Right-Wing Watch--Americans for Tax Reform

As an organization, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) is best known for its "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," which asks candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to oppose all tax increases.

The group is led by Grover Norquist, described by the Wall Street Journal as the "the V.I. Lenin of the anti-tax movement." He is renowned in right-wing and Republican circles for his ability to unite the various right-wing interests into coalitions to achieve a common goal.

Americans for Tax Reform was founded in the mid-80s inside the Reagan White House. Norquist was tapped to head the group as an in-house operation to build support for the 1986 tax reform bill.

President/Executive Director: Grover Norquist
Finances: $3,912,958 (2004); ATR is a 501(c)(4) organization.

Of course it is.

Americans for Tax Reform Foundation is the education and research arm of ATR. ATR is a member of the State Policy Network and of townhall.com, a right-wing Internet portal founded by the Heritage Foundation.

From Americans for Tax Reform's mission statement: "ATR opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle. We believe in a system in which taxes are simpler, fairer, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today.

Whoa! Who’s gonna pay for all this s**t if we aren’t taxing everybody, although the Bushman stole whatever he could lift and pass on to his friends.

The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized. ATR serves as a national clearinghouse for the grassroots taxpayers' movement by working with approximately 800 state and county level groups."

Does this mean you all will get off the women’s case and let them decide how they will use their uterus? Oh joy!

ATR serves as the operational base for President Grover Norquist's vast political operation. The Foundation has received a number of grants from right-wing foundations, including Olin, Scaife, Bradley, etc.

ATR is heavily funded by a number of corporate backers, with the tobacco, gambling and alcohol industries figuring most prominently in 1999. Other recent ATR funders have included Microsoft, Pfitzer, AOL Time Warner and UPS.

Americans for Tax Reform provides support to right-wing policies and candidates. In 1999, it spent $4.2 million on a television ad campaign touting the GOP tax plan.

ATR has also taken a lead in other causes dear to the GOP's right wing, such as opposing campaign finance reform and attacking the 2000 presidential bid of Senator John McCain.

And, don’t forget our little Sarah! Isn’t she embarrassing?

During the 1996 elections ATR flooded 150 congressional districts with mail and phone calls which was supported by a $4.6 million donation from the Republican National Committee.

In 2001 ATR formed the "State Legislature Advisory Project," described as a "national effort to involve state legislators and Indian nations in federal policy which  provides a backdrop of the state delegation's opinion when the issue becomes one of national importance."

This Project calls annually for extensions and permanence of conservative, costly tax cuts.

In 2001 it encouraged states to pass the Economic Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, and in subsequent years pushed for permanently ending the "Death Tax," abolishing the Alternative Minimum Tax, privatizing Social Security, and drastically increasing defense spending.

Whether we’re at war or not? Must increase defense spending? And what is it you have against Social Security? It doesn’t cost you filthy, selfish scabs one single shekel!

This project works closely with the President and Majority Members in the House and Senate.

ATR supported John G. Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court, and criticized opponents for "subjecting Roberts to litmus tests on a laundry list of the extreme Left's pet issues."

And we shouldn’t have questioned him? He should have just been anointed? What could have made the Left suspicious? Could it have been the CITIZENS UNITED fiasco? You know, the one destroying our country?

ATR president Grover Norquist conducts an invitation-only, off-the-record Wednesday meeting that includes representatives of the National Rifle Association, the Christian Coalition, the Heritage Foundation, reporters and editors from conservative media outlets, and a variety of corporate lobbyists. Since the arrival of President Bush, the meetings also include representatives of the White House, the Republican National Committee and the House and Senate leadership.

Oh, you fux! That’s why you’re always on the same page and singing from the same Hymnal! You religious freaks!

Americans for Tax Reform was originally founded inside the Reagan White House and later became officially independent.

Norquist was a key grassroots proponent of the Contract With America and was Gingrich's top unofficial adviser.

ATR, in 1999, received major donations from Phillip Morris, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (a group represented by the controversial lobbyist Jack Abramoff), Microsoft, Time Warner, and Pfizer. Phillip Morris contributed $685,000, and the Choctaw Indians, $360,000.


Man, that's some real money. How can Dems get in on that?

Grover Norquist is also on the boards of the National Rifle Association of America and the American Conservative Union.

He forged an early alliance with President Bush, (you mean monkey face, don’t you?) traveling to Austin, Texas to meet with then-Governor Bush and his political advisor Karl Rove right after Bush's 1998 reelection.

Norquist threw the full force of his influence behind the Bush campaign, playing a key role in defeating Sen. John McCain in the South Carolina primaries.


Nice job, Norquist. Thanks for sharing.

Norquist was a campaign staffer on the 1988, 1992, 1996 Republican Platform Committees and executive director of both the National Taxpayers' Union and the College Republicans.