Pledge Scams as Ambush Politics (And why the No Tax Pledge Violates the U.S. Constitution)

Two pledge scams have been in the news lately: The so-called Family Pledge (covered by Nameless Cynic in this post, The American Taliban) and Grover Norquist’s so-called No Tax Pledge. Although seemingly unrelated, these pledges share at least one trait in common: To bully public officials and hold them hostage. More to the point, pledge scams are a form of ambush politics designed to preclude any reasonable debate on any subject by coercing compliance without forethought as to implications, impacts, or alternative solutions.

The No-Tax Pledge represents a case in point. As a Damocles sword wielded by nihilists over the heads of GOP chumps, it is the singular cause of gridlock in the current debt default debate. Here is what a debt default will mean:

• A downgrade in the credit worthiness of the nation;
• Interest rate increases on home mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit cards;
• Worldwide turmoil in bond and equity markets;
• Steep losses in the value of homes and retirement accounts;
• Interruptions in Medicare, Social Security and VA disbursements;
• And a crippling double-dip recession.

In other words, it is not just GOP stooges who are being held hostage; it is the American economy and We, The People … all on account of an anti-tax lunatic fringe wielding The Pledge to play brinksmanship at our expense.  When these GOP stooges took their oaths of office, they also pledged to uphold the U.S. Constitution, which requires them among other things to honor the nation's debts. Does this mean Grover Norquist holds more authority than the U.S. Constitution?  In allowing themselves to be suckered, the GOP have turned themselves into fools as well as hypocrites.  And they have no one else to blame but themselves!

It reminds me of a nursery rhyme I once read to my kids …

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don’t know why she swallowed that fly,
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly -
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a bird;
How ABSURD to swallow a bird!
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly -
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a cat.
Imagine THAT to swallow a cat!
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a dog.
What a HOG to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a goat.
Just opened her THROAT and in walked the goat!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a cow.
I don't know HOW she swallowed a cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wiggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly
Perhaps she'll die.

There was an old lady who swallowed a horse -
She's DEAD, of course.

One word of advice: DO NOT send this nursery rhyme to your local GOP congress critter. In this political climate, they will play the victim card and accuse you of sending death threats.