Sen. Lindsey Graham: 'I will violate pledge to not raise taxes'

[itshappening]

WASHINGTON -- Several congressional Republicans said Sunday that they would be open to increasing the amount of money the government collects in taxes, with a senior Republican member of the U.S. Senate going so far as to say he is willing to break his earlier promise to not support tax hikes in any form.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he opposes raising income tax rates, but that he is open to increasing tax revenue by reducing the availability of deductions for things like charitable giving and mortgage interest. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) also said Sunday that he would support limiting deductions.

Doing so would violate Grover Norquist's "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," which both men have signed (as have most Republicans in Congress). Under the pledge, "candidates and incumbents solemnly bind themselves to oppose any and all tax increases," according to the Americans for Tax Reform site.

"When you're $16 trillion in debt, the only pledge we should be making to each other is to avoid becoming Greece, and Republicans -- Republicans should put revenue on the table," Graham said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." "We're this far in debt. We don't generate enough revenue. Capping deductions will help generate revenue. Raising tax rates will hurt job creation.

"So I agree with Grover, we shouldn't raise rates. But, I think Grover is wrong when it comes to [saying] we can't cap deductions and buy down debt," Graham continued. "I want to buy down debt and cut rates to create jobs, but I will violate the pledge, long story short, for the good of the country, only if Democrats will do entitlement reform."

On NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said "everything should be on the table" in negotiations to avert the "fiscal cliff," the moment at the end of the year when tax hikes and spending cuts are scheduled to take effect at once. King said he agreed with Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), who said last week that the pledge is outdated and unhelpful for reducing the national debt.

"A pledge you signed 20 years ago, 18 years ago, is for that Congress," King said. "For instance, if I were in Congress in 1941, I would have signed the declaration of war against Japan. I'm not going to attack Japan today. The world has changed. The economic situation is different. Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill realized that in the 1980s. I think everything should be on the table. I am opposed to tax increases. The speaker and the majority leader and the president will be in a room trying to find the best package. I'm not going to prejudge it. And we should not be taking ironclad positions."

Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, has defended his pledge amid signs that its talismanic power over congressional Republicans has faded slightly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/1...n_2187944.html

[itshappening]

Sen. Tom Davis opposes raising taxes:

[Matt Collins]

This makes it easier to vote him out :-)

[itshappening]

This makes it easier to vote him out :-)

Will you join the effort?

[Matt Collins]

Will you join the effort?

Who says I'm not already working on it?

[squarepusher]

I almost want them to get their way to raise taxes, and see first hand how it won't solve the problem. Then at least in the future we could point out to them the failure of the mindset.

[angelatc]

Will you join the effort?

If Matt takes it on, he can undoubtedly do it all alone. Might as well start the official "I won South Carolina" thread now.

As for the original post, this is why Republicans suck. They spend money, they let Democrats spend money, it's a grand spending party. Then they tell us that we are being childish for not wanting to pay the bills they ran up, when we weren't the people telling them to spend it in the first place.

[itshappening]

Who says I'm not already working on it?

[itshappening]

If Matt takes it on, he can undoubtedly do it all alone. Might as well start the official "I won South Carolina" thread now.

There's nothing wrong with some help from Matt Collins...

[Matt Collins]

There's nothing wrong with some help from Matt Collins...

She just doesn't like me and takes every opportunity to attack me for no reason.

[itshappening]

She just doesn't like me and takes every opportunity to attack me for no reason.

I figured that but no one should be attacked for volunteering and helping at the grassroots level especially to get rid of horrible politicians like Graham. It makes no sense to me..

[angelatc]

I figured that but no one should be attacked for volunteering and helping at the grassroots level especially to get rid of horrible politicians like Graham. It makes no sense to me..

He won Minnesota. No reason to think he won't win South Carolina, is there?

[aGameOfThrones]

"A pledge you signed 20 years ago, 18 years ago, is for that Congress," King said. "For instance, if I were in Congress in 1941, I would have signed the declaration of war against Japan. I'm not going to attack Japan today. The world has changed. The economic situation is different. Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill realized that in the 1980s. I think everything should be on the table. I am opposed to tax increases. The speaker and the majority leader and the president will be in a room trying to find the best package. I'm not going to prejudge it. And we should not be taking ironclad positions."

WTF is this?

[Origanalist]

WTF is this?

Just exactly what it looks like. Weasels will be weasels.

[specsaregood]

but that he is open to increasing tax revenue by reducing the availability of deductions for things like charitable giving

great, just what we need when more people are relying on charity....

[NoOneButPaul]

I just really hope Republican voters wake up to this... these people want to raise taxes...

Dammit, THEY WWANNT TO RAISE TAXES!

[VBRonPaulFan]

I almost want them to get their way to raise taxes, and see first hand how it won't solve the problem. Then at least in the future we could point out to them the failure of the mindset.

We already have 100 years worth of examples of this, and you want to give them another one? Are you nuts?

[paulbot24]

I'm all for Lindsey Graham being violated! Oh oops. I must have read that too fast. I sure would hate to see him have to do something that goes against his sanctimonious principles.

[realtonygoodwin]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/politi...211.html?hp=l3

Following in the footsteps of Senator Chambliss.

Just one more reason to get Tom Davis (or whoever) to replace him in 2014.

[Smart3]

At this rate, we'll have Senator Gowdy.

[thoughtomator]

Awesome, a clear, unambiguous issue the base is already highly attuned to, with which to hang Graham in the 2014 primaries.

[itshappening]

[jkr]

so
you're a liar then...

south Carolina, WAKE UP!

[nobody's_hero]

I almost want them to get their way to raise taxes, and see first hand how it won't solve the problem. Then at least in the future we could point out to them the failure of the mindset.

I get what you're saying, but the problem is that these people don't learn from anything. They're dense, $#@!ing idiots, and that's putting it nicely. I wish they had good reasoning ability to realize that raising taxes still doesn't address spending. Raising taxes to pay off our debt is one thing (I doubt it could even be done, which is what makes this whole debate rather comical), but raising taxes to postpone necessary spending reform is just another dose of the status quo.

Raising taxes isn't going to send Washington any message other than, "Oh look, see, there's still more to be taxed and spent. The American people have been holding out on us. They can still give more!!!" And now we see that Rank-and-File republicans are even willing to bend over and take it up the rear. It's your patriotic duty to give government tax money to throw away.

[AuH20]

Bob Corker just showed his true colors. And I suspect Lamar Alexander isn't far behind. The Bush faction of the GOP is disgusting.

[jmdrake]

Bob Corker just showed his true colors. And I suspect Lamar Alexander isn't far behind. The Bush faction of the GOP is disgusting.

I proudly voted for Bob Corker's democratic challenger who is a Ron Paul supporter.

[Brian4Liberty]

WTF is this?

He wanted to invoke Godwin's law and use Hilter in his analogy, but it didn't test well with a focus group. He had to use Japan instead.

[nobody's_hero]

He wanted to invoke Godwin's law and use Hilter in his analogy, but it didn't test well with a focus group. He had to use Japan instead.

Well, there have been so many ruthless dictators throughout history, that it does seem a bit unfair that Hitler gets all the attention.

[lx43]

I hope this is the beginning of the end for Lindsey Graham. As a South Carolinian I will do everything in power to unseat this big government liberal.