As the work of the debt-reduction Super-Committee approaches its climax (or anti-climax) next week, the oversized role of tax lobbyist Grover Norquist has dominated the conversation, including this page one story in today's Washington Post, which confirms that a growing, bipartisan collection of Members of Congress is backing away from the Norquist "no-tax" pledge.
There are two themes among the statements by Senators and Representatives who are running from Grover. The first is that the Norquist pledge -- often signed by candidates, now Members, many years ago in the course of a heated political campaign -- is not currently binding. As Representative Rob Andrews (D-NJ) colorfully put it, "I never considered it to be like my marriage vows. I'm married to Camille Andrews, not Grover Norquist." Smart decision.
The second, even more powerful, refrain, is that the oath to the Constitution required of every public official trumps any special interest pledge. Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID) led an effort a couple of weeks back that produced this remarkable letter signed by 100 Members of Congress, including 37 Republicans who had previously signed the Norquist pledge, calling for all options, including increased revenue, to be on the table in the Super-Committee negotiations. In explaining his rejection of the Norquist pledge, Simpson said it plainly: "The only pledge I take anymore is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. That's the pledge every member takes when he gets sworn in and that's the pledge you oughtta be concerned about."
Talking about the buyer's remorse building against Norquist and his pledge, Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who also serves on the Super-Committee, said, "That should be a lesson to all of us. The only pledge should be to the Constitution of the United States."
He's right and this "put the Constitution first" message is gaining steam. That's why today, Constitutional Accountability Center, the public interest law firm I direct, has sent a message to the offices of every Member of Congress who has signed the Norquist pledge to ask those Members two specific questions:
(1) Do you currently feel bound by the anti-tax pledge held and enforced by Grover Norquist's organization, Americans for Tax Reform?(2) Do you believe that your Oath of Office to support the Constitution trumps Mr. Norquist's pledge and any other special interest pledge?
This morning we also delivered to the Washington, D.C. offices of Americans for Tax Reform more than 13,000 letters from people across America telling Norquist that he should acknowledge that the oath of office Members of Congress swear to the Constitution trumps his pledge.
We hope that every Member of Congress, and Grover Norquist himself, will affirm that the Constitution must always come first. At the very least, the public servants who have signed his pledge need to answer these very simple questions.
There is a lot riding on this. If public officials can't make a simple declaration that the Constitution comes first, then the Republic itself is in serious jeopardy.
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Join thousands of Americans in telling Grover Norquist to knock it off and put the Constitution first, by going to www.gridlockgrover.com today.
Follow Doug Kendall on Twitter: www.twitter.com/myconstitution
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Grover Norquist and people like him are why I'll never vote for a Republican in my life, they're all about money and power and could care less about others.
The problem is - republicans absolutely believe in the nonsense they signed and their talking points bear this out. They believe that if we raise taxes on the "jobs creators" they will not create jobs. While the truth the refuse to admit is that with taxes at their lowest levels in 80 years there has been almost zero job creation.
The historical record indicates that marginal income tax rate changes have little impact on job creation or employment.
* During the 1970's, marginal income tax rates were far higher than subsequent periods and the U.S. created 20.6 million net new jobs.
* During the 1980's, marginal income tax rates were lowered and the U.S. created 19.5 million net new jobs.
* During the 1990's, marginal income tax rates rose and the U.S. created 18.1 million net new jobs.
* From 2000-2010, marginal income tax rates were lowered and the U.S. created only 2.2 million net new jobs, with 9.2 million created 2000-2007 and 8.5 million lost from 2007 - 2009 during the recession.
From 1930 to 1980, The United States came out of the great depression, enacted Social Security, fought and financed our successful World War II effort, built the Interstate Highway System, enacted Medicare and went to the moon. This was all accomplished within a total national debt of less than $1 trillion.
This was also accomplished with maximum tax rates of between 70% to 94% for the very rich.We were a great nation accomplishing great things! We also had 13 billionaires.
Since 1980, a drastic tax reduction experiment was initiated by the GOP, with maximum income tax rates cut from 70% to 50% to 30%.
The results of this 30 year "experiment" are in, and they are ugly! The national debt has increased to more than $15 trillion, the Bush (the lessor) economic collapse was felt worldwide,
unemployment is above 9% and the recent debt ceiling fiasco was a national embarassment. The only notable U.S. accomplishment since 1980 was the creation of another 400 billionaires.
The cause-and-effect relationship between tax cuts for the very rich and the national debt crisis should be obvious.
And, the debt crisis fix should be equally obvious, unless you are a republican!
Second, even the Treasury Secretary of Ronald Reagan stated that the Laffer curve was "laughable" and did not work - just as the the entire idea of supply side economics did not work. It was the never ending spending of Reagan (increasing the national debt by 189%) that increased the tax base and tax income levels - not "cutting taxes".
And next, when it comes to war, a simple rule!
Want to have a war? PAY FOR IT! Raise EVERYONE'S taxes. Have all Americans shoulder the burden! Pass a law that ALL wars must be financed by increased taxes, specifically called a WAR TAX! Include full benefits for returning veterans in all financing! Then, see how quickly we give up fighting unnecessary wars of choice!
Grown men and women look for a way to stop bullying by Grover Norquist.
Grover Norquist isn't the only one trying to destroy our democracy.
Maybe someone needs to look into the money trail?
The pledge is a transparent political ruse. Nothing more. If politicians think they can generate donations and/or votes by signing a pledge, they'll sign the pledge.
Ultimately the pledge means only as much as the integrity of those who signed it. If they signed it with their fingers crossed behind their backs, then you get what you get.
Norquist is a bully and those who allowed themselves to be bullied are basically wimps. I don't like voting for wimps, and the American voter should look at this when they go to the polls in Nov 2012.