"... or when I was a United States senator"

"I'm surprised at how finely calibrated every single word was measured. I wasn't saying anything I hadn't said before, that I didn't say a year ago or when I was a United States senator," said Obama, who is still a senator from Illinois.

The past-tense is appropriate, and for McCain, too. Neither has done any senatorizing for over a year. That is not right. Both should step down from the U.S. Senate if they want to be president, or not run at all.

If it takes a constitutional amendment, start circulating the papers. A limit on time away from the job is needed. If they exceed it for any reason, fire them.