Grover Norquist & His Protection Racket

Like so many Americans, I watch 60 Minutes on CBS every Sunday Night.  I find the program to be interesting, informative and generally without bias.  Last Sunday Night's report featuring Steve Kroft's interview with Grover Norquist was indeed interesting, informative and without bias.  I have been aware of Mr. Norquist's Americans For Tax Reform organization for years as well as his anti-tax pledge program.  The pledge reads, "a promise that they will never, under any circumstances, vote to raise taxes on anyone". 

Watching the program and listening to Steve Kroft's questioning was all fine and good until the very end of the program when the look on Grover Norquist's face told the whole story.  He smiled directly at the camera and smiled the smile that only cats smile after eating the canary.  At this point I became angry and decided that this one man has indeed created the very protection racket that Steve Kroft asked him about during the interview.  CBS reported that there have been 279 signatories to the anti-tax pledge, all republicans.  The six republican members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction had all signed the anti-tax pledge. 

Mr. Norquist, who has not been elected to any office today or at any time, clearly has significant control over the representatives that sit in elected office.  He made it crystal clear throughout his interview that his organization would make a point to let the people of a representative's district know that their elected official had voted yes to a raise, any raise, in taxes.  Classic protection racket stuff.  Later in the 60 Minutes piece, Steve Kroft spoke with former United States Senator Alan Simpson .  Simpson, always outspoken and incredibly candid, made it clear that many republicans have "buyer's remorse" about signing the anti-tax pledge. 

Grover Norquist is the "keeper of the pledge" and is the one man holding all of the signatories accountable and frequently reminds them of their anti-tax pledge.  For the record, there has been not one republican vote for an increase in income taxes since 1990.  In fact, the only effort on taxes by the republican party has been to provide tax cuts, specifically during the Bush years.  The greater concern of this anti-tax pledge is that each republican candidate for the Presidency has signed this pledge with the exception of John Huntsman. 

Simply put, each of the republican candidates seeking our nation's highest office are beholding to one man and his organization's wishes.  No taxes ever.  For any reason.  My question is how can one of these men or women running for office have their hands tied in such a fashion.  It is incredibly unacceptable for our President to have any option, including taxes, off the table when they are managing our nation. 

Like everyone else, I am not in favor of any additional taxes.  I find the ones we have to be onerous and difficult on a personal level to manage.  However, I am unable to fathom why I would not want my President to have the capability to request Congress for a tax hike should we absolutely need one.  What about a national emergency?  What about war?  What about where we're at right now where we are spending money that we do not have.  To me, this is beyond reason and frankly, if I was President Obama's team, I would hammer away on this very issue throughout the campaign.  Not that I want to raise taxes but under no circumstances would my opponent be allowed to because of this silly pledge. 

The Republican Party had better wake up.  They had better have a anti-tax pledge burning party on the Capitol steps and renounce Grover Norquist and his protection racket.  If I was one of the republican candidates running for the Presidency, I would renounce it at the next debate and make it clear that I am not beholding to anyone.  If I was John Huntsman I would pronounce it loud and clear that I didn't sign such a pledge and no one seeking our nation's highest office should have.