Mr. Norquist, let’s see what this Contract says first!

Here we go again, the Washington ruling class, led by the likes of Grover Norquist (Americans for Tax Reform), expects Tea Partiers to line up behind a new Contract for (from? with?) America once the smart people get it together.

Norquist, Dick Armey and other establishment Republicans have been busy since at least the beginning of the year trying to keep the Tea Parties in line and off some issues of great concern to conservative activists.   Sorry Grover, but the issue of spending alone doesn’t fire up the majority of Tea Partiers all by itself.

And, your condescending tone doesn’t help your cause either— “Shiny objects,” “flapping tongues,” and “gorilla dust.”  Really now!

From Grover Norquist at Fox News :

Many issues pop up and politicians and talk show hosts are intrigued and tempted to spend precious minutes talking about new and exciting issues rather than focus on the spending that threatens our future.

Too much government spending is killing jobs, businesses, clouding our economic future. We know that the issue of spending moves votes, brings out the Tea Party activists, and elected candidates in 2009 to the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey and in January 2010 to the Senate seat once held by Ted Kennedy.  [Norquist is rewriting history, I remember distinctly that Scott Brown, speaking as an officer in the Massachusett’s National Guard, campaigned strenuously on the issue of national security and not just on spending.—ed]

Why trade a tried and true issue that Democrats cannot escape for new issues that may or not actually move votes—as opposed to flap tongues?

[…]

We are winning at present. — we should remain the “focus like a laser on spending” movement.

Gorilla dust!

We all understand that taxes and spending are a major focus for this election and beyond.  But, then Norquist ‘shows himself’ by calling our recent concern over Arizona/illegal immigration and the controversy over the Ground Zero Mosque “gorilla dust” which implies that anyone concerned about those hot button issues—both involving national security, by the way—is as ignorant as an animal.  You really know how to work with the country class grassroots, don’t you Mr. Norquist!

We know that Norquist has long been an advocate of Open Borders and an advocate for Islamic expansion in the US, so, it stands to reason he wants to keep activists away from those issues.

Contract with America for 2010?  What is in it?

Bring out the contract and we will have a look at it.

Here is Norquist again telling us there are two projects we must do:

First, to focus on disciplining the House and Senate Republicans to enact the “contract with America: 2010” that will be released in late September/early October. It is up to the movement to make sure the Contract does not become campaign rhetoric—forgotten after the election results.

If the “contract” is strictly focused on a fiscal agenda—taxes, spending, reducing regulation—and includes nothing on National Security, Immigration,  2nd amendment right to bear arms, and a recognition of issues that concern social conservatives, nor does it specifically demand repeal of Obamacare, forget it!  It will be dead in the water from a grassroots perspective.

“Grown up Republicans”—indeed!

I agree we need to get working for 2012, some of us are already doing that, but again Norquist reeks of elitism when he says, “grown up Republicans and conservatives.”

And lastly, the moment the November 2 election is settled, grown up Republicans and conservatives should immediately focus on 2012 and 2014 to plan the path to a 60-vote majority in the Senate. A House majority is a good start. A Senate majority is nice. But only a House majority and 60 plus votes in the Senate ensure control of the agenda in Washington, D.C.

You know I’ve gotta laugh.  I’ve been seeing the phrase a lot lately—“Republicans and conservatives.”  I guess that means that Republicans like Norquist admit they aren’t conservatives (we knew that), but it’s interesting to see the ruling class using that phrase.  I’ve never heard anyone say ‘Democrats and liberals,’ have you?

Endnote:  There was a new “contract” signed in February with much fanfare at Mt. Vernon, whatever happened to that?  Too many contracts=too confusing!