« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

MEMBER DIARY

Coburn takes on Norquist

By: shale_oil_man (Diary)  |  April 25th, 2011 at 02:05 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Coburn takes on Norquist

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), arguably the most prominent fiscal conservative in the Senate, is declaring his independence from one of the country’s leading anti-tax groups, Americans for Tax Reform – and its fiery founder, Grover Norquist.

Coburn, a member of the “Gang of Six” bipartisan group working on a deficit reduction plan, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he’d favor a “net” increase in tax revenue if it didn’t include hiking rates. He’d do so even if didn’t include a dollar-for-dollar match in spending cuts he agreed to when he signed a 2004 pledge to Norquist’s group.

“Which pledge is most important… the pledge to uphold your oath to the Constitution of the United States or a pledge from a special interest group who claims to speak for all American conservatives when, in fact, they really don’t?” Coburn asked. “The fact is we have enormous urgent problems in front of us that have to be addressed and have to be addressed in a way that will get 60 votes in the Senate… and something that the president will sign.”

“Where’s the compromise that will save our country?” he asked. “This isn’t about politics that is normal.”

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), a Gang of Six leader, refused to say when the group would release its plan, though he said it would have to be soon if the Senate wanted to be relevant.

Both Coburn and Conrad declined to offer details of their plan but dropped a few possible clues: no middle-class tax hikes, closing offshore tax loopholes and some entitlement reforms

Posted by Glenn Thrush 10:53 AM
http://www.politico.com/blogs/politicolive/0411/Coburn_takes_on_Norquist.html?showall
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • Diogenes314

    The more I hear Coburn speak, the more I like him. At this point, I’d pick him over anyone in the race if he was running for president.

    Maybe we’ll get lucky and Mitch will retire in 2012. He’d be a great replacement.

  • http://teapartisan.wordpress.com Loren Heal

    Coburn should remember the fate that befalls those who promise a hard line and do not deliver.

    People, if we allow tax increases, the government will just spend more next year.

    Coburn needs to wake up and realize he’s playing for the wrong team.

    • Diogenes314

      Except that Coburn, Chambliss and Crapo, just like Ryan in the House, are talking about cutting taxes. And increasing revenue. And cutting the deficit.

      You need to wake up and realize that Grover Norquist’s day job (the one that pays the bills) is lobbying for groups trying to game the system with crap like ethanol subsidies and the like.

      I’m going to go out on a limb and sponsor the Draft Dr. Coburn movement.

      At least until someone better comes along.

      • powertothepeople

        that the only way out of this mess is a tax increase. You can only cut so much and even then with the massive debt we accrued and the massive interest payments, cutting spending alone will not pay off the debt fast enough to make a real difference. BUT,the reason people are so hesitant about tax increases is that past history has show the more they take from us, the more they spend. If they want more, there is going to have to be long term cuts and a written budget that excludes any spending increases over the next 20 years. Stating there will be no spending increases and stating there will be budget cuts is not enough for us to deal with tax increases. The cutting must come first, followed by budgets that clearly show no increase in spending, then they can talk about raising taxes. And a one year budget is not enough to guarantee no more increases. If all we get is a year instead of a provision in the law, by the time they increase spending, our taxes are already permanently raised and we are back to square one.

        • Diogenes314

          Both Ryan and the Senate GOP are planning on tax cuts.

          • powertothepeople

            Or do you not understand what you yourself typed?

            “Except that Coburn, Chambliss and Crapo, just like Ryan in the House, are talking about cutting taxes. And increasing revenue.”

            And more than I and Obama are discussing the need to increase revenue (taxes) and that includes you.

          • Diogenes314

            Yes. A good thing.

            Which will come with deregulation, cutting tax rates and reforming the tax code.

            BTW, chief cleric of sharia tax law=Norquist. Who is the one (aside from you) referring to Coburn and Ryan as favoring ‘raising taxes’.

          • powertothepeople

            is a must. Please feel free to go back and show where I stated Anyone much less Coburn or Ryan were favoring tax increases. I simply state that without some tax increases, the debt will never be paid off. I also stated that cutting spending, even drastically, will not pay off the debt. I went on to state that while tax increases would be needed, they should not happen until big cuts are made and a provision is written into law guaranteeing no spending increases for a set amount of time into the future or in other words until the debt is paid off. But not once, as you assert, did I ever say Coburn or Ryan were in favor of tax increases.

            Comprehension is your friend even though you do not seem to think so.

          • Diogenes314

            There aren’t going to be any tax increases. There are going to be tax cuts which help the economy and increase revenues.

            No matter what you and Grover want to call them.

          • powertothepeople

            you still imply I side with Grover and have said the Bills by the six and by Ryan would raise taxes. It would be laughable if your clear inability to read were not so sad.

            And if you think tax increases are not in the near future, your world is even more entertaining than I previously thought.

          • gonzo55

            I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Tom Coburn is no more a good Conservative than is Graham, Snowe, Obama, or Stalin. I have no confidence he will stick to his term-limit pledge in 2016, given that he’s lied his way into everything he’s gotten in life, and we need to start preparing now for a primary challenger. I don’t know what could be simpler, you get elected on your pledge not to raise taxes, you don’t raise taxes to pay for extravagent, unnecessary programs like NPR and the Department of Education. Coburn is dead to me.

          • Diogenes314

            In case you didn’t know.

          • steve010

            nt

          • http://theminorityreportblog.com Repair_Man_Jack

            Screw Goodwin’s law, Stalin killed more people anyway!