(In this case, RIP meaning "retire in peace," and shut up, go home, blah.)
Sorry to burst your bubble, readers, but he isn't physically gone, it's just that (potentially), Grovers' powers are fading. (Slight edit to the title- it's sill misleading, but not violently misleading... I hope it either confuses or pleases everybody in equal numbers).
To super-duper RECLARIFY, I'm not saying the Grover is dead. I am not advocating, hoping or even dreaming of a day when it is so. Because we have better than that- him living, but losing his Mojo. Seriously, it's on the threshing floor, and Tom Coburn is the farmer to finish the job (so investigate Coburn).
For Norquist, getting into a fight with super conservative Tom Coburn, and calling him a "liar," was not a good idea. Even the red-bloods agree.
Grover called this statement from Tom Coburn, today (July 16, 2012), a lie:
I recently proposed amendments to end tax earmarks for movie producers and the ethanol industry. Mr. Norquist charged that those measures would be tax hikes unless paired with dollar-for-dollar rate reductions. And yet all but six of the 41 Senate Republicans who had signed his pledge voted for my amendments."
~ Sen. Tom Coburn, (R-OK)
Two things: I hate to defend Coburn. Really. I would not save him from a tiger, lion, gator, fire, tornado, hurricane, etc. Second, he's the lesser of two evils: While Coburn is a Senator, arguments can be made that Grover has more power, since his "pledge" has controlled many in both chambers.
-- Oh, and number 3: We can all see, very transparently, why Coburn is anti-ethanol (duh on the anti-Hollywood thing). Oklahoma has oil and natural gas. I'm not an ethanol fan, but not because I support fossil fuels- but "Dr. Tom" is definitely a supporter of oil and gas, just as oil and gas is a supporter of "Dr. Tom." To the tune of millions of dead presidents floating in the sky.
One more thing: I live in Oklahoma (we have a strict quota of 28 liberals - in truth, we have a few more in this state, just not enough). But that means that Coburn is one of my state's senators. I'm sorry for his effect on the nation, but I didn't do it, and I'm actively fighting against him.
And I'm very glad to see him leading the infighting in the GOP. Kick Grover to the curb, and then let the damned Tbaggers divide the party into two. (That would not only help Dems, but since I'm for multiple parties, it would be the beginning of factioning.
Oh- Those of us who are in the "Democratic" Party (hard word for some GOPers to spell), and those who are independent or further liberal, can read a bit of a rebuttal here.
Lawrence O'Donnell did a good piece on it tonight on MSNBC, but you probably can't catch that on rerun until late late, or tomorrow, unless you recorded it.