Yuri Gripas / Reuters
Anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist’s appeal in conservative circles appears to be simmering, as a growing number of the latest crop of rising Republican stars has openly declined signing "The Pledge."
Americans for Tax Reform, headed by Norquist, has witnessed an almost prolific hold on Republicans in Congress, exerting a proxy influence on legislation that sent lawmakers flocking in support just to earn the stamp of approval as certified genuine conservatives. Mitt Romney first signed the pledge in 2006.
In what was once seen as an election-season prerequisite for any Republican running for national office, signing the Americans for Tax Reform pledge -- Norquist’s contract locking-in lawmakers to “resist any effort” to raise taxes -- isn't as much a requirement.
Of the roughly 84 up-and-coming candidates recently handpicked for the National Republican Congressional Committee’s four “Young Guns” cliques, 39 have either declined or have yet to pledge allegiance to Norquist. Compare that to the six sitting House Republicans, out of 242 total, who have held off signing "The Pledge."
“On more than one occasion, I watched members of the media say that House Republicans will not vote for any tax increases because they signed,” Joe Coors, a Young Gun Republican competing in Colorado, wrote in a letter to Norquist. “To me, this claim is backwards: House Republicans are not against tax increases because they signed your pledge; they are against tax increases because higher taxes harm the overall health of the economy.”
But now, even rank and file Republicans are shirking on their anti-tax commitments, weary of the looming ledge of the fiscal cliff. "We are so far in debt that if you don't give up some ideological ground, the country sinks," South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham told ABC's Jonathan Karl.
And the pledge is not simply an empty promise. When news surfaced that Young Gun and former California state legislator Abel Maldonado had violated the pledge when delivering the critical vote in 2009, passing his state’s budget that effectively raised taxes, Norquist went on a public-shaming campaign to discredit Maldonado, awarding him his organization’s first-ever “Richard Rich Backstabber Award.” (Yes, that is actually what it's called.)
Time has not since healed Norquist’s sense of betrayal. “Abel Maldonado is a tax hiking Republican and voters should pay close attention to his record,” Norquist said in a statement last month in efforts to derail Maldonado’s 2012 congressional campaign.
Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va., who joined the wave of GOP freshmen to latched onto the pledge in 2010, has since distanced himself from the contract’s main tenant, and offers similar advice to aspiring candidates.
"My advice and counsel to 'Young Guns' would be to not sign the Americans for Tax Reform pledge," he told The Huffington Post.
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It is good that at least one republican wised up and decided not to sign that stupid pledge. Agreeing to stick to that pledge is like agreeing to not govern the country and decide it is ok to run it into the ground.
I agree, LaRoice. The people that signed that tax pledge should be resworn into office. And warned about the danger of that tax pledge being more important than our country.
I am as a lifetime voting Republican not anymore, trying to figure out why anyone and especially someone I have voted for could accept what this man Norquist has suggested? Who is he did I elect him what made him such an expert? Scary and I am disgusted with my former party here in Ga. can no longer vote for any of these idiots now? Those who do not see this is no longer the real Republican party are being blinded by Conservative radio and Fox news and I use to be one of them?
Ditto.
Norquist's pledge is responsible for raiding $2.5 trillion from the Social Security trust fund and borrowing an additional $1 trillion from China to fund wars in Asia.
If brains are required for headaches, then Norquist must be totally free of pain from the neck up.
The only way Republicans will allow jobs to be created is through military funding, which is pointless because the only way to fight a war is to borrow more money from China.
That won't work because China has no money to lend.
China has no money to lend because their population reduction program is slowly collapsing the real estate and banking industry by creating millions of abandoned dwellings.
I believe that no elected official should be allowed to sign a pledge to any individual or entity. Once they sign that pledge they corrupt themselves and the process; they no longer represent "We the People" but rather represent "Them the People".
CBS News asked Grover, a while back, just how small he wanted Government. He said'Small enough to drown in his bathroom." This is the son of a RICH Guy...like of like Mitt, I dress up in a Michigan state trooper Uniform and play cop while i ride my prancing pony, Romney. The Bible reminds us 'The Love of money is the root of ALL evil.
One can't help but wonder what Reagan would have done if Norquist had been doing this during his political era. Republicans and some conservatives are constantly idolizing him as one the greatest presidents we ever had...the fact that he enacted multiple legislation that amounted to tax increases in the years following his '81 tax cut not withstanding. He also accelerated an increase in the payroll tax rate ('83) and reduced many tax shelters and tax breaks ('86).
However, with the current climate of the GOP, it's quite probable that he would be scornfully labeled as a "RINO" by today's conservative measuring stick users for his tax policies.
I am not particularly one of RR's fans, but regardless what you may think of Reagan, I seriously doubt he'd have had any reluctance in telling Grover exactly WHERE he could stuff that tax pledge of his.
Pretty clearly you are not a fan of Reagan, any more than you are a fan of Norquist.
atr.org/federal-taxpayer-protection-questions-answers-a6204
Your history lesson is found in question number one of the FAQ.