The Bums Throw Themselves Out

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AT THE RATE THEY'RE FLEEING CAPITOL HILL, LAWmakers may make the term-limits movement obsolete. Already, 47 members have said they will quit the House at the end of this term, and 11 have been thrown out in primary elections; the exodus is the largest since 49 House members left voluntarily in 1978. A few say they are leaving because recent scandals have driven public regard for Congress to a new low. Throw in the effects of redistricting, and up to one- third of the 435 House members may be newcomers in November.

Seven Senators have announced they will not seek re-election, including North Dakota Democrat Kent Conrad, who said he would pack it in after a single term if the deficit had not been reduced; he was as good as his word. The latest: Colorado Democrat Tim Wirth, also quitting after one term. Like New Hampshire Senator Warren Rudman, who bailed out last month, Wirth cited his frustration over deadlock and partisan bickering on Capitol Hill. But like many fellow incumbents, he may also have foreseen a tough re-election campaign. In 1989 Wirth sought to ease restrictions on junk-bond trading; his opponents point out that the bankrupt investment firm Drexel Burnham Lambert -- which specialized in junk bonds -- contributed $41,000 to Wirth's campaigns.