Last Sunday, I was watching the 60 Minutes interview of Grover Norquist. That interview triggered a flood of questions in my mind. Let's put the obvious question aside about how those Republican electeds could even think about signing any pledge that apparently takes the decision making power on an issue away from them and by extension, most of the voters they represent and puts it in the hands of an unelected individual or organization!
Let's write off the Republicans as a lost cause and take a close look at the Democrats. For over twenty years, Republicans have been signing Grover Norquist's pledge to not raise taxes. ostensibly even if it puts government functions at risk! For over twenty years, Democrats have been "compromising" with the Republicans who took positions on issues that I'm almost certain the Democrats knew were driven by this pledge. You would think that the Democrats would have a responsibility to the people who voted for them that expect them to vigorously protect and defend programs and issues that help the bottom 99%. The Democrats should own NO allegiance to Republican ideology, especially if it's driven by a loyalty oath administered to Republicans by a person who is a lobbyist!
If I were a Democratic elected, I would wave that pledge in the face of every Republican who tries to obstruct my initiatives because of it! I would shout that pledge from the rooftops every time a Republican tries to protect the top 1% from tax increases! By their actions, it's as if most Democratic electeds have signed that pledge by default because compromise is complicity!
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