Home > News > Grover Norquist Predicts Anti-Tax Pledge Will Keep Republicans on Top

Grover Norquist Predicts Anti-Tax Pledge Will Keep Republicans on Top

Reader Comments
Back to article

This is definitely blackmail of elected or about to be elected public officials, and I can't understand how this practice is legal and tolerated. This is not unlike fixing elections and needs to be stopped!

sammie of MT 8:27AM September 01, 2012

Any demogogue can promise no tax increases, and if elected can fullfill the promise. To take such a stank and stick with it is to hold to a position that the existing tax coe is fair and that the nation can ballance its budget leaving everything as it is. Its not onl a position of a demogogue, its childish on its face!!!

ewell reed of TX 2:49PM July 15, 2012

Now that the Michigan republicans in the state house who signed this pledge just voted on the largest tax hike ever in Michigan, TAXING retirees pensions does that mean that Norquist will no longer support these republicans for re-election? If not wouldn't that be hypocritical? Talking out of both sides of his mouth?
2 seconds ago · Like

Doug Grima of MI 4:29PM January 25, 2012

This is just one of the problems. Why would any elected official sign a pledge to do or not to do something in the future? Every issue should be voted on for its own merits and in its own time. This is insulting to all Amricans that believe we have any say at all over the elected (?) officials in Washington.

Caroline York of FL 1:16AM December 30, 2011

The republican tax pledge violates the oath of office to which they swore at the time they took ofice. The oath implies that the elected congress person will uphold the constitution which specified the elected congress to represent his constituants, not a party agenda ahead of the constituants.

Joe Becvar of SD 9:59AM December 07, 2011

SIGN MY PLEDGE AND WE WILL ALL GO TO HELL TOGETHER SIGNED GROVER ROLLOVER NORQUIST

CHARLES T. REGAN of NC 11:52AM December 02, 2011

In the old days, Pubs used to be rational about tax cuts. They used to say we should only raise taxes in times of war and in times of crisis. So much for that. For the Pubs tax cuts are the solution for everything, when times are good, when times are bad, when we are at peace, when we are at war, in times of surpluses and in times of deficits. It's ridiculous.
The only oath politicians should care about is the oath to serve the people.

Bobbarooni of HI 5:45PM December 01, 2011

Norquist is so blind in one eye. Monocular vision and power are very scary things in this guy's hands.

gooddoctor of FL 12:38AM December 01, 2011

Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform extract a pledge from conservative members of Congress not to vote for any kind of tax increase on penalty of having that fact publicized to conservative members of the electorate for the purpose of impairing the lawmakers' chances of reelection. It is amazing to me that members of Congress have allowed themselves to be subjected to such intimidation and outright blackmail for all these years. It is time for it to stop. Members of Congress have to be free to vote their consciences.
Sec. 22-3252 of the D.C. criminal code has an expansive description of the offense of blackmail that reads as follows:
Section 22-3252 Blackmail
(a) A person commits the offense of blackmail, if, with intent to obtain property of another or to cause another to do or refrain from doing any act, that person threatens:
(1) To accuse any person of a crime;
(2) To expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule; or
(3) To impair the reputation of any person, including a deceased person.
(b) Any person convicted of blackmail shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.
Consider how many Senators and Representatives have signed the pledge and/or have felt threatened by Norquist's threat to publicize the names of everyone who declines to sign it. That adds up to a lot of counts (and a large amount of potential fines and jail time), even if a short statute of limitations applies.
The beauty of seeking to prosecute Norquist and his organization for blackmailing Congress is that it does not require Congress to do anything. All that it needed is for a member of Congress (perhaps Sen. Tom Coburn and/or retiring Rep. Barney Frank?) to sign a complaint against Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform or for the D.C. D.A., to get a grand jury to indict him and his organization.

Dog Fennel of GA 11:45PM November 30, 2011