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Primarily known as a leader of the [[term limits]] movement, Jacob ran U.S. Term Limits, the nation's most active term limits lobby, from its inception in 1992 until 1999, becoming the movement's leading voice. Jacob helped citizens in 23 states place limits on their congressional delegations, prompting columnist Robert Novak to call him "the most hated man in Washington." But on May 22, 1995, those state-imposed congressional term limits, encompassing nearly half the U.S. Congress, were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of ''U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton''. Today, 15 state legislatures, 36 governors and thousands of local officials, including those in nine of the country's ten largest cities, are under term limits. Jacob remains active as a board member and a senior fellow of U.S. Term Limits. | Primarily known as a leader of the [[term limits]] movement, Jacob ran U.S. Term Limits, the nation's most active term limits lobby, from its inception in 1992 until 1999, becoming the movement's leading voice. Jacob helped citizens in 23 states place limits on their congressional delegations, prompting columnist Robert Novak to call him "the most hated man in Washington." But on May 22, 1995, those state-imposed congressional term limits, encompassing nearly half the U.S. Congress, were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of ''U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton''. Today, 15 state legislatures, 36 governors and thousands of local officials, including those in nine of the country's ten largest cities, are under term limits. Jacob remains active as a board member and a senior fellow of U.S. Term Limits. | ||
Jacob is a senior | Jacob is a senior advisor at [[Sam_adams_alliance|The Sam Adams Alliance]], which produces his "Common Sense" radio and [[Internet]] commentary program. | ||
Jacob also serves as president of Citizens in Charge, a group he started in 2001, dedicated to expanding [[Initiative and referendum]] rights to more states. | Jacob also serves as president of Citizens in Charge, a group he started in 2001, dedicated to expanding [[Initiative and referendum]] rights to more states. | ||
Revision as of 18:41, 25 May 2007
Paul Jacob (1960 - ) is an activist, organizer, and advocate for legislative term limits, initiative and referendum rights, and limited government. He writes a weekly column for Townhall.com and his short radio commentary feature, "Common Sense," is syndicated to over 120 radio stations around the U.S., as well as presented on the Web and distributed by e-mail.
Primarily known as a leader of the term limits movement, Jacob ran U.S. Term Limits, the nation's most active term limits lobby, from its inception in 1992 until 1999, becoming the movement's leading voice. Jacob helped citizens in 23 states place limits on their congressional delegations, prompting columnist Robert Novak to call him "the most hated man in Washington." But on May 22, 1995, those state-imposed congressional term limits, encompassing nearly half the U.S. Congress, were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton. Today, 15 state legislatures, 36 governors and thousands of local officials, including those in nine of the country's ten largest cities, are under term limits. Jacob remains active as a board member and a senior fellow of U.S. Term Limits.
Jacob is a senior advisor at The Sam Adams Alliance, which produces his "Common Sense" radio and Internet commentary program.
Jacob also serves as president of Citizens in Charge, a group he started in 2001, dedicated to expanding Initiative and referendum rights to more states.
Jacob first came to political prominence, in the early 1980s, as a draft registration resister. His crusade against forced military service and for the all-volunteer army was featured in Rolling Stone. In 1985, after being convicted of violating the Selective Service Act, he served five months in federal prison, longer than any American draft resister since the Vietnam War.
Later, Jacob served on the National Committee of the Libertarian Party and then in 1987 and 1988 as the party's national director. In 1988, he worked to put Ron Paul on the ballot for president as a Libertarian, achieving ballot status in 47 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam.
Because Jacob emphasizes institutional and procedural reforms, his libertarian philosophy appears more centrist than either Left-libertarian or rightist. Though often writing from a background of cultural conservatism, his frequent criticisms of what he regards as Republican Party "excesses" distances his writing from that of most other columnists usually defined as "on the right".
Frequent targets of his commentary include Republicans known for their porkbarrel spending, such as Senator Ted Stevens, and both Democrats and Republicans who support campaign spending regulations, such as Senators Russ Feingold and John McCain. Paul Jacob has repeatedly argued that the McCain-Feingold law, and all similar campaign finance reform measures, are clear violations of the First Amendment.