Grover Norquist: Arrested Development

Grover Norquist, founder and President of the lobbying group Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), famously came up with his notion of keeping politicians to a “no new taxes” pledge at the age of twelve while he was going door to door to get out the vote for President Nixon in 1968. By the time he was in Harvard, Norquist explained that “when I turned 21, I learned that no one learned anything about politics after the age of 21.” These two quotes say an awful lot about the man who thinks he’s keeping the Republicans hostage over a piece of paper some of them signed 20 years ago.

Grover Norquist has attempted to make signing the pledge de riguer, binding Republican politicians to it before they even take office to never raise taxes, which is in almost complete contraction to the oaths of office as spelled out in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, which states “The Congress shall have power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common defense and general Welfare.”

Grover had one idea over four decades ago, and hasn’t evolved since. He is the little boy who wanted to play at being a big politician but was never elected, an arrested development case who has refused to entertain any ideas he might have past the age when Americans are finally trusted to drink a beer.

Think that’s a bit harsh? Let’s look at the evidence.

Since the Presidential election, Norquist has claimed that Barack Obama won the election over Mitt Romney because liberals succeeded in calling Romney a “poopyhead.”

When media reports first surfaced that Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC), John McCain (R-AZ), and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) were walking away from the “no taxes” pledge that they had signed, Norquist refused to believe it, but instead felt that the reports were similar to reports running up to America’s bond downgrade, expressing the notion reporters were “turning in the same homework for the second time.”

When Rep. Tom Cole expressed the notion that Obama’s offer to return to the Bush Tax Cuts was “an early Christmas present,” Norquist responded that anyone thinking that the pledge was unfashionable was “an idiot,” and those who were flirting with the idea of raising taxes for any bracket were having “impure thoughts.”

Norquist has equated the signing of the pledge to a marriage pledge or mortgage contract- a notion that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) disagreed with on Meet the Press, stating “The fact is the speaker and the majority leader and the president are gonna be in a room, trying to find the best package. I’m not gonna prejudge it. And I’m just saying we should not be taking iron clad positions.”

This prompted Norquist to quip back “The pledge is not for life, but everybody who signed the pledge including Peter King who tried to weasel out of it, shame on him… I hope his wife understands the commitments last a little longer than two years.”

Norquist also revealed that when discussing Senator Graham’s change in attitude towards the ATR pledge he told Graham “Senator, you’re agreeing to a tax increase in exchange for a pink unicorn,’”

On Wednesday November 28th, as Norquist was under increasing scrutiny, he told the Huffington Post “Quote unquote, the Republicans who are open to tax increases, every one of them has sugar plum dancing fairies in their head.”

Finally, when Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) dared to publicly discuss his thoughts to walk away from the pledge, Norquist tweeted tetchily “Barney Frank, Alger Hiss or Tom Coburn? who said this? “I’m all for the very wealthy paying more taxes”.”

That’s right, Grover. Comparing an elected officer of the Senate to a convicted traitor and KGB agent or a gay, retired and well-respected Senator (because gay is still a pejorative in Grover’s mind one assumes) is completely called for when it comes to facing not only fiscal responsibility, but political reality.

Does this sound like the vocabulary of an adult in politics today, or someone who had one idea that they’ve been able to wring money out of for the past 20 years and now refuses to believe that the jig is up?

Early in the defection, it was noted by several news outlets that the GOP statesmen who were voicing their openness to walk away from the pledge were only Senators in safe seats, men who didn’t really need Grover Norquist’s money because their re-election bids were years away, but this is no longer true. As of press time, Representatives Peter King (R-NY), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Steve LaTourette (R-OH), Scott Rigell (R-VA), Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Tom Cole (R-OK) have also been vocal about no longer playing by the ATR’s rules.

There are two possible reasons for this defection; one would hope primarily these men are changing their tune because they realize that the GOP must bend if it’s to survive.

Digging in their heels over the Debt Ceiling was one thing; Republicans now know that losing that AAA bond rating really can happen, and sometimes politicians can lose their seats over such things.

When John Bohner, the Speaker of the House, says that Grover Norquist is just “some random person” then raising taxes are most certainly on the table. Republicans have learned this election cycle that even with a $900M war chest, elections cannot be won by donors alone- wealthy donors may have the money, but the Middle Class has the numbers to make votes count. That class spoke clearly when they re-elected President Barack Obama and ensured Democratic control of the Senate- there’s just not enough people in this country who bought that “job creators” bullshit.

Going over the Financial Cliff/ Curb/ Speedbump/ Taxmaggeddon or whatever you want to call it is quite another kettle of fish; if Republicans are seen to be obstructionist by causing all the taxes to be put on the table, then they really will have to separate themselves from the Tea Party and all that sweet, sweet, extremist money. The Republicans will be seen as the ones to blame for all tax rates to be reset, making it that much more difficult to carve out tax havens for wealthy donors; the donors with deep pockets tend to have long memories come the next election.

The second reason is far more in line with a fiscal reality- since the Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision, there are literally hundreds of PACs and SUPER PACs that are more than ready, willing and able to funnel money to politicians large and small.

In other words, they don’t need to toe your line any more, Grover. Your day in the sun is over. You are no longer one of the few belles of the ball in D.C. Just in case you’re still a little unclear, we’ll spell in out in the same infantile language that you seem comfortable with.

We hate to break it to you, but it’s over, Grover. Cooler kids with better toys have just shown up for a playdate, and the GOP want to hang with them now. I know you thought you would be King of the Castle forever, but sometimes these things happen- people and situations change. If you feel the need, by all means, go ahead and pack up your toys. Please feel free to tell all those meanie politicians who you thought were your friends because they did what you told them to do to go screw themselves because you’re going home. If you had to pay them for you to hang out with you, they weren’t really your friends in the first place.

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