Today, during a live interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said the following:

“Shame on you, Grover Norquist. Let's have some patriotism!  Let’s have some people that come forward and say ‘We understand when you are borrowing 41 cents of every dollar, it’s time for everybody to contribute and that includes the wealthiest among us that he apparently is so beholden to for whatever reason, that he will accept no change.”

Conrad’s comments echo the Sept. 18, 2008 sentiments of then-candidate Joe Biden.  As reported by the Associated Press — “Biden calls paying higher taxes a patriotic act” — Biden, stumping for the campaign tax increase plan, said:

“It's time to be patriotic … time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut.”

As noted by Samuel Johnson, appeals to false patriotism are “the last refuge of a scoundrel.”