So how does Grover Norquist have so many Repubs by the short hairs?

[bif]

Where does he get his power from? He's not an elected official yet just about every Republican in the House and Senate listens to him. And they've all signed his pledge to never raise taxes. Ever.

[apnu]

1. He's a con man, and they're all happy to drink the kool-aide. (nt)

[LondonReign2]

2. Illegally gathered info courtesy of News Corp?

n/m

[Cirque du So-What]

5. That may not be far off the mark

I believe the Republican party wants 'compromised' politicians who can be manipulated into doing the bidding of their corporate masters, and the threat of blackmail is the whip that keeps them from 'going rogue' against the party line.

[Ikonoklast]

9. Blackmail, yep.

It will come out soon, that is why the Republican Party is near implosion.


The Teabaggers that were the creation of Big Oil is now Frankenstein's Monster, lurching about the Republican Caucus destroying all it touches.

[HopeHoops]

3. He's the dude with the GANJA!

[midnight]

4. I wonder if Norquist used Murdock's goon squad?

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. With all the revelations, I am wondering the same thing

that and the other muscle, such as Rush

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. If a puke goes against him he calls the wealthy to fund the rep's next primary opponent.

If a puke goes against him he calls the corporate conservative media nexus to attack the rep.

If a puke goes against him the puke can say goodbye to his/her political aspirations.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. Norquist's just the bag man.

[scheming daemons]

10. Bigger question: Why would Jane Hamsher work in conjunction with such a man?

...

[CrossChris]

13. Answer: to investigate Rahm Emanuel

Anyone can look it up.

[scheming daemons]

14. So investigating Emmanuel is worth making a bargain with the devil?

...

[CrossChris]

15. Honestly, I don't know. But Rahm has made a career on bargaining with the devil.

I wouldn't knock it, if you really want to defend him fully.

[scheming daemons]

16. Rahm is no longer part of the Obama administration.... why is Hamsher still trying to bring the

President down?


She has you fooled. She's not what you think she is.

[CrossChris]

20. It happened when he was part of the administration. Here's a link:

Like I said, I'm not making a value judgement on whether or not this is worth teaming up with Grover Norquist over. Pound for pound, fewer people have done more damage to this country than Norquist. His "drown gov't in a bathtub" philosophy was used to help bring New Orleans to its knees after Katrina (in addition to every institution I value in this country), so it's pretty personal for me.

That said, if anyone's curious as to what Hamsher teamed with Norquist over that's causing so much controversy, see for yourself:

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2009/12/jane-hamsher-grover-norquist-call-for-rahm-emanuel%E2%80%99s-resignation.html

Dear Attorney General Holder:

We write to demand an immediate investigation into the activities of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. We believe there is an abundant public record which establishes that the actions of the White House have blocked any investigation into his activities while on the board of Freddie Mac from 2000-2001, and facilitated the cover up of potential malfeasance until the 10-year statute of limitations has run out.

The purpose of this letter is to connect the dots to establish both the conduct of Mr. Emanuel and those working with him to thwart inquiry, and to support your acting speedily so that the statute of limitations does not run out before the Justice Department is able to empanel a grand jury.

The New York Times reports that the administration is negotiating to double the commitments to Fannie and Freddie for a total of $800 billion by December 31, in order to avoid the congressional approval that would be needed after that date. But there currently is no Inspector General exercising independent oversight of these entities. Acting Inspector General Ed Kelly was stripped of his authority earlier this year by the Justice Department, relying on a loophole in a bill Mr. Emanuel cosponsored and pushed through Congress shortly before he left for the White House. This effectively ended Mr. Kelly’s investigation into what happened at Fannie and Freddie.

Since that time, despite multiple warnings by Congress that having no independent Inspector General for a federal agency that oversees $6 trillion in mortgages is a serious oversight, the White House has not appointed one

<continued at link>

[girl gone mad]

19. Why would Obama invite his testimony?

[Luminous Animal]

28. Also a bigger question, why would Bob Fertik of democrats.com ally with Norquist.

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=33740

[HughBeaumont]

11. He's also a member of skeevy pro-lifer groups.

Not only is the Ideal Repub Candidate (per HIS rules) NOT allowed to raise taxes, damn the consequence to this country, but he's also not allowed to be pro-choice (possibly a major reason 9iu11iani got scuttled out of contention).

The Most Important Fucking Yard Gnome in History is nothing but a lie-spewing corporate pimp kingmaker who makes 200 grand a year for working 24 hours a week.

Nice work if you can get it.

[Blue Owl]

12. He scraped those short-&-curly's off his bathtub scum ring

You know, that bathtub he like to drown democracy in.

[leveymg]

17. Answer: he doesn't. He's a convenient boogey-man for the GOP when it's convenient.

He's been around DC for so long that just about everyone has talked to him at one point or another.

He doesn't have power over anyone, and he's not even a very scary person.

[Johonny]

18. screening candidates

they only support people that will sign certain preset ideas. In the long run you only end up with people with those ideas. Then suddenly you look powerful because the people elected already agree with you. Which is why so many other conservative groups now are creating these type of pledges. It's a way to basically pre-screen for bad ideas.

[madrchsod]

21. because they are dumb fucks unlike the republicans......

in my city that ran him out of town. there was a nasty rumor that several years ago the republicans in the house and senate of illinois told him to get lost.

of course that was when the republicans in this state were reasonably sane.

[MicaelS]

22. He keeps bringing up the ghost of Bush Sr..

Bush Sr, pledged "No New Taxes", then violated that pledge. Repugs fervently believe that is why he was a 1 term President.

If you can't raise taxes, then government can't expand, and Big Government is their secular Antichrist.

[jtown1123]

23. Follow the money. He was big buddies with Abramoff and all those vigilante Repukes

that cropped up in the 80s.

[jmowreader]

24. It goes back a long, long ways

Norquist, Jack Abramoff and Ralph Reed were in the Harvard College Republicans together.

He went on to form Americans for Tax Reform, which has three purposes:

Purpose 1 is to fuck up the government. He wants it to be 25 percent of the size it was in 1980, and he wants to eliminate the idea that taxes can or should ever be raised for any reason whatsoever. If you were to write a $1 billion bill that was $999,999,999 spending cuts and $1 tax increase, he would oppose it.

Purpose 2 is money laundering. The Senate Indian Affairs Committee alleges Norquist, through Americans for Tax Reform, has moved money from Indian gaming clients Abramoff represented to "turf" (grass roots that are paid for) lobbying campaigns.

And Purpose 3 is to name at least one thing in every county in the United States after Ronald Reagan.

I would LOVE for a Democratic president to denounce Grover Norquist. He has destroyed America pretty much singlehandedly.

[onethatcares]

25. but how the hell do people like him get others to

kiss thier pimply assess?

I mean he's just one guy that shouted something on a crowded street and it got picked up by whoever and has been

a part of the political scene for the past 8 years or more. Oh, I can tell he hasn't missed a meal that entire time.

[moondust]

26. Front man for BIG money?

"Sign Grover's pledge or you won't get a penny from any of us."

I could see trash like the Koch Brothers spreading that "understanding" far and wide.

[ThoughtCriminal]

27. Just a theory

High public office for a Republican comes with MANY rewarding perks, but maybe there's some sort of initiation... that is taped. :evilgrin: And maybe Norquist has copies.

The problem with this theory is that they have reached the point where the "Goat Video" is less damaging than the voting record.