Republicans Can’t Hide Behind Grover Norquist Any More
Republicans who signed Grover Norquist’s “No New Taxes” pledge — and that’s most of them — thought they had a nice safe shield to hide behind. “I can’t let the Bush tax cuts expire. Grover Norquist said so. My hands are tied. There’s nothing I can do.”
And now their protective shield has been yanked away. Grover Norquist has told the Washington Post that letting a temporary tax cut expire is not the same as a tax increase. He’s not in favor of letting the Bush tax cuts expire, obviously. But letting them expire would NOT be a violation of his No New Taxes pledge. His Republican minions are off the hook.
The Bush tax cuts are scheduled to expire in 2012. Allowing them to expire will save $4 trillion over the next decade. And now Republicans are no longer “required” to maintain these tax cuts.
A little awkward, no? If Republicans want to drain $4 trillion from the Treasury by making the tax cuts permanent, they’ll have to grow a pair, stand up and face the music and explain their “reasoning.” They won’t be able to keep saying “Grover Norquist made me do it.”
Sort of like a wannabe tough kid saying “I’d kick your ass, except my big brother is with me and he won’t let me get in fights.”
“Aw, that’s OK little bro, go ahead, you can fight him.”
Labels: Bush tax cuts, Grover Norquist, no new taxes, tax cuts expire
posted by Tom Harper @ 1:51 PM
9 Comments:
Why are the Republicans taking their tax orders from a sesame street character?
Since they talk nothing but trash, they ought to be following Oscar anyway
Erik
I think Grover has been getting many, many phone calls from nervous pals on Wall Street.
The damn cuts should have been allowed to expire in December. I am guessing things would already be improving, just like they noticeably improved after Clinton got the increases through Congress.
Unfortunately, Obama has the spine of a night crawler. A pity, that is.
Norquist evidently went back on MSNBC to explain he had been talking about a technicality. The implication is that any lawmakers on the right who want to vote for tax increases on a technicality will be remembered for doing that — and not with fondness.
Hey Erik, don't be disparaging the great and powerful Oscar by lumping him in with that yokel, Grover. Both of them.
Erik: I have no idea why Grover Norquist has such a stranglehold over so many politicians.
J: No doubt, Wall Street has been ringing his phone off the hook.
JR: My sentiments exactly. I was in favor of letting all tax cuts expire at the end of 2010. They can still let the cuts expire in 2012, but only if President Nightcrawler gets a spine.
SW: I'm sure it's only a technicality that the no-new-taxes pledge doesn't mean the Bush tax cuts can't be allowed to expire. But it still means Republicans can't wrap themselves in it and hide behind it like they've been doing.
Randal: A pox on Yokel Grover.
"I have no idea why Grover Norquist has such a stranglehold over so many politicians."
First, Norquist has clout with some deep-pockets Republican campaign donors. But the big thing is that his group goes into states and congressional districts to back primary challengers running against incumbent Republicans who don't walk a chalk line.
If you look up what happened to former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chaffee you'll see exactly why Norquist and his storm troopers are feared by Republican pols. Chaffee was the closest thing to a progressive Republican left. He actually crossed the aisle to work with Democrats, and sometimes voted with them on legislation relatively progressive Rhode Islanders supported. For example, women's right to choose and stem cell research.
In 2006, a Club for Growth-supported challenger ran against Chaffee in the GOP primary, despite the fact Chaffee had high approval ratings. Chaffee won, 53-47 percent. But the diviseness of the primary challenge eased the way for Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse to win the general election. Disgusted, Chaffee quit the GOP. He is now governor of Rhode Island, having run as an independent.
SW: Thanks for the info. I didn't know all that about Norquist.
I read recently that when he was in high school he wrote a report about taxes being oppressive, lower taxes are the answer to everything, etc. I think he comes from a wealthy family, so he's personally sheltered from the austerity he wants for everyone else.
Oh goody 4 more trillion to piss away.
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