November 16, 2011

GROVER NORQUIST: POLITICAL ENIGMA...AND ALSO AN IDIOT

The provocateur of the current fiscal change embargo. 
Phil McCarron has the same thought on his mine as most Americans do...who the f*ck is Grover Norquist?

I could easily answer this question with various and colorful four letter words.  However, that wouldn't fitting for a man of his stature.  No, he deserves a full, in depth, decimation, well within reason.  Writing a full report on the preposterous Grover Norquist would take me 70 years to complete.  And by that point arthritis would be the sole reason I couldn't continue, as it would make it psychically impossible to finish my report on the political enigma who's lobbying group is holding elected lawmakers hostage...with a piece of paper.

So what is this all about?

In 1985 Norquist founded a lobbying group called 'Americans For Tax Reform' with operates under the mantra of, ''oppose ALL tax increases as a matter of principle."  Sparing you all the mundane details of the entire history of this particular lobbying group, I'll cut right to the explain it's most prominent talking point.

The Pledge.

The Grover Norquist pledge is a document that is presneted to members of congress to sign that states, unequivocally, that they will NEVER, I repeat, NEVER consider any legislative bill that includes a raise in taxes. At this time it should be prudent to note that in Grover Norquist's entire span of life on this planet, he has never been elected to political office.  He has never been entrusted by a group of American citizens, through the process of a general election, to hold any measure of lawmaking power on Capitol Hill.  For some strange reason however, he holds a vast number Republican legislators in his narrow sighted, insanely biased, and ethically questionable grip.

To explain the impact his pledge has had, the following occurred at a GOP straw poll a few months ago.

The 8 GOP nominees were asked by the moderator if they would reject a 10:1 ratio of spending cuts to tax raises (favoring the cuts.)  All 8 replied with a definitive ‘yes.’

If there is no compromise, there is no democracy.  And the petulant members of the Republican Party residing in Norquist's pocket that prohibits raising taxes under any circumstances, should be considered undemocratic.

But the obvious question is yet to be asked.

Hundreds of Republican lawmakers at both the state and federal level have signed this pledge, some of which are now, for various reasons, wishing that they hadn't.  Yesterday in an ironic twist, Republican Senator Pat Toomey suggested a loophole in Norquist's pledge that would allow for Republicans that have signed the pledge to, in fact, raise taxes.

In short, the reason this is possible is because the current tax code (referred to as the Bush Tax Cuts) has an expiration date of early next year.  Since they are technically temporary measures, the actual rates as they sit under permanent law are at Clinton era levels.  Effectively, this means that the rates can be raised as long as they don't surpass the ones that have been undercut by the temporary Bush Tax Cuts.

Good news right?

I suppose it could be considered that.  However, I would be more concerned with the obvious solution that evaded the Republican party for so long, aside from the fact that they should have signed it in the first place.

Here it is...the simplest solution.  Are you ready?

F*ck Grover Norquist and f*ck his idiotic pledge!  As Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a news conference a few weeks ago in response to a question about Norquist, he responded "It's not often that I get asked a question about a random guy."

I find it incredibly perplexing that the most powerful individuals in the country, the people that have been elected to look out for the interests of 300 million Americans, have been held hostage for so long by just a 'random guy.'  It simply defies logic!  There was no need to find a loophole in his pledge, all that was needed was to call Norquist up and say "your pledge is undemocratic, and you're an idiot."

This wasn't a lawful contract, this wasn't a constitutional amendment, this wasn't a condition of employment that had to be met before the oath of office could be taken, this was a random guy with a piece of paper and a pen that has HALTED the entire US debate on fixing the deficit.

In short, the lunacy of elected Republican's to keep a promise (an ill advised and undemocratic promise) to ONE man is derogatory to the other 300 million Americans that elected these men and women to look out for the collective interests, not the warped ideology and fiscal irresponsibility of ONE man by the name of Grover Bloody Norquist.

Norquist advocates a 'Starve the Beast' fiscal strategy.  Sounds like a fun bit of word play.  However, it might be prudent to know that after a while a starved beast gets vicious and hostile due to mistreatment.  So I'd watch out for the Republican handlers of this beast, as they may end up getting bitten.

Figuratively of course.

The Bottom Line

If everyone had the mystical power that Grover Norquist, a random guy, has to press their own beliefs on tax reform upon members of congress...then we would have a democracy.  It isn't, and should never be about the sole opinion of one, but the general consensus of many.  That's what democracy is.  Not undermining 300 million Americans by holding the entire legislative branch hostage with an egregious pledge.

Article by: Phil McCarron