Is Grover Norquist "Dead Meat?"

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   Ralph Deedsposted 12 years ago

   "Is Grover Finally Over? Frank Bruni in the NY Times
   
   " ...Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina dissed Norquist on ABC’s “This Week,” saying that “when you’re $16 trillion in debt, the only pledge we should be making to each other is to avoid becoming Greece.” On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Representative Peter King of New York also stressed that the country’s current fiscal woes trumped vows made in less debt-ridden times, and over on “Fox News Sunday,” Senator John McCain signaled a receptiveness to new revenue, another dagger to Norquist’s dark heart.
   
   "All three Republican lawmakers were echoing previous comments of their own and of a small but significant cluster of colleagues, whose numbers continued to grow on Monday, when Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, appearing on CBS’s “This Morning,” pronounced himself “not obligated on the pledge.” It’s as if some spell has at long last been broken, and the formerly bewitched villagers are rising up to defy their evil overlord and insist on the possibility of life and even mirth without a deduction for corporate jets...."
   
   http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/opini … ef=opinion

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      Jillian Barclayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      We can hope!

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      AMFredenburgposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I hope so; I don't recall voting for Grover Norquist, ever. He's had way too much power for an unelected lobbyist, and he represents the bullying and blackmail that go on in politics.

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         TIMETRAVELER2posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I have thought for awhile now that he is a dinosaur who has outlived his time.  He has been a major hindrance to progress in America and good riddance.  Why the Reps EVER signed such a stupid pledge and stood by it all these years is beyond me, except for the fact that they were worried about their own wallets.  Norquist needs to go and so do politicians who put themselves ahead of their constituents.

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      Justsilvieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Let's hope so! Time for Congress to think for themselves, if they still know how to.

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         Uninvited Writerposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         True, and actually work for the people who put them in office.

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      LiamBeanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      There's a silver lining to this ca-ca colored cloud. Norquist has vowed to do everything in his power to "bring down" those who broke their pledge with him.
      
      The way I see it that means we put a small amount of concentration on the candidates he is willing to "kill-off" and put most of our efforts on their replacements. Those efforts being, of course, making sure none of them get enough votes to gain office.
      
      Legally of course, unlike Karl Rove's minions.

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      Ralph Deedsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      "GOP Pushback on Norquist Less Than Meets the Eye"
      
      "A handful of Republicans in Congress say they won't honor the Grover Norquist-led no-new-taxes pledge if it prevents a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. "Grover still swings a hammer," says one adviser. "There just aren't as many nails." But others think entitlements, not taxes, could be the sticking point."
      
      http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics … h-20121128

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   sabrebIadeposted 12 years ago

   Wow...when Lindsey Graham disses you...that's grim.

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   e-fiveposted 12 years ago

   No, Grover Norquist will be back with another attack. The Reagan myth will not die an easy death.

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      Ralph Deedsposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You're probably right:
      
      Grover Norquist's Budget Is Largely Financed by Just Two Billionaire-Backed Nonprofits  (Lee Fang in "The Nation 11-27-12)
      
      "Grover Norquist’s iron grip over much of the Republican Party is somewhat puzzling. Why should Senators and other lawmakers listen to a guy caught laundering money for Jack Abramoff?
      
      "But consider Norquist’s tax pledge and political power another way: that he’s just a proxy for the powerful interest groups that finance him. In the nineties, it was big tobacco that used Norquist’s tax pledge as a cover to lobby lawmakers against cigarette taxes (Norquist still uses an e-mail system donated to him by Altria to send out Tea Party action alerts against tobacco taxes). Now, big PhRMA and other industry groups provide grants to Norquist in exchange for his foundation’s endorsement on other giveaways, like a protectionist support against importing cheaper drugs from Canada and the classification of tax subsidies to refineries as “tax cuts” that must not be cut.
      
      "I took a look at the last available budget numbers for Americans for Tax Reform, Norquist’s group. Though they do not reveal their donors, we can coble together much of Norquist’s donors using foundations and other nonprofits that donate money to him.
      
      "The disclosures show that only two billionaire-backed groups have provided over 66 percent of Norquist’s funding:
      
      "• The Center to Protect Patients Rights donated $4,189,000 to Americans for Tax Reform in 2010, 34 percent of the group’s budget that year.
      
      "• Crossroads GPS donated $4,000,000 to Americans for Tax Reform in 2010, 32.46 percent of the group’s budget that year.
      
      "The Center to Protect Patients Rights is the foundation used by the billionaire clique led by the Koch brothers to distribute grants to allied groups. In 2010, wealthy moguls like Steve Bechtel of Bechtel Corporation and Steve Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group met behind closed doors to help lend money to these types of efforts.
      
      "Crossroads GPS is the undisclosed group run by Karl Rove. The only known donors are folks like Paul Singer, the “vulture” hedge fund king who benefits enormously from tax strategies like the carried interest loophole. Norquist’s pledge largely benefits billionaires like Singer and Schwarzman, who pay almost nothing in payroll taxes and likely pay a lower rate than their secretaries.
      
      "Like this article? Support this journalism with a $5 donation now."
      
      http://www.thenation.com/blog/171475/an … ailNation#

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