Has The Tax Fairy Lost His Magical Spell Over The GOP?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The most regressive and fiscally irresponsible force in American politics is Americans for Tax Reform led by Grover Norquist, who preaches the ideological extremist doctrine that no tax can ever be raised at any time for any reason. Almost every conservative Republican legislator from the national to the local level has signed the Tax Fairy's "no tax" pledge over the years.

Yesterday may mark a turning point in American politics. The Tax Fairy may be losing his magical spell over the GOP. The Senate overwhelmingly voted to end $6 billion in subsidies for ethanol, with 34 Republicans joining the 73-27 majority to end tax breaks and protective tariffs for the corn-based fuel industry. It was a bipartisan effort led by Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Tom Coburn (R-OK), with strong support from members of both parties. Norquist Slams GOPers For Voting To End Ethanol Subsidies: You ‘Popped Your Cherry’ On Tax Hikes | ThinkProgress:

Beyond to the expected dismay of the ethanol industry and corn state senators, one powerful man in Washington is worried his grip on GOP lawmakers is slipping. As the Hill reports:

As such, the vote could also represent a setback for influential conservative Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), who said a vote for the plan would violate the anti-tax pledge most Republicans have signed unless paired with a separate tax-cutting amendment.

Nealy every Republican lawmaker in Washington has signed Norquist’s anti-tax pledge, in which they vowed to never raise taxes, unless offset by other tax cuts. But Feinstein’s bill ends ethanol’s tax breaks without cutting taxes elsewhere, so Norquist dubbed it a “tax increase.”

And Norquist is livid. In an interview with the National Review, the influential lobbyist slammed Coburn, with whom he’s publicly feuded for some time, for taking Republicans’ tax hike “virginity”:

Norquist [said the vote was] essentially a gateway drug that would inevitably lead to additional [tax] increases down the road. “He said, ‘Ha ha, popped your cherry, lost your virginity. Now give me $2 trillion in tax increases,’” Norquist says. “As soon as they voted, he turned around and called them sluts. Guys like that didn’t get second dates in high school.”

Coburn had his own harsh words for Norquist, saying the vote was a clear rebuke of the ATR head:

“That’s 34 Republicans who are willing to say this is more important than a signed pledge to ATR,” he told reporters after the vote. “I think you all think [Norquist] has a whole lot more hold than I think he has.” Then, in a follow up statement, he added: “Taxpayers should be encouraged that Republican senators overwhelmingly rejected the ludicrous argument that eliminating tax earmarks is a tax increase.”

Indeed, even Coburn — one of Congress’ most conservative members — and some of his colleagues realize that the die-hard refusal to ever raise taxes espoused by Norquist and many Tea Party activistic is no way to govern.

The question remains whether this new found courage will extend to other special interest tax breaks, corporate welfare and the Bush tax cuts for the über-rich.

UPDATE: Baby steps. The Tea-Publican Congress narrowly passed H.R. 2112, the FY 2012 agriculture appropriations bill that  slashes funding for programs for lower-income women and children. The Hill reported that the bill also contained “a $30 million cut to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC),” which is the federal agency charged with policing the nation’s commodities markets, including the oil market. All but one Republican voted against a motion to recommit the bill with instructions to increase funding to the CFTC. (H/t Think Progress).