A Conversation with Grover Norquist
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-07-14/conversation-grover-norquist
Time is running out for Democrats and Republicans to negotiate to raise the federal debt ceiling. The U.S. will default on its loans in nineteen days, unless politicians reach agreement. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell warned the Republican brand could be “destroyed” if congress allows the government to default.. But many in his party have dug in against a compromise. And anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist is holding Republican lawmakers to the pledges his organization asked them to sign, opposing any tax increases. He joins Diane to discuss taxes, spending and debt negotiations.
Guests
Grover Norquist
president, Americans for Tax Reform
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
Not very specific is he?
Who is making that salary in the government? I have a job with the state in health care for children with disabilities and make less than half. I have a graduate degree as many of my friends and co workers do. Some of them have waiting jobs at night to cover their bills. The state is increasingly using contractors only so you make 50 thousand a year and are not applicable for benefits. Please comment!
The guest demonstrates the cowardice of ideology. He takes the bold steps of being against taxes and cutting other people's pay. Atta boy Grover, Talking point toadie.
Again Diane violates the spirit of free speech. Grover Norquist, a man whom perhaps if she knew more about, she would allow one of us at least to form that opinion that he is a "traitor." I was very interested to hear what that caller might have had to say. Once again, the "dr show" is the place to come only if you're willing to listen to censored material. Thanks so much, Diane, for providing this cretin your very broad platform. Your repeated question about whether there is "one department' he would eliminate is a stupid question, and gets stupider each time you ask it. What GN clearly wants to do is destroy the social contract built up over the last three quarters of a century. You should research the sources of this guy's support. Once you find out, bring him back and ask him some pertinent questions.
Ugh - I grew up in a Republican military family. Father a career army enlisted man - WWII and Korean war veteran. The only pledge my father took was to the USA - not a special-interest group who gets to dictate. He loved this country. Dad is rolling over in his grave - these are not Republicans.
error
This man never answered Diane's questions regarding what departments he would eliminate. Like so many other Republicans, he's great at pointing fingers, but solutions are another matter! As an African proverb says, "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
This man never answered Diane's questions regarding what departments he would eliminate. Like so many other Republicans, he's great at pointing fingers, but solutions are another matter! As an African proverb says, "if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
Diane is such an intelligent, quick critical thinker that she can politely expose the selfish, short-sided and specious core in Norquist's lofty, "bold" declarations. No need to draw rifle sites...
Now if only people would apply some critical thinking skills to what is blasting from other media outlets. My 17 year old daughter is incensed with how willing elected officials are to play with her future, and disgusted with the complete disregard for those in the populace who are struggling. 17...
I am surprise ti hear that this person wants to deregulate the sugar cane cutter process to have cheaper sugar. I come from a place where sugar cane is grown, and I can tell you that what you are proposing is dangerous. In my country people are getting sick because all the particles in the atmosphere that sugar cane burning produces. Off course sugar is cheaper this way, but society is paying the cost. Do you what that happening here to your fellow Americans?
It is refreshing to here a "conservative" agreeing to gay marriage and the right of a woman to choose to have an abortion. Yea for him focusing on citizens' right to independence and freedom of choice. Yea for him opposing government micromanaging our lives and telling citizens what they can and can't do.
What? That's not what he meant? My bad. He's right light bulbs are far more important a choice.
I am surprise ti hear that this person wants to deregulate the sugar cane cutter process to have cheaper sugar. I come from a place where sugar cane is grown, and I can tell you that what you are proposing is dangerous. In my country people are getting sick because all the particles in the atmosphere that sugar cane burning produces. Off course sugar is cheaper this way, but society is paying the cost. Do you what that happening here to your fellow Americans?
Bo Jones: Thanks for warning us not to listen to or vote for your "son."
You are correct that the big banks and insurance companies are going through our money like "firewater."
I am surprise hearing that this person wants to deregulate the sugar cane cutter process to have cheaper sugar. I come from a place where sugar cane is grown, and I can tell you that what you are proposing is dangerous. In my country people are getting sick because all the particles in the atmosphere that sugar cane burning produces. Off course sugar is cheaper this way, but society is paying the cost. Do you what that happening here to your fellow Americans?
Diane continually amazes me in that as a person with no college, she so easily turns people like Norquist into babbling idiots.
When Diane asked what kind of America Norquist envisioned, what departments he would cut, we heard how a man who has been at his "shrink government" game for 30 years has never actually thought about it.
It's pretty clear that Norquist is just a flack, a lackey, a stooge, for the uber-rich who just don't want to pay taxes, for whom Haiti is a model of the kind of good government that serves and protects it's rich citizens but demands nothing in return.
What does he mean by "mau maued" or is he saying ''Mao maoed"? The first refers to a Kenyan
rvolution and the latter chinese communism.
Thank you Diane, You hit the nail on the head.
Norquist like McConnell both have a goal to see democrats & Obama fail.
Norquist & "We" the TEA party wishes to make America, like Minneesota, ungovernable. We pay no taxes -- Bankrupt AKA Greece.
It is outright class warfare in this country. And apathetic citizens need to wake and get out the vote. “Let them (the poor) eat cake. ”
I, too, wanted to hear what the caller from SF who referred to Norquist as traitor... What is happening to this show? The other day someone was chided for changing his question after the call was picked up - the fellow had a valid point that I wanted to hear addressed. It's as if we're in an old school room being slapped on the wrist for being honest. Diane seems rather stressed and abrupt of late. What gives?
Since Mr. Norquist does not want the federal government telling people how to run their lives, I wonder if he's prepared to ask candidates for federal office to sign a pledge that they will never vote to abolish the right for an abortion or place any restrictions on that right.
The no tax pledge seems to me more like dogma than a practical position, and people seem to defend dogma regardless of facts/information to the contrary.
By having to raise the debt level to pay our debts, we have already defaulted on the national debt. Please do not lose sight of this fact. Lets get serious about this rampant spending.
I have to believe Mr. Norquist is doing what he feels is the next right thing.
I am dismayed by his comments, and his beliefs. Republican is not even the correct word to describe his beliefs; he is a radical. The Tea Party is not part of the Republican Party, it is its own new party.
I found Mr. Norquist answers to be evasive, and ommiting important information. To me omission is a form of lying.
If there is a winner and a looser in this battle, then the American people will be the untimate loosers. Speaking to one another, and compromising is the only answer.
Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
Shame on YOU, Nexcerpt. Name-calling is childish and inappropriate as well as ineffective. That applies to you as well as the caller. I loathe Grover Norquist too, but how can I dispute his thinking when I refuse to listen to what he actually has to say?!?
Mr. Norquist doesn't seem to understand the difference between an executive branch Department and the Offices, Agencies, Bureaus, etc. that make up each Department. There are no Departments within a Department. He seemed to have misunderstood some of Ms. Rehm's questions because of this. He may have some valid points, but he should probably learn the structural nomenclature of our federal system. I found him less credible because of this ignorance.
I just want to know what the conservatives want the local, state and federal governments to do and how do they want them to be paid for?
It is refreshing to hear a conservative agreeing with gay marriage and a woman's right to choose to have an abortion. Yea for him for discussing less government intervention in our lives! Yea for him for discussing the rights of citizens' to make decisions that are in his or her best interest.
What? That's not what he meant? My bad. On second thought, he's right light bulbs are far more important.
What do you expect? He couldn't even deal with a person of an opposing view sharing the air waves with him.
Grover's talking points seem reasonable at first, but are totally flawed.
First: I have three toilets that are WATER-SENSE meaning even more efficient than the government mandated 1.6 gallons-per-flush. They were not expensive. One is dual-flush 0.8/1.6 and the others are 1.28 gpf. They all flush JUST FINE, actually better than the old water-wasting ones. The government making people use efficient toilets WHEN THEY ARE JUST FINE, is not a problem, it is a good thing. He had to lie about the toilets being ineffective to make his point.
Second: there is nothing about low tax rates for the highest incomes that has anything to do with the issues of civil liberties and freedom that he talks about. A multimillionaire taking home less of his pay does not impact his liberties whatsoever.
Mr. Norquist is a small-minded idealogue. Simple as that. He is a fundamentalist fanatic. He is more committed to the idea of small government and low taxes than he is to understanding what it even really means.
One can only say reading all the venom dripping from this forum today that Mr. Norquist has struck fear in the hearts of the truly ignorant. Nothing he said even came close to wanting to create a revolution. If his mild mannered approach causes this much unrest in the liberal ranks, I am surprised your heads do not explode when you hear Ron Paul speak.
As always thanks for the support meangreen!
Grover Norquist's ideas are like melamine-laced baby formula. On the surface they look like a healthy dollop of goodness, but if you swallow them without looking very closely at them you'll end up killing your own future.
This is the cost of freedom of speech; it allows unscrupulous people to peddle defective goods. If we don't have a counter-balancing institution (such as an adversarial, independent press) to reveal these crimes they will sooner or later destroy our great nation.
Yep Willy, reality and the public both have a strong "liberal" (read democratic) bias. You and Grover need to move to Somalia where government has been completely hollowed out. Oops, no fascists to fund you over there... so you'd have to succeed on your merits. Oops, don't got any merits besides inherited money...