Republican legislators are beginning to baby-step away from Grover Norquist's tax pledge, one of the first signs that elements of the GOP may finally be registering economic reality.
The Washington Post reports that one-third of the Republican congressional candidates highlighted as the top of the class by the Republican National Congressional Committee have refused to sign Norquist's pledge, which would forbid them from ever raising taxes ever, not even in an emergency, say, like after an economic collapse.
The pledge, which began during Reagan's second administration, has been signed by all but six of the sitting GOP representatives, and was one of the primary forces in the idiotic austerity movement/debt ceiling debacle of 2011. Despite its constricting effect, Norquist's organization, Americans for Tax Reform, hounds GOP candidates who don't sign it, leaving those candidates without much choice.
Meanwhile, economists have been wondering for some time how the GOP intended to fix the awful deficits (that they created) without raising taxes. The only alternative was the one presented by Paul Ryan, which involved an evisceration of social services, education, health care, transportation and infrastructure funding (and still didn't fix the deficit).
Faced with that choice, some Republicans are balking at the pledge. WaPo talked to a number of candidates who wondered why they should be forced into taking unreasonable votes, like voting against the 10-to-1 spending reduction to tax increase bill last year, because the bill minimally raised taxes. Others want to know why they can't close a loophole that might raise revenue and pay down the debt without suffering for it.
Scott Rigell (R-Va) will not renew the pledge, stating in a letter:
Averting bankruptcy requires us to grasp the severity of our fiscal condition and summon the courage to speak boldly about the difficult steps needed to increase revenues and sharply decrease spending.
Makes sense! How hard is that?
Norquist brags of the huge amount of legislators who stuck to the pledge throughout the debt ceiling fight as proof that it's is strong as ever. But it may be that exact battle that newer legislators are trying to avoid. The debt ceiling debacle cost the GOP their momentum and permanently disabled the tea party. Given the upcoming fight over the Bush tax cuts, who could blame legislators for reconsidering the pledge?
Will it cost the apostates? A poll from the Texas Tribune shows the pledge is unpopular with a strong plurality of voters. But it still maintains high marks with conservatives, especially with tea partiers, which means signing the pledge may have to do with the make up of a candidate's district.
And Norquist has the relentlessness of the monomaniac. If the legislators turn on the pledge now fearing consequences over specific votes, Norquist will be around next election to hold them accountable, and the election after that.
Still, its heartening to see some Republicans step back from the brink. It's disheartening that the idea of ever raising taxes to fix massive economic problems is considered progress.
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