Grover, the Stealth Bomber

"I don't want to abolish government, I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub."   - Grover Norquist  

Who the hell is Grover Norquist? This guy flies under almost everyone's radar. Yet he's one of the most powerful men in America. So just in case he's below your radar, let me tell you a little about the man who wants to drown your government in the bathtub. Grover Norquist is at war against our U.S. Government. And it's as if he's commandeering American Stealth Bombers and raining destruction over all of us Main-Streeters of America. His "bombs away" tactics in Congress blow away almost any boost to the middle class, including almost all job-opportunity legislation. While Grover Norquist is on his single-minded quest to take down our American government, he leaves us Main-Streeters virtually out in the economic street. Yeah, we ARE down, because of him. We are nothing to this dictator, this bully, this warlord. We are simply his "Collateral Damage." And very few of us are aware of what, or who, is causing this rain of terror over us Americans. From his mike in his Stealth Bomber, he belts out:  "This is Grover, over! This is Grover, over!"  

Should Grover Norquist  be arrested for his beliefs? Not on your life. This IS America. But he must be stopped. His plans to dismantle the American government must come to a screeching halt. He is not actually commandeering an American Stealth Bomber. His destruction is coming to us more underhandedly. He is, so to speak, flying paper airplanes directly at all Republican legislators of America. His paper airplanes contain  his pledges, each of a mere 60 words,  euphemistically called "Taxpayer Protection Pledges." These pledges serve to force Grover Norquist's will on each Republican legislator in America. Each Republican legislator justly feels overwhelmingly intimidated into signing each of these pledges. And the threat is very real from Norquist and his army.  His message is: You will sign this pledge and never, ever vary from its 2 provisions, or else. Or else my army will descend upon you and you will lose to my candidate, put against you,  in the next primary battle.  And believe you me, you will be in a battle that you don't even want to think about. We will come at you with millions of dollars worth of hate ads. And your days in this Congress will be numbered.  Obey me, or start counting. 

Where did I get the idea that Grover Norquist wants to "dismantle the American government?"  Now that is a serious charge, I will admit. Please read again what this Grover Norquist has said: "I don't want to abolish government, I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." And I can not find anywhere where Grover Norquist has recanted this statement of anarchy. I have read his book Leave Us Alone, and I've looked through his other writings and interviews, and he just seems satisfied to allow these words of anarchy to echo along.    

"Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful." (Wikipedia.)  Seems to me that this is exactly Norquist's meaning. Am I wrong? Do all of you out there see this statement the same way that I do? Let's see. He wants to "reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom." This guy is advocating strong-armed force against the U.S. Government. He wants our government radically changed to something very tiny. Or maybe to no effective government at all. 

Yet this is America. We are the leading nation in the world, with the largest military presence, by far, in the world. With an itty-bitty government, we could no longer maintain our military services, which Grover Norquist claims to support. And when he says "drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub" he surely sounds like a heartless bully.  I see an image of Grover Norquist taking our whole American system and holding it all under water in that bathtub, as if the American people are an unwanted litter of kittens. Talk about nasty plans for our government of America! .

Look at  what he is doing to the Republican legislators all over America. He is actually terrorizing them.  No stealth attack here. Right at 'em. They dare not cross this bully. And that must be paralyzing for each of them. Each has worked his or her way up to the very top of their political profession. Almost all of them deserve the title of "Honorable." Yet they must cater to Grover Norquist's iron-fisted will. He locks them in with each and every pledge... and if they do not do precisely as he commands, they will be swiftly and surely hounded out of office. 

This is actual humiliation. One of the worst situations anyone, anywhere could be in. Our Republican legislators, nee "Pledgees," are forced each day to do exactly as this bully commands. As they are cowing down, they must feel vile disgust on their consciences and in their souls. Add to this an especially lingering distaste on their lips, as they bend over........to kiss smug Grover...............on his ass.

                                                                               

Well, that's my take.  What's yours?

Sincerely,  Don Dyson.  (djd)

"Grover Norquist, Mr. Gridlock of the 112th Congress."

The United States Congress is mostly out of business right now. America is essentially stopped in her tracks. America? Stopped? Now that makes no sense at all. And you will find it tough to believe that one man's efforts have brought the 112th Congress to a screeching halt. Just one man. And his pledge. His one pledge. This man has absolute control over 95% of our Republicans in Congress. And these Republicans are totally dominating this 112th Congress. And we, the American people, are suffering terribly because of this one man with his one pledge. His pledge of destruction.

My name is Don Dyson, 69, graduated from SDSU in '75.  I am no scholar. Let me holler:  "I am no scholar!"   But common sense, I've got some. And so do you. So together, we are going to figure this "pledge thing" out, right now. When you put your head into it, it's not as complicated as they want us to believe.     

What we MUST have here in America are... opportunities. That's all. Almost all of us want to work for all that we get. But don't you dare take away ALL of our opportunities. Don't you dare! And that is exactly what a man named Grover Norquist, with his pledge of only 60 words, is doing, right now, right here in America. One man. One little pledge. Stealing our opportunities, right from under our noses.

Mr. Norquist is 56, lives in Washington, D.C., and is a lobbyist for his corporation "Americans for Tax Reform"  (ATR). When he was just 12, he got the idea of having some sort of a pledge. That was in 1968.  So for 43 years now, Norquist has been perfecting and implementing his pledge. His pledge intimidates the Republicans in Congress into following his will. And he wants to gridlock Congress in order to stop passage of any opportunity legislation. Legislation which will create jobs for millions of Americans. All shut down because of Norquist and his pledge of destruction. 

So here is my take on all of this. Go ahead, and look over my shoulders. I'm just "One Old Guy." What do I really know, anyway? You be the judge. Criticize. Even castigate. Whatever. But just stay right here, while I put in my 2 cents worth.

Back in 1985 Norquist founded his Americans for Tax Reform (ATR).  Doesn't sound all that bad, does it?  Neither do many types of cancer. What we have with Norquist is "Pledge Cancer." This is a slow moving, stealthy type that eats away at opportunities. Devours them. Never to be seen again. This pledge prevents any signer of the pledge, named a "pledgee", under any circumstance, whatsoever, from ever raising ANY taxes, especially on the rich folks of America. Norquist has gotten 95% of all Republicans in our 112th Congress to sign this pledge. That means he's gotten all of those Republicans locked into his will. You will do as I say... demands Norquist... You will do EXACTLY as I say, or my army will descend upon you and completely destroy you.  So, be good little boys and good little girls... or else.

Are you still with me fellow Americans? You see, this is how this little boy of 12 has grown up and done his tricks upon us in America. He is now totally dominating the Republican Party. And the Republican Party is totally dominating the 112th Congress. So almost every important piece of opportunity-legislation has been stopped. And all of our millions of opportunities have been murdered. Right before our noses.  This is a deplorable outrage!

Opportunities can be generated very easily.  There are millions of ways to generate opportunities. Some of these opportunities are ready to spring from the Jobs Bill, now before Congress.  But Norquist says "No!" to  his Republican Pledgees. And all of his pledgees then run out to vote no, no, and no... and even, "Hell, no!" to every single opportunity for each and every American. We 99 Per Centers of America aren't even given a fighting chance. Norquist stops any and ALL opportunities cold, in cold blood, by his pledge, through his Republican Pledgees. Those being the 95% of Republicans in this Congress all dominated, unmercifully, by Norquist. This smug thug. This dictator/bully over America.  

Ugh, what a schoolyard bully may become. Just a thug! Just a thug!

So that's my take. What's yours?    

Sincerely,  Don Dyson.