Tax Showdown Shows Cracks in Anti-Tax Idealogy: Awesome.

I don't often defend the scruples of Republican lawmakers, but I am going to throw my full (blog-powered) support behind Tom Coburn (R-OK) against the idiocy of Americans for Tax Reform and Grover Norquist.

The freshman Congressional class of 2011, plus 40 Republican Senators, signed Norquist's "taxpayer protection pledge" to oppose any effort to increase taxes on individuals or corporations, and if such move is necessary, to make sure that it includes a cent-for-cent cut in taxes. Tom Coburn, deficit-hawk extraordinaire and sitting member of the "Gang of Six," has decided that "increased revenues" (tax increases) were a necessary part in reducing the national debt without endangering the economic recovery.

Uh-Oh...

So, Norquist shot back and said that Coburn lied to the American people and his constituents in Oklahoma (North Texas) by violating his anti-tax pledge.

Cold...

Coburn responded by saying that his pledge to the Constitution and the American people trumps any "pledge from a special interest group that who claims to speak for all American conservatives when, in fact, they really don't."

That's gotta hurt....

This kind of back-and-forth shows promise. It also reinforces my Blue State leaning. When I ascribed to a slightly-left progressive ideology, I found it rewarding because it allowed me to understand all colors of the political spectrum, appreciate their perspective and possibly integrate some of their ideals. I was allowed to be politically fluid without feeling alienated because of the prevalence of one extreme or another.

The Norquist pledge represents a political litmus test - a toxic, divisive strategy that impedes progress. If a signatory deviates in any way, he/she is seen as a traitor to the American people and their constituents. When did conforming to a single ideology become the yard stick of political loyalty? More importantly, who gives a crap about what a single-issue, special interest group thinks? Norquist represents the worst of politics.

There is also something that Norquist is ignoring - the debt. Coburn and the rest of the Gang of Six (Chambliss-R, Crapo-R, Warner-D, Durbin-D, Conrad-D) have a clear understanding that any debt reduction strategy cannot endanger the recovery. This means a balance of spending cuts, entitlement reform and yes...increased revenues. Dick Durbin (D-IL) is a veteran Democrat, and he has admitted to seeing the light of compromise and integrating the ideas of the Republicans on the panel. At the same time, Coburn, Crapo and Chambliss are considering revenues and eliminating tax loopholes in the final debt reduction plan. This is a far-cry from the anti-tax Norquist and the unpopular medicare/medical/entitlement-tax break/screw the poor and elderly plan of Paul Ryan. This is compromise I can believe in.


For reference, Republicans who HAVE NOT signed the Norquist pledge are:

Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Thad Cochran (R-MS), John Barrasso (R-WY) and John Hoeven (R-ND).