voters they aren't just talking about term limits (but are) taking action and leading the way," said Mr. Jacob, who was in Northern Kentucky on Thursday.
"Howard Feinberg and Gex Williams refused to sign the pledge," Mr. Jacob said. "What are we to think? Clearly, they want to cash in on a career in Washington with all the perks and privileges." Mr. Feinberg did not return a call to comment. Mr. Williams, campaigning in Ashland on Thursday, could not be reached and efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.
Mr. Jacob said it's important for candidates to sign the pledges "because there are too many career politicians in Washington who talk about term limits but never do anything about it."
Mr. Lucas, the first to sign the pledge, said he "voluntarily" left the three local offices he has held -- Florence councilman, Boone County commissioner and Boone County judge-executive. "I've always had kind of self-imposed term limits," Mr. Lucas said. "And I'm not some Johnny-come-lately on this issue. When I announced my candidacy for Congress, term limits were at the forefront of my campaign.
"I want to make Congress a citizen legislature again, the way the founding fathers intended," he said.
Mr. Robinson said six years is enough time for him to achieve his agenda in Congress.
"I sat down with my wife, Linda, when we were making the decision for me to run and decided that three terms was plenty. I don't want to miss my children's teen-age years by being in Washington," said Mr. Robinson, who has three young children.
"If the people of the Fourth District return me to Congress, I will serve my three terms and come home and continue public service in the community, but not necessarily public office," he said. Mr. Robinson, an attorney, often lectures on youth sports and coaching youngsters. "I may just want to do more of that and not stay in politics."
Mr. Kidney said he signed the pledge "because there are too many fat cats in Congress."
"We need people who don't lose touch with reality and who worry too much about raising money for their next campaign and not the people and communities they were elected to serve," Mr. Kidney said.
"People don't want to elect career politicians," he said. "They want public servants who are the voice of the average person. And it seems the more somebody is in Congress the less they think about that."
