Grover Norquist’s Endless Campaign

June 19 (Bloomberg) -- “Tell me something cheerful” is howGrover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, hasstarted most of the conversations I’ve had with him over thepast 20 years. Not last week.

Norquist has spent a quarter century getting Americanpoliticians, especially Republicans, to sign a pledge opposingall tax increases. In recent weeks, however, his fight has beengetting harder. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has been urgingRepublicans not to take the pledge, arguing that it would ruleout even a budget deal with $10 of spending cuts for every $1 oftax increases. The day I visited Norquist’s office, Bush hadpraised a tax-increasing budget deal -- signed by his father,President George Bush -- at a Bloomberg View forum.