From the March issue of The American Spectator, “The Battle Moves to the States” by Grover Norquist. “The Senate Democrats have near-total control over the schedule and the determination of which votes will take place. And the Democrat-friendly establishment media will referee the bout…out in America voters support the GOP agenda of repealing Obamacare and reducing both spending and taxes, but within the Beltway the two teams each have veto power over the other…Obama's plans for ever bigger government cannot pass the House. Republicans' plans to roll back the damage of the last two (or 20) years can be stopped in the Senate and/or vetoed by Obama… The big prize, therefore, is the presidential veto pen… Such large reductions in the growth of spending fall heavily on the key constituents of the modern Democratic Party, namely public sector unions, big city political machines, and the grant recipients who use taxpayer dollars for "community organizing."… In 2012, based on population migration, 10 states will lose congressional seats, and eight states will gain seats. Personal income tax rates are twice as high in the loser states. Government spending is one-third higher in losers, and four states gaining seats levy no personal income tax at all.”

In The Hill, CBPP Executive Director Robert Greenstein is “worried” about the Taxpayer Protection pledge. “The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued guidance Thursday for any deficit reduction deal this year that calls for a 50-50 split between spending cuts and tax increases… Greenstein said he is also “worried” about the fact so many Republicans have signed Americans for Tax Reform’s pledge not to raise taxes and thinks it is major obstacle for a deal. ‘Policymakers really shouldn’t sign these pledges. Pledges are really damaging’. He said there is simply no way to address the deficit without raising taxes because doing so would require decimating entitlement programs right away…he said he will do everything he can to oppose House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) if he proposes next month to block granting Medicaid while extending Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy as part of the House 2012 budget resolution.”

Yesterday’s ATR post “10 Things Obama Doesn't Want You to Know About Obamacare” is featured today on Newsmax.com.