C.N.N.ALI VELSHI CHALLENGES GROVER NORQUIST: WHY IS NO-TAX PLEDGE MORE IMPORTANT THAN HEALTH OF THE ECONOMY?
July 18, 2011—CNN host Ali Velshi challenged Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist on his position against raising the debt ceiling on CNN last Saturday. Norquist is the creator of a pledge signed by almost all GOP Congress members, promising to never raise net taxes.
Velshi cast Norquist's pledge as one of the main obstacles in the debt ceiling talks, noting thatapproximately 230 House Republicans and 40 GOP senators have signed the pledge. He also questioned whether Norquist holds too much political power in the Republican party despite never having been elected to public office.
Velshi and Norquist sparred several times over the extent of Norquist's political sway and President Obama's spending. When Norquist said that Republican legislators signed the pledge to constituents and not Norquist himself, Velshi insisted, "It's your pledge. Let's not mince words Grover, tell the truth." Velshi also suggested that lawmakers should be free to make decisions in the interests of their constituents instead of having worry about being "loyal to Grover Norquist so they get re-elected again," to which Norquist countered, "Are you not listening?"
Velshi stopped Norquist when the latter referred to "the problem [Obama] created with his spending," asking whether he really believed that President Obama caused the budget problem.
When Velshi asked why "preserving the inability to increase taxes is more important than the overall health of the economy," Norquist made clear his fundamental belief that "not raising taxes is important to the health of the economy."
Velshi cast Norquist's pledge as one of the main obstacles in the debt ceiling talks, noting thatapproximately 230 House Republicans and 40 GOP senators have signed the pledge. He also questioned whether Norquist holds too much political power in the Republican party despite never having been elected to public office.
Velshi and Norquist sparred several times over the extent of Norquist's political sway and President Obama's spending. When Norquist said that Republican legislators signed the pledge to constituents and not Norquist himself, Velshi insisted, "It's your pledge. Let's not mince words Grover, tell the truth." Velshi also suggested that lawmakers should be free to make decisions in the interests of their constituents instead of having worry about being "loyal to Grover Norquist so they get re-elected again," to which Norquist countered, "Are you not listening?"
Velshi stopped Norquist when the latter referred to "the problem [Obama] created with his spending," asking whether he really believed that President Obama caused the budget problem.
When Velshi asked why "preserving the inability to increase taxes is more important than the overall health of the economy," Norquist made clear his fundamental belief that "not raising taxes is important to the health of the economy."
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i GATHER IN aMERICA THD INVESTIGATION WILL BE BEGINING WITH FORMER mAYOUR OF NEW yORK rUDY g. ANDGIVING THE REASON A HIGH SCOOL DRIVER FOR THE MAYOR...WAS THE MAN A POLICEMAN AND GOT PROMOTED OR WAS THIS ALL SOMETHING mURDOCH WANTED DONW...THEN THIS HIGH SCHOOLER NET JOG FOR mURDOCH WAS TO GO WOR K FOR PRESIDENNT bUSJH???????????????????????? A HALF DEAD PERSON COULD SMELL THE SMOKE COMING FROM THIS SET UP...THEY NEED THIS POLICESO BAD LOOKS LKIE HE IS TH EONE WHO CAN GET ALL OF WHAT HE WANTS IN WRITTING THEN GET OUT FROM UNDER THE 8 YEAR PRISONLIKE YESTERDAY.
YOU KNOW MY BABY IN TIS IS FOX CABLE NEWS BEING SHUT DOWN AND LET THE R IGHT COMPLAIN ABOUT JOBS WHEN THEY ARFE ALL OUT OF WORK AND MOST LIKELY THE ATTORNEY ANCHORS WILL NOT FAIR WELL EITHER, BECAUSE THE SHOULD KNOW BETTER...JUST FROM THEIR NEVER GIVING COVERAGE OF OUR PRESIDENT IS NOT WHAT A TV STATEN IS GIVEN AN LISCENSE TO BE DOING. (SMILE) "THE TRUTH WILL SET U SFREE. (SMILE)