Norquist: GOP Can Vote For The AIG-Bonus Tax -- If We Cut More Taxes, Too

[babylonsister]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/03/norquist-gop-can-vote-for-the-aig-bonus-tax----if-we-cut-more-taxes-too.php?ref=fp2

Norquist: GOP Can Vote For The AIG-Bonus Tax -- If We Cut More Taxes, Too
By Eric Kleefeld - March 19, 2009, 12:50PM


Grover Norquist, the top anti-tax activist in the Republican Party, has given ABC an answer about whether Republicans can vote for the AIG-bonus tax and still be in accordance with the anti-tax pledge that the vast majority of them have signed with Norquist's group, Americans for Tax Reform.

The answer: Yes, you can -- but only if it includes additional offsetting cuts in taxes or spending, too. Norquist seems to acknowledge here that the AIG tax is itself a kind of spending decrease -- the government is taking back money it already spent -- but he wants more tax decreases, too.

"If your goal is to recoup the resources that you've given people that you hadn't thought would be spent this way, you can make it not a tax increase simply by having an offsetting tax cut on honest taxpayers," Norquist explained. "Or you could do the same thing by cutting the amount of money that you were going to give AIG in the next tranche that they'll demand, so you can have the withdrawal of the resources done in less spending."

He does get in a nice populist note: "However, I would prefer to raise the money by raising taxes on the idiot Senators and Congressmen who voted to give the money to AIG in the first place."

[Deja Q]

1. Grover again? Tell him to go back to bed with Elmo

[Lasher]

2. Hell no.

Bring up the measure to recover the AIG bonuses. Don't permit amendments. Let Republicans filibuster it if they have the guts. Make them do the long version, reading the phone book all night long wearing Depends. CSPAN viewer numbers would skyrocket.

[Warpy]

3. Grover just doen't realize it's his BULLSHIT that got defeated

at the polls last year! He doesn't realize we're onto him, that shrinking government is what resulted in the post Katrina fiasco. If that wasn't small government, what was?

Why is anybody in the world paying any attention at all to this evil gasbag?

[global1]

8. It's Also His BS That Got Us Into This Mess In The First Place.....nt

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Uh, Gover, the first AIG bailout came on 9/16/2008 and there was no vote. In fact, Nancy Pelosi said

this, “All these sophisticated financial instruments that these ‘geniuses’ on Wall Street have come up with brought instability to our economy.”


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26754130/

Then they all voted for the $700 billion bailout of 'wall street', again prior to the election.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/9/29/headlines

Rep. Nancy Pelosi: “The party is over. The era of golden parachutes for high-flying Wall Street operators is over. No longer will the US taxpayer bail out the recklessness of Wall Street. And that’s the news that this legislation brings. Again, we want to insulate the American taxpayer, Main Street, everyday Americans, from the crisis on Wall Street. People have to know that this isn’t about a bailout of Wall Street. It’s a buy-in so that we can turn our economy around.”

[AzDar]

5. Why hasn't someone drowned this asshole in a bathtub, yet?

:eyes:

[ihavenobias]

7. You win the award for best comment.

Hopefully everyone gets the reference.

:)

[Canuckistanian]

6. Who voted for Norquist? Does this guy decide how the GOP votes?

I don't remember him winning any elections, so how does he get to decide GOP policy?

And (more importantly) did he check with Limbaugh first?

[babylonsister]

9. He's their new message master a la Rove, from what I've read.

It's not working very well, is it.