During a recent interview, anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist struggled to explain his ties to a pharmaceutical trade group and then “took off” when he was asked about his history lobbying for home loan-backer Fannie Mae, an organization that he now criticizes.
The Republic Report’s Zaid Jilani and Lee Fang caught up with Norquist at an American Enterprise Institute event last week where they asked him about Republican claims that President Barack Obama’s administration had scuttled increased reimportation of cheaper drugs because of donations from the pharmaceutical industry.
“That wasn’t a campaign contribution to elect Obama,” Norquist explained. “It was either a bribe, ‘We will give you this money to spend politically through [Obama adviser David] Axelrod and his friends if you do X.’ Or it was extortion.”
The reporters pressed Norquist on whether there was an “extorting effect” on his organization, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), after they took $140,000 from industry trade group PhRMA and then opposed drug reimportation.
“Extorting, no,” the ATR president insisted. “The good news on Americans for Tax Reform is we are just always in the same place: Don’t raise taxes. … The key question is on an administration that threatens everybody’s livelihoods is going to be able to extort money. So one of the ways to get money out of politics is to have less politics, less government.”
As Norquist turned to leave the conversation, one of the reporters noted he used to be a lobbyist for Fannie Mae but now he criticizes them.
“Is that because they stopped giving you money?” the reporter asked.
“Not true,” Norquist replied, stepping in to an elevator. “Actually, no.”
Last year, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) slammed Norquist’s past connections to Fannie Mae.
“I mean, he was a lobbyist for Fannie Mae, he was a lobbyist for Internet gambling … he was connected to Jack Abramoff,” Wolf told MSNBC. “When people sign the pledge, they didn’t really know that it goes to that point.”
For his part, Norquist dismissed the connection as trivial.
“A firm I worked for listed me for six months more than 10 years ago. … I supported a tax credit for home purchases,” he told Politico. “Both are sound policy and both were 10 years ago.”
Watch this video from The Republic Report, broadcast June 22, 2012.
Photo: Flickr/Gage Skidmore
David Edwards
David Edwards has served as an editor at Raw Story since 2006. His work can also be found at Crooks & Liars, and he’s also been published at The BRAD BLOG. He came to Raw Story after working as a network manager for the state of North Carolina and as as engineer developing enterprise resource planning software. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidEdwards.
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DeadPhish 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Why are so many cons such babies?
Bamboo_Harvester, Ruthless Toothless LIBERAL ! 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Have I told you how much I hate these Fucking people today ?
humagate 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Cut and run you cowardly piece of crap. You’re in the top ten of people that are destroying this country, you sociopathic POS.
robweeve 2 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
There will be an eminent place for Norquist’s statue when they open the Museum of Political Dicks in D.C. 0n 2018.
JustADumbFireman 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Stuck into the pee slit???
DF2691 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Some people have skeletons in their closet, Grover has entire cemeteries, and the dead are rising again….to feed on his ass!
shivabeach 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Running from a few skeletons there grover?
halfcrazy 2 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
These days Norquist doesn’t utter a peep at republican proposals to raise taxes on the poor, making him a total hypocrit with no crediblity, no principals, just another power hungry parasite like his former buddy Abramoff. There is mention of pharma and Norquist, begging the question of just where was Grover when republicans passed legislation in the middle of the night raising the cost of medicine for everyone, which amounts to a huge hidden tax on many that can least afford it, one that the democrats haven’t nearly screamed loud enough about.
Norquist and Karl Rove, both, deserve to be placed in stockades in a public square and pelted with rotting garbage for what they’ve personally done to this country.
jootjoint 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
I would love to pelt the first piece of garbage at them!
Steve Cain 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
And you obviously have a fixation with wanting to see another guys’…
Steve Cain 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
You really are a dumbass, aren’t you?
Licentia 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
“All we have to do is replace Obama. … We are not auditioning for fearless leader. We don’t need a president to tell us in what direction to go. We know what direction to go. We want the Ryan budget. … We just need a president to sign this stuff. We don’t need someone to think it up or design it…Pick a Republican with enough working digits to handle a pen to become president of the United States. This is a change for Republicans: the House and Senate doing the work with the president signing bills. His job is to be captain of the team, to sign the legislation that has already been prepared.” ~Grover Norquist
NEWSFLASH: The Ryan plan would raise taxes on low-income working families — those making up to $30,000 a year.
shawn_von_socialist 2 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
Grover Norquist is a terrorist of the muslim faith and for some reason he gives me the creeps its not conservative idealogy that drives him its something more…..
but wait there is lots of muslims who are not terrorists i dont have no issue with god fearing
muslims “god is great” hopefully muslims dont take this wrongGrover Norquist with the aid of the Republican party is doing economic Treason
cutting taxes during time of war – is TREASON no empire in the history has done this
he is purposely with the aid of the republican party- paul ryan ron paul are purposely destroying the system
and the teaparty calls themselves none terrorists they are mark my words they are and want to destroy america via economic destruction
no one cuts taxes during the time of war nor do they cut taxes during economic hard-times they raise them-
conservatism is enemy of the republic since 1776……
JustADumbFireman 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Would you please learn English and then repost this?
dennycrane 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Goober Norquist
Yavo 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Republcian gave the United States the finger and then got down in the gutter and worshipped Norguist and pledged to Norquist. God can’t even command that kind of worship from Republicans and those who vote Republican.
Republicans and those who vote Republican can’t hide their fetish, it’s pretty obscene.
jwald1 3 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
Public enemy #1
hegesias, Often censored. Never silenced. 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Not unless he orchestrated 9/11. I am sticking with Cheney.
WitsEnd66, Retired 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
I’d say he it will be a photo finish in his race with Karl Rove for #1.
invictus2 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Republicon corruption from Nixon to date damns them all to their hell. If you enable this you deserve the same.
oonaoona 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Grover is a twit and the congresspeople who sign his pledge are traitorous a-holes.
OldCrank VAGINA!!!, “COOCHIE” on casual Fridays. 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Once and for all, Grover Norquist demonstrates the courage of his convictions.
critical1234 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
One trick bad idea pony. That’s all he is, nothing more.
finickycat70, Proud feminist, atheist, Liberal who loves all things cat related. 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Grover Norquist is a loser.
WAC 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Ah those roaches… as illumination increases, they quickly skitter to the shadows.
ORAXX, Free thinking, iconoclastic,curmudgeonly, free lance philosopher and gentleman unicorn rancher. 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Tsk, tsk, you’d think reporters would know by now that elected officials are just supposed to sign Woodsy The Owl’s “no taxes ever, no matter how bad it screws up the country” pledge, and never ever quiz him about his motives.
Sandy55 2 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
#1 Homegrown Terrorist. This jerk has done more to kill Americans than BinLadin. He should be in Gitmo.
OldCrank VAGINA!!!, “COOCHIE” on casual Fridays. 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
He should be surviving on a social security stipend* in a trailer park somewhere in Georgia.
*Which should be about $1.25 a month; which is probably an accurate reflection of how much he’s contributed to the Social Security Trust fund over his working life.
jperrin1 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Frankly, I believe every single individual Republican in office who signed Grover’s ‘pledge’ ought to be impeached AND prosecuted as traitors. I also think the RNC should be sued on behalf of the American people and their assets distributed among the registered voters of the opposition party. As far as the registered members of the Republican Party are concerned, they continued to vote for these people even after their high crime was made public knowledge. Since it is apparent that they either personally benefitted from that pledge or had no concern for any damages they themselves should have known they would suffer as a result of that pledge, they own responsiblity for their own ‘injuries’ and should not be able to benefit from their poor judgement. If you don’t want to get hit by a truck, don’t fill the truck driver with booze, sign his driver’s license, put him behind the wheel and then stand willingly in front of his truck. Only those injured by your flying body parts should receive compensation.
docb 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Willard milhous took grovers pledge too! But walking off the set over Fannie Mae!!!!! ..Something tells me he has a few skeletons in that pudgy pocket!
Cluck Cluck Cluck, grover!
Out the grover baggers—- in with real Americans.,,
Little info to enlighten all about morals of mittens:
Anthony Wayne Walker, Retired, Atheist, Contrary, Socialist, Bi-Pedalist 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Now if only cable’s talking heads had the guts of the Republic Report’s Zaid Jilani and Lee Fang instead of kissing this corporate whore’s ass the voting public just might be better informed.
Pete2099 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Lindsey Graham said he might consider supporting a tax increase , But after Norquist paid him a visit,, Norquist said Graham will never vote for a tax increase…
barada 7 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
Grover Norquist is the living, breathing definition of SCUMBAG.
BuckJohnson 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Ditto.
Bamboo_Harvester, Ruthless Toothless LIBERAL ! 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
Hear Hear !
Justin Smith 4 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
Hang the SOB.
jmd1943 3 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
Who , obama ?
humagate 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
You must be an amateur troll. You need to come up with better material or wait until you’re out of school or the plutocrats won’t pay you more than minimum wage.
By the way, can you explain what positive attributes are exhibited by Nordquist and why an unelected official should have so much power over hundreds of DC elected officials who are supposed to be representing all of their constituents? Can you comment without one-liners and give some actual thought to it? I doubt it.
Steve Cain 1 comment collapsed CollapseExpand
No, you for saying that about the PRESIDENT!
musicman4u 5 comments collapsed CollapseExpand
Why does this piece of shit even have so much power over Repcons. Oh, I forgot they are all stupid pieces of shit themselves, he is just a smarter piece of shit.
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Norquist quits interview when asked about his Fannie Mae lobbying | The Raw Story
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