Heads were scratched across DC Tuesday when the National Review reported Grover Norquist — the Republican Party’s fiscal conservative in chief — had signed on to proposed debt ceiling contingency plan suggested by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and excoriated by everyone on the Professional Right.
A couple hours after the National Review posted Norquist’s initial take on the plan (and as conservative anger at McConnell bubbled up) Norquist pushed back, claiming that he’s not endorsing anything, yet.
“Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist did not endorse any particular debt limit contingency plan, as has been alleged,” ATR wrote in a blog post. “He did endorse the objective of Leader McConnell’s effort to force the President to put his spending plan in writing.”
Though he’s not officially endorsing it, Norquist is continuing to say nicer things about McConnell’s plan than just about anyone on the right.
“ATR wants to ensure a debt limit deal contains the maximum amount of real spending cuts and absolutely no tax increases,” the post reads. “Leader McConnell has put forth a plan that attempts to put this goal in motion. ATR looks forward to reviewing other strategies that could also achieve this goal.”
Read the whole clarification here.
