The twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1951, limited U.S. presidents to two terms in office. But it’s time to change that, say MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough and former president Bill Clinton.
“I will guarantee you,” Scarborough said, that “we will get back to the office and we will be flooded with e-mails and responses on Twitter, people will say ‘Why can’t this guy run for president in 2012?’ And of course you can’t because Republicans didn’t want there to be another FDR back in the 1940s. But shouldn’t it though, shouldn’t a president be able to take two terms, take some time off and then run again? Shouldn’t Americans have that choice?”
Surprisingly, Clinton approved.
“Yes, I do. I believe that should be the rule,” Clinton said. “And I think as a practical matter, you couldn’t apply to anyone who has already served. But if going forward, I personally believe that should be the rule.”
Clinton explained that people are living longer now, pointing to former President Ronald Reagan and Sen. John McCain as examples of those who served — or could have served — in their later years without experiencing the sorts of health issues that ultimately sidelined former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Watch:
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