Grover Norquist's Alarming Control of the Republican Party

Photo from www.welt.de

Ham on Wry has been tracking information about Grover Norquist for a future blog, and the time has come to write it.  To use a favorite sentence typing teachers used for student practice, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country."  Norquist has headed Americans for Tax Reform since 1986, but Grover Norquist's Quest for Aggrandizement Support would be more a more apt name for the group.

Norquist's mission should send the American public into a state of panic, and two situations arose this week to make that case.  The first occurred, Wednesday, November 16th, when Patriotic Millionaires visited Capitol Hill to advocate for a tax hike on those earning over $1 million.  Norquist gave them the following advice: "If you think the federal government can spend your money better than you can, then by all means pay more in taxes than you owe. The IRS should have a little line on the form where people can donate money to the government, just like the tip line on a restaurant receipt.” His smug, sarcastic comments typify his supercilious attitude toward anyone he feels beneath his level of intelligence, which pretty much means everyone except Grover Norquist.

The second occasion spurred Ham on Wry to move this post to critical status.  60 Minutes aired a segment last night in which Steve Kroft interviewed Norquist.  That interview should sound a wake-up call to all sentient citizens.  Norquist has successfully badgered almost every Republican member of Congress, 279 in all, to sign a pledge stating that they will never vote to raise taxes on anyone, under any circumstances.  The Speaker of the House, the Senate Minority Leader, and the six Republican Members of the Super Committee have all signed that pledge.  Never?  Ham on Wry deplores that pledge and the man who conceived it.  He'd like us to return to the beginning of the 20th Century with respect to taxes.  No wonder the Super Committee can't do its job.

What we have here is a megalomaniac who wields a level of power akin to that of a dictator.  If Republicans either rescind their signature or fail to sign the pledge, Norquist will gather his forces to make certain that they don't survive a re-election effort.  His insufferable smile depicts the self-satisfied, superior attitude of a man who has become "a legend in his own mind."  Republicans who buckle to his pressure are wimps and not worthy of making laws for this country.  Norquist spoke of weakening the Republican brand if total agreement to the pledge doesn't happen.  Ham on Wry grows weary of the term branding.  He really means that it weakens their targeted manipulation of voters and his power to control the Republican Party.  Political parties should comprise a range of beliefs, not a single-minded effort to achieve something that makes little sense, unless you have great wealth and want more at the expense of the majority of the country's citizens.  Norquist has revealed himself to be entirely self-serving.  He hides behind his non-profit and demands of others what he won't do himself.  He will not reveal the list of contributors to his organization.  I wonder why?  I leave readers to draw their own conclusions.