« Grover Norquist
June 24, 2008
Grover “Happy” with McCain
According to Fortune, McCain, who voted against Bush’s tax cuts twice, is more or less back in the fold with Americans for Tax Relief and other economic conservatives: “Now when Norquist convenes his weekly Wednesday strategy meeting at ATR headquarters in Washington, there's always a McCain campaign representative at the table. Apparently all is forgiven.”
Posted by Chris at 2:07 PM | Permalink
March 19, 2008
If You Can't Beat 'Em, Pretend to Join 'Em
With the passing of right-wing luminaries such as Jerry Falwell and D. James Kennedy in recent months, coupled with the aging of many of the Right’s traditional leaders, the movement itself appears to be in flux and some are getting worried about just what will become of it in the future. Just last week, James Dobson voiced these concerns while addressing the National Religious Broadcasters Convention:
“It causes me to wonder who will be left to carry the banner when this generation of leaders is gone. The question is, will the younger generation heed the call? Who will defend the unborn child in the years to come? Who will plead for the Terri Schiavos of the world? Who’s going to fight for the institution of marriage, which is on the ropes today.”
The emerging conventional wisdom is that the Religious Right is on the verge of being replaced by a “new evangelical” movement that shares the old-guard’s opposition to gays and abortion, but also cares about issues like poverty and the environment. The standard-bearer of this “new breed” is Mike Huckabee who, as he puts it, drinks “a different kind of Jesus juice” than the traditional leaders and routinely says things like this:
I don’t see [the right-wing movement] going into decline. I see it going into a maturing process. I think the issues are going to broaden and force Evangelicals to expand their horizons of concerns to poverty, disease, issues of education and homelessness. These are issues that I think are going to become increasingly important along with the environment as part of an overall focus that you’re going to see from - I would use a broader term - values voters - that would include not only Evangelicals but also Catholics and conservative Jewish voters as well.
Of course, just because a bunch of young upstarts think that caring about the environment is important doesn’t mean that the old-guard has any interest in broadening their agenda. As we noted last year, when the National Association of Evangelicals started to voice concerns about the environment and global warming, right-wing stalwarts like Dobson, Tony Perkins, Don Wildmon, Gary Bauer, Rick Scarborough, and Paul Weyrich dashed off an angry letter essentially demanding that the NAE fire its own Vice President over it.
The NAE didn’t back down, but the Right didn’t give up. Instead, they formed their own organization, the American Environmental Coalition, and now seek "to bring balance to the debate by being an alternative source of reliable information to Americans who seek the best way forward for our country.”
Because if you are looking for “reliable information” on environmental issues, you couldn’t ask for a better group of experts:
# Pat Robertson, The Christian Broadcasting Network
# Paul Weyrich, Free Congress Foundation
# Gary Bauer, American Values
# Jay Sekulow, American Center for Law & Justice
# Rev. Lou Sheldon, Traditional Values Coalition
# Rev. Rob Schenck, Faith & Action
# Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
# Steve Elliott, Grassfire.org
# Amy Ridenour, National Center for Policy Analysis
It appears as if AEC was set-up back in September, with the site being registered to Gary Marx, who, along with being head of the Judicial Confirmation Network, also served on Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.
While the AEC has, to date, kept a pretty low profile, it appears as if the organization already has one key ally on the Hill - global warming denier Sen. James Inhofe:
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Environment & Public Works Committee, today welcomed a letter signed by leading evangelical and conservative leaders opposing S.2191 - America's Climate Security Act (Lieberman-Warner). The letter, sent to all 100 U.S. Senators, urges the defeat of climate change legislation which they say would lead to “imperceptible” changes in temperature “while doing grave harm to our economy, the poor, and U.S. competitiveness.” The letter dispels the myth made by a few on Capitol Hill that people of faith have somehow embraced the more radical climate change proposals. Over 70 religious leaders, economists, scientists, state legislators and public policy advocates signed the letter.
“Leading evangelical and conservative leaders made a bold statement by joining together and sending a letter to all 100 Senators outright rejecting the economic wrecking Lieberman-Warner bill,” Senator Inhofe said. “I welcome this letter and encourage each of my colleagues to seriously consider the arguments made by these leading evangelical and conservative leaders. In particular, the letter states their concerns over the severe economic impact on American families as a result of millions of job losses, skyrocketing energy costs, as well as increased price of food, especially on the poor.
“Further, this letter clearly dispels the myth advocated by a few on Capitol Hill that leading evangelicals support Lieberman-Warner.”
Signatories to the letter include AEC founders Norquist, Weyrich, Sheldon, and Bauer as well as others like Richard Land, Tony Perkins, Ken Blackwell, Roy Innis, Jerome Corsi, and dozens more.
The Religious Right has made no secret of the fact that it opposes efforts to broaden its agenda because it fears that doing so will ultimately distract the movements from his anti-gay, anti-abortion agenda. But they have apparently concluded that they can’t win that argument and have decided to set-up their own anti-environmental front group instead.
After all, what need is there to be concerned about global warming when it is really just a sign of the Second Coming?
Posted by Kyle at 4:13 PM | Permalink
February 22, 2008
McCain Has Far-Right on Speed Dial
It’s all over but the shouting in the Republican primary, and more and more right-wing figures are falling in line behind the presumptive nominee. Still, there are some hold-outs, unwilling to reject McCain (as James Dobson has) but hoping to squeeze the last few drops of their leverage into yet more concessions.
It seems to be working. Rather than looking towards building a broader coalition for the general election, McCain still seems to be concentrating on the last few corners of the Right. Grover Norquist, who just weeks ago was lambasting McCain for not signing his tax pledge, now gets to hear McCain mouth the promise again and again. And Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council must have been pleased to have been one of the first people McCain called when the senator was trying to manage the New York Times lobbyist story:
"It's early in the process and he's made inroads with social conservatives," said Perkins, who got a call from McCain shortly after his morning press conference. "He's been very aggressive about handling this and he assured me this is not true." McCain's campaign is pointedly attacking the Times, which last month endorsed the senator. And that always plays well in the conservative community, Perkins says.
"When I speak to social conservatives around the country I tell them I read my Bible daily to see what God has to say about matters of importance," Perkins says, "and then I read the New York Times to see what the other side has to say."
Posted by Ezra at 6:17 PM | Permalink
December 4, 2007
Giuliani and Norquist Make Nice
The Washington Post reports that Rudy Giuliani and Grover Norquist are bonding over their mutual dislike of taxes: "Norquist responded ... with a letter filled with praise for Giuliani. In it, Norquist lauds Giuliani's 'tremendous record of pro-growth tax policy.' He also expresses his 'delight' with Giuliani's simple 'yes' answer in response to Norquist's request."
Posted by Kyle at 2:12 PM | Permalink
October 18, 2007
Just How Fractured Is the Right?
Ever since the news broke that many right-wing leaders were considering abandoning the Republican Party if Rudy Giuliani secures the presidential nomination, lots of ink has been spilled speculating about just how serious they are about carrying out the threat and discussing what it could mean for the 2008 election.
Today, Bloomberg ran an article that pretty well encapsulates the utter confusion plaguing the movement at the moment by quoting a variety of leaders and activists, none of whom seem to agree with each other:
- “I am asking them to at least consider Voltaire's question: Do you make the perfect the enemy of the good?'' said Richard Land, a leader of the 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention, based in Nashville.
- If Clinton, 59, wins, “her administration would declare war on social conservatives,'' Bauer said. “She'll go after conservative talk radio, she'll go after Christian radio' … Bauer said that with some “serious negotiations'' over his platform, religious conservatives could find a way to support Giuliani. He declined to provide specifics, citing a need to maintain his bargaining position if Giuliani is the Republican nominee.
- “Some leaders will hold to principle and will not vote for someone who is pro-abortion,'' said Tom Minnery, the political director of Focus on the Family.
- Michael Farris, the chancellor of Patrick Henry College, an evangelical school in Purcellville, Virginia, said he would consider supporting Giuliani only if “he named my mother as vice president.''
- “The entire conservative movement is going to be united because Hillary is going to be on the ballot and the Supreme Court is going to be at stake,'' said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington-based anti- tax advocacy group. Land sees things differently. “I know a lot more evangelicals than Grover does,'' he said. “If Giuliani is the nominee, Grover will be shocked.'
Other articles have reinforced the notion that not only to right-wing leaders disagree with each other, but state-level activists disagree with the national leaders. For instance, activists in Texas are not happy with Gov. Rick Perry for endorsing Giuliani:
Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, said Perry has put his supporters in a quandary. She said Giuliani shouldn't assume Perry's endorsement brings with it conservative backing.
"Just because Gov. Perry supports Giuliani doesn't mean we are going to follow him off a cliff and that's how I see it, off a cliff," Adams said.
And in New Jersey, local activists announced that they have no intention of taking marching orders from James Dobson:
Local Christian activists, while saying they respect Dobson's stance, aren't ready to follow him in lock step.
Asked what they would do if Giuliani were the nominee, two prominent activists said it was too early to answer.
"I think we have to wait and see how these things pan out," said Len Deo of the New Jersey Family Policy Council.
John Tomicki, who leads the Trenton-based League of American Families, responded with a mild rebuke to Dobson.
"I would hope people like Dr. Dobson would spend their energy helping to support those who do uphold our principles and converting those we believe are not following solid conservative principles," Tomicki said.
Perhaps nothing better sums up the Right’s confusion, hedging, and uncertainty about how it will all play out than this quote from Richard Land - who has repeatedly stated that he will not, under any circumstances, vote for Giuliani:
"I can't vote for a pro-choice candidate," Richard Land, who heads the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy arm, said of Giuliani. But he added, "I'm not going to criticize anybody who says, 'I think Rudy Giuliani is the lesser of two evils"' compared to Clinton.
Posted by Kyle at 3:11 PM | Permalink
July 19, 2007
Well, How Big Is Your Bathtub?
The National Tax Limitation Committee and the National Center for Policy are hosting an awkwardly worded “The ‘Optimal (Right) Size of Government’ Conference” (PDF) tomorrow that will bring together “more than 20 of the leading free-market experts will convene in Washington to discuss whether there is and can be an objective standard to determine the proper size and role of government.”
Among the participants is Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform – and it is not hard to figure out what his view of the proper size of the government will be:
“My goal is to cut government in half in twenty-five years, to get it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub.”
Posted by Kyle at 6:45 PM | Permalink
July 16, 2007
Right-Wing Conference Planned as 'Left Coast' CPAC
Citizen Outreach and Americans for Tax Reform plan Conservative Leadership Conference for October in Nevada. Gingrich, Thompson, Tancredo, Giuliani, McCain, Romney invited.
Posted by Ezra at 11:30 AM | Permalink
May 31, 2007
Norquist Knocks Dobson: 'Self-Appointed Leaders' Don't Move Votes
Rolling Stone blogger Tim Dickinson recently talked to Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist about the right-wing credentials of the leading GOP candidates for president. Norquist, a key organizer of the D.C.-based coalition of economic and social conservatives, declared that the anti-abortion and anti-gay litmus test proffered by the Religious Right is hooey: “What brings social conservatives to the Republican party is not some list of 20 things that James Dobson would like to see.” Instead, according to Norquist, they are really a “parents-rights movement” who “are worried about raising their kids in their own faith and being left alone.” Says Norquist:
You can make the argument that some candidates would be more enthusiastic about going further on the social conservative agenda, and some may well excite the leadership of the social conservative movement, but I don’t believe that it moves votes. Take a look at how McCain and Giuliani and Romney are polling. Who are the three top guys? Pat Robertson sees two pagans and a Mormon. Everybody’s heard that Giuliani dressed up in drag. If my analysis was wrong, would he be polling as well as he is? Romney is a Mormon, which evangelicals see as theologically flawed, and McCain picked a public fight in 2000 with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. Those are the three Republicans polling the best!
If 40 percent of the GOP base truly had Dobson’s 20 point test then a candidate such as Huckabee should be one of the frontrunners. He’s not, and that’s why I think my analysis is the correct one. The press is going to want to talk about and solicit quotations from self-appointed leaders about how unacceptable certain of these candidates are. I don’t think that translates.
This isn’t the first time a prominent leader of the economic Right has singled out Dobson: Dick Armey, head of FreedomWorks and the former House majority leader, attacked “Dobson and his gang of thugs” last year.
Posted by Ezra at 3:59 PM | Permalink
March 30, 2007
2008: GOP Candidates Race to Right on Economic Issues, Too
To “offset” social positions (temp link). E.g.: Steve Forbes endorses Giuliani.
Posted by Ezra at 6:02 PM | Permalink
March 2, 2007
CPAC: Presidential Candidates Descend upon Fabled Base
Much has been written of the unseasonably early 2008 presidential campaign, but one unanticipated side effect is that the Conservative Political Action Conference agenda is larded with ambitious politicians hoping to surprise – or at least appease – what all of them have apparently decided is their best hope, the far-right base. No less than eight Republican contenders (if you count Newt Gingrich, who appears to be looking for the side entrance to the White House) are scheduled; the only major candidate missing is John McCain.
And so the activist crowd, compared to last year’s conference, is more enthused with people than with causes. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, a relatively unknown candidate, managed to fill a good portion of the large hall first thing in the morning. By 10 this morning, Mike Huckabee had people standing in the back, and at noon, CPAC staff closed off the wing as Rudy Giuliani had filled it up. At that point, a line began forming for those who wanted to see Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, and Mitt Romney, and by the time Giuliani finished his hour-long speech, the hundreds in line stretched back to the exhibit hall in the next wing. Of course, that may not have reflected any popularity on the part of the candidates themselves so much as the crowd wanting to get their money’s worth at the three-day event.
Hunter, who struck a martial theme, received a mixed response for his ideas on trade, but garnered standing ovations for his tough talk on building a fence to halt immigration over the Mexican border, and for his promise that “As president of the United States, I will pardon” the two border agents convicted in a shooting incident. Another plank of his platform that drew approval was his policy on picking judges: “If any judicial candidate comes before me and can look at a sonogram … and not see valuable life, then I will not appoint him.” While most polls hardly register Hunter's candidacy, a straw poll in South Carolina found him a close second to Giuliani, a result that could give some life to his campaign.
Following an interlude on global warming – in which Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) repeated his now standard tirade involving the UN, Richard Cizik, and animal worship – former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee came in, armed to the teeth with folksy charm, and took aim at competitors who he said were changing their positions with the “prevailing winds”: “Some folks here had so many road-to-Damascus experiences they’ve had more than a Syrian camel driver,” he cracked. He reiterated his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, repeating his crack about “Moses coming down” from “Brokeback Mountain,” and accusing opponents of a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage of preferring to amend the Bible, which he called “the very text upon which that Constitution was based.” Huckabee’s surprise move was to counter fervent opposition from the Club for Growth by announcing that “I plan later today to deliver to Grover Norquist a signed pledge” against taxes.
Giuliani, speaking at noon, eschewed all talk of the social issues that alienate much of this crowd, preferring instead to play to his perceived strengths. He briefly mentioned taxes, crime, welfare, and education (speaking in favor of school vouchers), but the bulk of his hour-long address was on terrorism and the war in Iraq, evoking his role as mayor of New York on September 11, 2001. Announcing himself as part of the “Reagan revolution” in that, like Reagan, he was interested in being “a leader,” Giuliani promised he would be making a lot of “tough decisions.” That meant, he claimed, that he differed from Democrats, who he said wanted to “go on defense” in the war on terror by opposing “the Patriot Act and electronic surveillance and interrogation,” the things he said helped him bring down the Gambino crime family as a prosecutor. Mostly, though, he compared the “tough decisions” he would make as president to Reagan during the Cold War. “A little heavy on the Reagan,” muttered one audience member.
Posted by Ezra at 4:10 PM | Permalink
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