All Hail President Norquist

Filed in National by on July 22, 2011

All you political junkies are very familiar with Grover Norquist, the head of Americans for Tax Reform. He’s one of the mist powerful men in the country, mainly because he makes Republicans sign a ridiculous pledge to never raise taxes under any circumstance. 95% of Congressional Republicans have sworn their allegiance to Grover Norquist above that of the country. That’s why this was big news yesterday:

In other words, according to Mr. Norquist’s interpretation of the Americans for Tax Reform pledge, lawmakers have the technical leeway to bring in as much as $4 trillion in new tax revenue — the cost of extending President George W. Bush’s tax cuts for another decade — without being accused of breaking their promise. “Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase,” Mr. Norquist told us. So it doesn’t violate the pledge? “We wouldn’t hold it that way,” he said.

So now Republicans have permission to let the Bush tax cuts expire (they don’t have the power to stop this anyway). At first Norquist denied he said this but the WaPo had audio. ATR released a statement that they opposed letting the cuts expire. Interestingly, the statement didn’t dispute that letting them expire is not breaking the pledge.

I think it’s ridiculous and depressing that this unelected extremist is about to cause our country to go into default. But here we are, in 2011 – a post-factual world where a party gains by tanking the economy.

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Opinionated chemist, troublemaker, blogger on national and Delaware politics.

Comments (37)

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  1. jason330 says:

    I think President Norquist was just kidding..

  2. puck says:

    Obama is still the Best Democrat in America, until further notice:

    Yes, we should make serious spending cuts. But we should also ask the wealthiest individuals and biggest corporations to pay their fair share….

    If only he had stopped there. But he adds:

    … through fundamental tax reform.

    He could easily give away the title by botching “tax reform.”

  3. Jason330 says:

    To be to the right of Boehner and MCConnell, Obama is going to have to champion “the flat tax.”

  4. puck says:

    I was just musing how Obama is pushing Republicans to the right. It is hard work being to the right of Obama these days.

    The press helps too. I think Republicans were empowered when they called Obama a traitorous non-citizen socialist and didn’t suffer any negative repercussions.

  5. Jason330 says:

    To push back against those attacks would not have been moderate and bipartisan. He would not seem to be the bent over, pants down, adult in the room.

    Today’s Obama editorial in USA Today really takes the gloves off though.

    Both parties are exactly the same. Ronald Reagan was awesome…. Ya dah, ya dah Ya dah…

    Way to “take it to the people” BHO !!

  6. puck says:

    My takeaway from the editorial is that he is still holding out for revenue, while every other Dem is ready to roll over. Obama’s insistence on revenue is the only thing keeping this from being a done deal on Republican terms. That is why I call Obama the Best Democrat In America.

    In a way Norquist is doing Democrats a huge favor. As long as Obama insists on some revenue too, Obama can safely offer huge spending cuts with no chance they will be accepted. Norquist is giving Obama the cover he needs to be the “grownup,” which is winning over the Villager pundits and independents.

    That is why I found the editorial so hopeful. As long as Obama continues to hold out for revenue, there is still the chance for the balanced deal that will shatter the GOP. But the moment Obama caves on revenue, the momentum shifts back to Republicans.

    Closing loopholes now, plus expiration of tax cuts on the rich in 2012, will nearly rebalance taxes back to the levels needed for economic recovery.

    The risk is that “tax reform” will lower the top brackets and make the 2012 expiration moot.

  7. puck says:

    It is really hard for me to explain eleven-dimensional chess while you are being so negative. He’s just getting ready for THE REVEAL.

    For the moment I am taking him at his word. The President is calling for the rich to pay more taxes. I have to give him credit for that. It is rare among Dems nowadays.

    And believe it or not this is actually in response to your 10:40 comment.

  8. Jason330 says:

    Given Obama’s previous statements on the relative importance of spending cuts (FOR THE ECONOMY) vs. revenue – I don’t know how you can read so much into that editorial.

    If the best Democrat in America is so devoted to thoroughly discredited trickle down economics, then I don’t see his desire for “balance” is anything more than trying to placate some Dem Senators.

  9. puck says:

    President Obama – take this deal NOW!!! Before they change their minds!

    Although nobody from the White House nor House leadership will confirm any of the details of the Obama-Boehner deal, apparently one of the ideas is to link tax reform with the individual mandate: if tax reform isn’t implemented, the individual mandate would be repealed. According to Beutler, that idea has been pushed by Eric Cantor for several weeks now.

    Heads we win, tails they lose.

  10. Jason330 says:

    More trickle down from this morning’s town hall:

    8:10 AM PT: President Obama’s initial remarks are focused on the economy. He is focused on wanting more tax cuts and investments in infrastructure. It’s sort of ironic that he’d focus on these things in the context of a town hall about reducing deficit, which he says will drive the long-term health of the economy.

    …more tax cuts and investments in infrastructure!! Brilliant!

  11. Jason330 says:

    Puck, You got it backwards. it is a win/win for the R’s

    If they don’t increase taxes, they get rid of the individual mandate.

    They want both things and get both things.

  12. puck says:

    Nope. If they don’t do “tax reform” then taxes reset to Clinton levels in 2012.

    And if the individual mandate goes then there will be pressure for a public option.

    The bad thing about Obama’s tax reform is it will probably make the 2012 expiration moot.

  13. Jason330 says:

    One man’s “tax reform” is another man’s “we’re screwed.”

  14. puck says:

    Obama is deliberately conflating tax reform with revenue.

    Until proven otherwise, when Obama says “tax reform” I have to think he means the Gang Of Six proposal to reduce the top rate to 29%, which will somehow produce more revenue.

    Is it too soon to call it voodoo economics?

  15. socialistic ben says:

    duh. if you make rich people pay less taxes, they will feel compelled to just give it to the masses. Im running out of desperate excuses to continue supporting Obama.
    I keep having to go back to .. even though i understand he cant accomplish a progressive agenda with the terrorists…. i mean Teahadis …..wiling to destroy the country in order to make him look bad, i dont even see him fight.
    I have a question for the most ardent supporters. The folks who fight tooth and nail in support of Obama and who’s loyalty hasn’t wavered. Before this shit really hits the fan, what rationalization are you ready to use for not if, but WHEN he capitulates to the terrorists and forced the senate to pass a bill that is all cuts and no revenue increases? What do you do if he asks us to give up every position… even though we have a majority of the government, in order to appease vicious traitors who will never honor any “deal”?
    Only my sicken fear of a GOP controlled government and what that would mean for the SCOTUS will keep me from sitting out the next election. That’s it.

  16. Jason330 says:

    The answer will probably be that we failed to clap hard enough for Obama, and that we are just sore because we didn’t get single payer.

    My feeling about Obama now is that he was just not up to the job and (perhaps out of panic) took lots of really bad DC villager advice about owning “the middle” in the next election.

  17. Jason330 says:

    …and not as smart as I once thought, because how could anyone with a brain buy into the wholly discredited trickle down bullshit that he keeps promoting.

  18. donviti says:

    My feeling about Obama now is that he was just not up to the job and (perhaps out of panic) took lots of really bad DC villager advice about owning “the middle” in the next election.

    he took advice alright and it may have been from the village idiots. But, their advice came from Wall St.

    you do realize the DOW is knocking on 13,000 right? something Bush couldn’t come close to doing….

  19. Jason330 says:

    there is no equity in equities.

  20. donviti says:

    says the billionaire wiping his ass with a 100’s

  21. Jason330 says:

    If I was a billioniare I’d be taking my French passport and a stack of Euros out of my Zurich safe deposit box right now.

  22. donviti says:

    strike that off your bucket list too mon frair

  23. Turn on your TV. Obama’s taking it to Boehner right now.

  24. Boehner walked away from the talks again.

  25. cassandra_m says:

    And he’s telling the press not to make this a both sides do it story!

    Thanks for this heads up UI.

  26. “Can the Republicans say yes to anything?”

  27. cassandra_m says:

    Very good rant at the end.

  28. He masterfully stole St. Reagan, BTW. He also slammed radio hosts, columnists and pledges.

  29. cassandra_m says:

    Do you think that Boehner is someplace crying? Adding to that layer of rust he wears?

    If I see that press conference posted someplace I’ll post it up here.

  30. Boehner has a pres conference right now.

  31. Boehner said he has the same responsibilities as the President of the United States. No, he doesn’t.

  32. jason330 says:

    “It’s hard to understand why Speaker Boehner would walk away from this kind of deal,” Obama said. He asked about the Republicans: “Can they say yes to anything?”

    The Republicans promised President Norquist to not raise ANY revenue, and I guess that promise includeds calling EVERYTHING a tax increase.

  33. jason330 says:

    Once again I think Obama has the upper hand, but I doubt that he will use it.

  34. jason330 says:

    “A few minutes ago, the President stated he would raise the debt ceiling ON HIS OWN with authority granted from (possibly) the Senate -”

    Is that true? It is from a top kos diary.

  35. Yes he did, referring to the McConnell plan.

  36. jason330 says:

    Well I didn’t see OHB’s presser, but this comment from TPM speaks to me:

    “yeah, I was pretty impressed with his press conf. So I let him out of the dog house. but he’s still on probation. “

  37. cassandra_m says:

    He did note that he would sign a clean debt limit bill “if that was the best they could do”.