Menendez Recall

Senator Bob Menendez is facing a recall challenge from Tea Party voters in New Jersey.

RoseAnn Salanitri, a Branchville resident and organizer of the Tea Party group in Sussex County, today said the group believes Menendez votes for too many taxes....

"If you hire them, you should be able to fire them," she said.

All due respect to Salanitri for having the gumption to try this. And the NJ state constitution does have a recall provision for senators. But surely this kind of thing flies in the face of the U.S. Constitutional design of the upper house. The Senate is meant to be the slow-moving, deliberative body, with members serving six years precisely so that they will be less subject to the whims and vicissitudes of public opinion.

So, in fact, the founders specifically reject Salanitri's argument that if you hire them, you should be able to fire them. We give Senators a long-term contract. As a NJ voter, I'd be very happy to see Menendez go. But this is not the way.