Norquist's pledge | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Rich Lowry's "insights" in "Don't blame Grover" (Opinion, Nov. 28) are a sophist's spins on reality. His central allegation is that increased revenue is almost always spent, and he credits President George W. Bush with cutting taxes before Democrats could spend the surplus.

Lowry does not mention that Bush's eight years of tax cuts, unfunded wars and a Medicare Part D prescription giveaway led to deficits of more than $3 trillion. So, what is the relationship between fiscal responsibility and no tax increases? Obviously none.

The relationship between Norquist's pledge and "good governing" is nonexistent. First, Norquist has never been elected to any public office, so he should have no role in any form of governing.

Second, having men and women who are elected to govern pledge their allegiance to Norquist rather than to the public they represent is a perversion of what the Founding Fathers envisioned.

After this election, the Republican brand is in need of serious retooling. The electorate spoke definitively that the "party of No" is not the party of choice.

Lowry just doesn't get that.

Gordon LaFleur

Cottonwood Heights