As you may or may not be aware, much of the GOP, and especially those of the Tea-brained variety, stand so tough against Any and ALL Taxes -- because they have Signed a Pledge.
Not a Pledge to the Constitution. Not a Pledge to their own Religious beliefs and upbringing.
No, they have signed a Pledge to a Man; to a Supply-side economic Ideologue.
They have signed a pledge to Grover Norquist, a disciple of the Great One, Ronald Reagan. Grover's often stated goal is to Destroy -- well actually Drown -- our Constitutionally-established Government, by disavowing any knowledge, its many instructions telling Congress to levy Taxes, to provide for the General Welfare and the Common Defense.
No Matter. In Grover's mind all Taxes are Evil. And by default any Government that dares to levy Taxes, is also Evil too. A Government that's so evil that it must, one day be "drown in a bathtub". That's Grover's Dream.
This man has made that his life's Goal. And this man called Grover, has no shortage of followers among the GOP. Devoted Followers. So devoted, they had even signed his Tax Prohibition Pledge ...
-- A Pledge that actually prevents them from conducting America's Business, as the Constitution intended.
The Norquist Pledge that they have signed ... is given next ... if you dare, to sully your mind too ... so be it.
And here's what Disciples of Grover have signed ...
(signing in blood is supposedly, optional.)
List of Pledge Signers in the 112th Congress (pdf)
Americans for Tax Reform
Taxpayer Protection Pledge:
I, ____, pledge to the taxpayers of the (____ district of the) state of _____ and to the American people that I will:
ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rate for individuals and business;
and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.
Oh the Humanity! ... Oh our Constitution.
Well if that weren't bad enough, Grover Norquist has been making the Media rounds lately (most recently on the Colbert Show). It is rumored he is trying to rally his sock-puppet troops once again, after the recent Paul Ryan Fiasco.
Even they the epitome of Parrotry, are starting to sense that their constant appeals to keep motivating the ALL-powerful Job Creators, with ever more Tax Tributes and Subsidies, are starting to ring hollow, with the Public at large.
As part of Grover's get-back-to-basics GOP Make-over campaign, he has decided in his unquestioned wisdom, that it's Time for a New Pledge. He knows if his floundering troops, start to break ranks now -- his War against Taxes will be all but lost! It will be his Waterloo.
So here is the New Pledge, from the desk of Norquist, sent directly to the GOP's dog-whistle ears:
"I pledge allegiance to the Job Creators of the United Corporations of America, and to the Obstruction for which they fund, one Talking Point under Grover, indestructible, with liberty and justice for the wealthy few -- our Base."
-- that's as Ronnie would have wanted it!
I don't know about you, but with all due deference to the Gipper, and his trusty sidekick Grover, I'm still rather partial to the original, long as we still have a choice for a Government -- that's alive and kicking:
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
if only ...