SAXBY CHAMBLISS should be applauded for embracing reality as he tries to steer the nation away from the fiscal cliff.
Earlier this week, the two-term Republican senator told a TV station in Macon that he’s not wedded to the outdated and myopic, anti-tax pledge pushed by lobbyist Grover Norquist.
To avoid automatic tax hikes and spending cuts in early 2013, President Obama and Congress must compromise on a plan to reduce spending and raise revenue by the end of the year. Otherwise, the nation faces another recession.
“I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge,” Mr. Chambliss said this week. “If we do it his way then we’ll continue in debt, and I just have a disagreement with him about that.”
Mr. Norquist is the president of Americans for Tax Reform. More than anyone else, he has led the push among conservatives against accepting any tax increases whatsoever. He also has convinced the majority of congressional Republicans, including those who recently ran for office, to sign his anti-tax pledge.
There’s nothing wrong about opposing tax hikes. Indeed, there’s much to like.
Increasing the tax burden saps consumer spending. That means less demand for goods and products, which affects employment. Raising taxes on businesses also means employers must either hike prices or cut expenses to stay afloat. Neither is an attractive option in today’s economy.
But just because you don’t sign a pledge doesn’t mean you favor taxes.
The problem with Mr. Norquist’s logic is that it’s unrealistic. Circumstances change. His promise locks elected officials into a my-way-or-the-highway approach and blocks problem-solving.
This view of the world is just as ludicrous as the one espoused by some liberals, who refuse to cut a penny of entitlement and social spending. Just as printing more money or putting everything on the nation’s credit card aren’t solutions, neither is automatically opposing tax hikes.
A growing number of voters — even some who voted for Republicans in past elections — seem to agree.
According to a recent item posted on the Forbes website, 279 congressional incumbents — along with 286 challengers — signed the anti-tax pledge. But 57 Republican House incumbents or challengers who took the pledge lost. So did 24 Republicans seeking or holding Senate seats. Among the high-profile losers in Senate races were Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson.
Mr. Chambliss isn’t alone in changing his mind. Republican Senate leaders like Bob Corker of Tennessee, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and John McCain of Arizona are becoming more vocal in opposing Mr. Norquist and his bully tactics.
Jeb Bush of Florida, who many consider a frontrunner for the GOP’s presidential nomination in 2016, has steadfastly refused to sign the pledge. “I don’t believe you outsource your convictions and principles to people,” he said, and he’s right.
Americans want elected leaders who can think for themselves. There’s a chance that Mr. Chambliss, who’s up for re-election in 2014, could pay a political price among some Georgia Republicans for his independence. But to his credit, that’s not where his mind is right now. He’s got a fiscal cliff to avoid.
“I don’t worry about that because I care too much about my country,” he told the Macon TV station. “I care a lot more about it than I do Grover Norquist.”
Let’s hope this good-sense attitude is catching.