Grover Norquiest Fights for Survival

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Nov. 26, 2012
All Rights Reserved.                                         

       GOP Party Boss 56-year-old Grover Norquist fights for his survival as the nation careens toward the so-called “fiscal cliff.”  Founding Americans for Tax Reform in 1985 during the throws of the Reagan Revolution, Norquist became famous for his “Tax Payer Protection Pledge” AKA the “No Tax Pledge,” where he claims in 2012 over 95% of House and Senate Republicans subscribe to his pledge.  Norquist became the ideological surrogate for the late President Ronald Reagan whose two terms were based on across-the-board-tax cuts.  “No one is caving,” said Norquist in response to reports that key Senate Republicans are ready to sign off Grover’s “No Tax Pledge.”  Faced with soaring budget deficits, a consensus builds in the Senate to seek more tax revenue from the wealthiest taxpayers, something Norquist and his minions in the House and Senate have refused to do. 

            Norquist and his devotees in the House have insisted that the only way to reduce the deficit is to slash popular government entitlement programs, hurting struggling taxpayers currently dependent on government help.  When Norquist says, “no one is caving,” he’s referring to blind loyalty of House and Senate Republicans, fearful if they violate Grover’s pledge, he’ll lobby them out of office.  Norquist expects blind loyalty in Congress, whether or not the U.S. economy falls off the “fiscal cliff” into a double-dip recession.  One of the few Supply-Side zealots left from the Reagan years, Norquist sees his “No Tax Pledge” as a kind of religion.  Whatever reputable economists say about what’s best for the U.S. economy isn’t important to Grover:  Only whether members of Congress sign on to his pledge.  “I will violate the pledge,” Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) told ABC’s “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos.

            Norquist’s threats to members of Congress have been well documented as a kind of Mafia-like protection racket.  Either sign my pledge or I will hound you out of office is the kind of stiff-arm tactics used by Grover.  Norquist’s not concerned about the economy “caving,” he’s only concerned with gratifying his Titanic-sized ego.  His Supply-Side theories have been roundly discredited, especially given that Reagan quadrupled the U.S. budget deficit while in office [1981-1989].  “For 20 years Democrats have tried over and over to trick Republicans into breaking the pledge.  It hasn’t happened.  This isn’t my first rodeo,” said Norquist, displaying the kind of cosmic arrogance leaving GOP members of Congress intimidated.  “The only pledge we should be making to each other is to avoid becoming Greece.  And Republicans should put revenue on the table,” said Graham, defying Grover.

            Conservative Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss also signaled he’s signing off Norquist’s “No Tax Pledge.”  “I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge,” said Chambliss.  Even ultraconservative New York Congressman Peter King put Norquist on notice he’s no longer abiding by the pledge.  “I agree entirely with Saxby Chambliss,” King said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”  “The world has changed and the economic situation is different,” said King, telling Norquist that his “No Tax Pledge” is obsolete.  After winning his second term with an Electoral College landslide, President Barack Obama expects House Republicans to yield on increasing taxes 3% on taxpayers earning over $250,000 a year.  “The people who have made a commitment to their constituents are largely keeping it,” Norquist told ABC News, forgetting very few House constituents are rich.

            Norquist’s zeal leaves House Republicans confused about whether his “No Tax Pledge” is a winning election strategy.  If the “No Tax Pledge” were really such an election winner, why did Obama handily win reelection?  House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) understands what it means for Obama to win reelection.  He gets that a majority of voters endorsed Barack’s plan to raise taxes on the rich.  “I think we’ll continue the tax cuts.  Not raise $500 billion.  Obama made the correct decision [by extending the Bush tax cuts] two years ago,” said Norquist, yielding no ground on raising taxes on the rich.  Norquist can’t explain why Obama won reelection so handily promising to raise taxes on wealthy taxpayers.  Grover hopes his main protégé in the House, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) remains inflexible, refusing to raise taxes on any income bracket.

            After losing two consecutive presidential elections by wide margins, the GOP must decide whether its loyalty lies with Grover Norquist or fixing a broken Republican Party.  Norquist’s rigid “No Tax Pledge” has sacrificed two national elections and driven Congressional approval ratings to under 20%.  Post-election polls show that mainstream voters aren’t wed to Norquist’s right wing ideology but instead want elected officials to solve problems through consensus with the opposing party.  As elected officials stare down the “fiscal cliff,” they need less partisan zealotry and more consensus-building to fix the nation’s struggling economy.  Watching Norquist flail aimlessly on the tax issue and drag down the Republican Party shows how little regard Grover has for anyone but himself.  GOP Senators like Graham and Chambliss got it right:  The country comes before Grover Norquist.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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