Rep. Scott Rigell shrugs off the Norquist pledge and embraces idea of increasing revenues

What a difference an election can make in the political positions of seemingly intractable ideologues! In the case of Rep. Scott Rigell (2^nd District, Virginia), not only has he shunned the once seemingly invincible Grover Norquist’s “anti-tax pledge,” Rigell has also taken it one step further by calling on members of the GOP to “embrace” the idea of increasing revenues as a way of avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff.[1]

However, far from claiming that this seemingly novel political position for Rigell is a reversal of previous policy positions, Rigell insisted that increased revenues are consistent with financial conservatism. Another interesting Republican spin on ideas!

Rigell stated in a letter sent to his Republican colleagues in the House, “Increasing revenues through tax reform (as well as through growth) is a mathematical – and fiscally conservative – imperative.”[2]

While this is news worth celebrating for Virginians and Americans living in the world of facts and truth (i.e., the world NOT inhabited by many conservative politicians), it is also an illustration of how dominate the conservative narrative has become in the U.S.

The “anti-tax pledge” is so ridiculous that it hardly warrants a serious political response and yet it has been one of the most salient lightning rod ideas for the conservative base over the past decade[3], an idea that Democratic politicians have continually had to fight in an effort to rein in our country’s debt.

Just as ridiculous is the idea that raising revenue is in and of itself a bad thing. When in our country’s history has the U.S. not had to raise revenue?

Thus, liberals desperately need to retake political discussions back and place them on our own turf. Reassuming the political offensive is the only way that liberals will be able to win and sustain their policy ideas in the U.S. 

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[1] http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/rigell-calls-increased-revenue-fiscally-conservative/article_461dcc22-10e7-517b-9c23-46102c63a6a8.html

[2] http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/state-regional/rigell-calls-increased-revenue-fiscally-conservative/article_461dcc22-10e7-517b-9c23-46102c63a6a8.html

[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/republicans-grover-norquist_n_2193785.html