In POLITICO’s Arena Grover Norquist backs up Gov. Scott Walker regarding the shenanigans in Wisconsin. “Gov. Scott Walker is a hero for the citizens and taxpayers of Wisconsin. President Obama deciding to side with the union bosses and gold-plated pensions and benefits of government workers rather than the taxpayers tells us he is back in his partisan/ideological corner as a candidate and his short-lived commitment to abandon the campaign trail and actually serve as president following the “shellacking” is now officially over. Shortest presidency since the first Harrison.”
“Norquist to GOP: Beware Democrats in Dark Rooms” by Andrew Stiles at the National Review Online. “In an interview with National Review Online, Norquist says he’s not surprised to see Democrats calling for private negotiations, but urges Republicans to debate these issues where the public can see them… He brings up another instance of behind-the-scene maneuvering that took place during the lame-duck session, what he describes as the ‘massive effort’ by Democrats and the White House to pass an omnibus spending bill that would ‘spend all of next year’s money, take next year’s budget off the table … On the issue of tax reform, entitlement reform, or both, Norquist says Republicans should resist the urge to cut deals with Democrats in dark rooms.”
Grover Norquist’s letter to Senators Chambliss, Crapo, and Coburn is picked up by Kerry Picket in The Washington Times. “Americans for Tax Reform's Grover Norquist cautioned Republican Senators Chambliss of Georgia, Crapo of Idaho, and Coburn of Oklahoma about being ‘party to a bipartisan budget deal containing a net tax increase.’In a letter written by Mr. Norquist to these GOP lawmakers, the president of ATR stressed that support of such a deal would violate the ATR Taxpayer Protection Pledge that three Republicans previously signed.”