Norquist himself lays down the gauntlet against Republicans by insisting they can’t win and raise taxes.
The California recall election on Oct. 7 will give us further evidence of the power of the tax issue in the general electorate and for Republican candidates. Democratic Gov. Gray Davis probably signed his political death warrant when he tripled the car tax through an executive order. And on the Republican side, Arnold Schwarzenegger is refusing — as Alabama’s Gov. Riley did — to sign the no-tax-hike pledge, thus leaving the door open to tax hikes in case of an "emergency." This has allowed state Republican Sen. Tom McClintock, with little name recognition or money, to hold onto 10 percent to 15 percent of the vote — enough to keep Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante ahead in the polls.
And that is a good thing for Republicans? Okay. Keep it up.