Americans for Tax Reform

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see other/main node ATR, also Norquist tag, 3/16 grover

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Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) also makes an appearance in the Post story, as ATR sponsored the first round of tea parties a year ago and as Mr. Norquist's famous Wednesday morning meetings for conservative power brokers have provided a fertile medium for the movement's networking.

Just a few years ago, however, those meetings were infamous for having served as showcases for Mr. Abramoff's clients.

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<a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/norquist-says-he-fights-taxpayers-goes-bat-donors/">http://www.thenation.com/article/norquist-says-he-fights-taxpayers-goes-bat-donors/</a>

Norquist speaking at CPAC 2011 in Washington, DC.

“Americans for Tax Reform is a wonderful-sounding name.… As far as I’m concerned, it’s a front organization for Grover Norquist’s lobbying activities.” —Former Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH)

Rather than acting as a principled taxpayer or anti-tax “activist,” as he’s referred to in the media, Grover Norquist has often used his nonprofit to further the interests of his financial backers.

Last week, we showed how two billionaire-backed nonprofits provide over two-thirds of funds to Norquist’s foundation, Americans for Tax Reform.

But that other third is important in understanding Norquist’s priorities on Capitol Hill.

One aspect of the pledge is the promise not to raise rates; the other is to not cut tax credits (unless balanced with more rate cuts). In practice, the second part of the pledge is simply a promise to sustain any corporate tax subsidy under the sun.

Although Norquist talks like other conservatives about opposing government waste, tax credits are economically equivalent to subsidies. The only difference between a multimillion-dollar targeted tax credit for an oil refinery in Rosemont, Minnesota, and a Department of Energy grant to the same refinery is the agency that administers the money. Yet in Norquist’s world, regardless of the policy merits, every targeted tax credit is like a “tax cut” that must be protected.

Here’s an example of how this works. Take General Electric, which faced withering, bipartisan criticism last year when it was revealed that the company, thanks to a myriad of tax credits and other tax subsidies, had paid no federal income taxes in 2010. Norquist was there to defend the company in a chat with The Washington Post, arguing absurdly that removing billions in tax rebates to GE would just be a tax on consumers. Cutting GE’s tax credits, after all, would break the Norquist pledge.

In a recently posted 2011 giving report, General Electric says it made a contribution of $50,000 to Norquist’s foundation that year.

Consider that—GE gave more to Norquist in 2011 than it paid the IRS for income taxes in 2010, a year the corporation made $14.2 billion in profits.

Though Norquist claims to protect all tax credits, he seems to divert a great deal of his attention towards powerful K Street interests.

A quick search on Norquist’s foundation website shows countless action alerts to protest attempts by lawmakers to shutter wasteful energy subsidies, including billions in tax credits to oil and gas companies. One post claims removing nearly $100 billion in tax subsidies for oil companies amounts to a “tax hike on energy producers and families.”

Disclosures reviewed by The Nation show that, from 2008 to 2011, the American Petroleum Institute, a trade association for oil and gas companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil, gave $525,000 to Americans for Tax Reform.

Norquist’s pledge (and his foundation’s advocacy) transformed billions in taxpayer handouts into “tax cuts” that cannot be removed. In other words, Norquist is simply providing ideological cover for his benefactors in the oil industry.

Sometimes, Norquist’s relationship with K Street has led to advocacy beyond taxes. As Republic Report noted last summer, Norquist’s foundation regularly receives large payments from the pharmaceutical lobby group PhRMA—and Norquist deviates from his market values to oppose efforts to import cheaper Medicare drugs from Canada. Whatever happened to free trade?

By now, these sorts of grants and conflicts of interest should come as no surprise. Norquist is somehow the only corporate lobbyist in town who gets to avoid being tagged with the term. It’s a career that’s spanned almost two decades.

Norquist’s first official lobbying gig was a contract to represent France-Albert Rene, the leftist leader of the Seychelles, a small island nation off the coast of Africa. In one of the first exposes of Norquist’s coin-operated conservatism, Tucker Carlson, in a piece for The New Republic, called out the foreign influence peddling, referring to Norquist as just another “cash-addled, morally malleable lobbyist.”

Norquist later started his own lobbying firm, called Janus-Merritt Strategies, and signed up an elite set of clients, including most famously, Fannie Mae.

In the late nineties, Microsoft invited representatives of Americans for Tax Reform to travel to Washington State for a three-day presentation (which included tickets to a Mariners game as well as dinner and entertainment at Seattle’s Teatro ZinZanni). Two days after returning from the trip, the foundation sent a letter to House Republicans urging them to cut deeper into the anti-trust division’s budget at the Department of Justice, the same unit pursuing Microsoft in a high-stakes legal case.

Microsoft, The Washington Post noted, had paid Norquist $40,000 as a registered lobbyist for the company.

The pattern repeats itself like clockwork. Phillip Morris pays Americans for Tax Reform; Norquist campaigns against cigarette taxes. Cell phone companies pay Americans for Tax Reform; Norquist campaigns against cell phone taxes and fees.

Early in the Obama administration, Norquist sent a letter to FedEx, demanding that the company back off of an anti-UPS campaign website it hosted to fight off a measure that would enable FedEx employees to join a union.

It was a surprising move for a conservative like Norquist, who has praised draconian efforts to curb organizing rights in states like Wisconsin. Yet its less surprising given the fact that UPS, through its charitable foundation, gave Americans for Tax Reform $25,000 only months after the letter.

The most sordid examples come from the Senate investigation of Jack Abramoff’s lobbying. As the Associated Press reported, one of Abramoff’s clients, the Mississippi Choctaw tribe, worked out an arrangement in which Norquist would transfer $1.2 million in Choctaw money through his foundation, Americans for Tax Reform, for other Abramoff efforts. In exchange for laundering the money, Norquist kept a cut of $50,000 from two of the transfers.

Somehow, Norquist emerged from the Abramoff scandal largely unscathed.

Check out Lee Fang’s previous post about the two billionaire-backed non-profits that finance 66 percent of his budget

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orquist’s iron grip over much of the Republican Party is somewhat puzzling. Why should Senators and other lawmakers listen to a guy caught laundering money for Jack Abramoff?

But consider Norquist’s tax pledge and political power another way: that he’s just a proxy for the powerful interest groups that finance him. In the nineties, it was big tobacco that used Norquist’s tax pledge as a cover to lobby lawmakers against cigarette taxes (Norquist still uses an e-mail system donated to him by Altria to send out Tea Party action alerts against tobacco taxes). Now, big PhRMA and other industry groups provide grants to Norquist while his foundation endorses other giveaways, like protectionist support against importing cheaper drugs from Canada and the classification of tax subsidies to refineries as “tax cuts” that must not be cut.

I took a look at the last available budget numbers for Americans for Tax Reform, Norquist’s group. Though they do not reveal their donors, we can cobble together much of Norquist’s donors using foundations and other nonprofits that donate money to him.

The disclosures show that only two billionaire-backed groups have provided over 66 percent of Norquist’s funding:

• The Center to Protect Patients Rights donated $4,189,000 to Americans for Tax Reform in 2010, 34 percent of the group’s budget that year.

• Crossroads GPS donated $4,000,000 to Americans for Tax Reform in 2010, 32.46 percent of the group’s budget that year.

The Center to Protect Patients Rights is the foundation used by the billionaire clique led by the Koch brothers to distribute grants to allied groups. In 2010, wealthy moguls like Steve Bechtel of Bechtel Corporation and Steve Schwarzman of the Blackstone Group met behind closed doors to help lend money to these types of efforts.

Crossroads GPS is the undisclosed group run by Karl Rove. The only known donors are folks like Paul Singer, the “vulture” hedge fund king who benefits enormously from tax strategies like the carried interest loophole. Norquist’s pledge largely benefits billionaires like Singer and Schwarzman, who pay almost nothing in payroll taxes and likely pay a lower rate than their secretaries.

When Norquist promises consequences for the few GOP members willing to break with his pledge, what he’s really saying is that his donor network will retaliate with attack ads and money for primary challenges.

So as our country descends into a position where now 1 percent of society owns more than one-third of the wealth, it should be no surprise that the guy preventing any equitable tax system is fully financed by the privileged few at the top

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https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00550558&cycle=2014

Official PAC Name:

AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM PAC

Location: WASHINGTON, DC 20005

Industry: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/industry.php?txt=Q10&cycle=2014" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Misc Issues</a>; Fiscal & tax policy

Treasurer: NORQUIST, GROVER

FEC Committee ID: C00550558

(Look up <a href="http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?C00550558" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(62, 114, 181); text-decoration: none; line-height: 24px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">actual documents filed</a> at the FEC)

==

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform">Americans for Tax Reform</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform"> </a>(ATR) is ostensibly a group that pushes for lower taxes. It has close ties to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_Party" title="Republican Party" class="mw-redirect">Republican Party</a> and has frequently allied itself with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tobacco_industry" title="Tobacco industry">tobacco industry</a>.

<h2>Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council</h2>

ATR is a member of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council" title="American Legislative Exchange Council">American Legislative Exchange Council</a> (ALEC).<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_note-Noble_Ellington_NPR-0">[1]</a>

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About ALEC

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<div style=" padding: 2px 5px;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC" title="ALEC" class="mw-redirect">ALEC</a> is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://alecexposed.org/">ALECexposed.org</a>, and check out breaking news on our <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.PRWatch.org">PRWatch.org site</a>.</div>

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<h2>Special Projects</h2>

The website provides links to the following projects:<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.atr.org/special/index.html">[1]</a>

<h3>Monthly radio program</h3>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Grover_Norquist" title="Grover Norquist">Grover Norquist</a>'s Radio Show, "Leave Us Alone" broadcasts on the internet every fourth Thursday on <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rightalk&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Rightalk (page does not exist)">Rightalk</a>. The organizational website maintains an archive of the programs. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.atr.org/special/misc/leaveusalone/index.html">[2]</a>

<h3>Nationalization of Virginia state tax issues</h3>

Starting in 2004, ATF launched a national letterwriting campaign to persuade Virginia legislators to fight Democratic Governor <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Mark_Warner" title="Mark Warner" class="mw-redirect">Mark Warner</a>'s plan to raise taxes to maintain the state's AAA bond raising and meet commitments to K-12 and higher education funding, among other purposes. Warner had inherited budget shortfalls from his predecessor, Republican <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_Allen" title="George Allen">George Allen</a> and had already cut spending to avoid a deficit. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/graphics/virginia_money_022504.html?referrer=emaillink">[3]</a>

When 34 Republican legislators worked with Virginia’s Democratic governor to secure passage, they issued a "Virginia's Least Wanted" poster targeting those Republicans. On April 24, 2005, ATF issued a press release touting those legislators that had signed a pledge not to increase taxes.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.atr.org/content/pdf/2005/mar/pr-va-primaries.pdf">[4]</a>

On June 15, 2005, after the state primary, ATR issued a press release claiming that "Taxpayer advocates believe the two scalps they claimed last night – those of Gary Reese (H-67), who was defeated by newcomer Chris Craddock, and James Dillard (H-41), who retired rather than face a strong challenge from Michael Golden – are only their latest wins against the pro-tax 'Republicans.' Last September, Sen. Ken Stolle (S-8) was denied a seat in Congress because of his pro-tax vote; anti-tax Delegate Thelma Drake took the seat in Congress instead. In the special election to succeed Thelma Drake, Republican Michael Ball lost by less than 100 votes because he tried to finesse the tax issue."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.atr.org/content/pdf/2005/jun/061505pr-va-postprimary.pdf">[5]</a>

However, the strategy may have backfired. Both the Dillard and Reese seats, which had been Republican, ended up as Democratic seats in the general election. In fact in the Craddock-Caputo race in Virginia's 67th District, Norquist became a target in the campaign.

<h2>KStreetProject.com</h2>

K Street Project is "non-partisan research of political affiliation, employment background, and political donations of members in Washington DC's premier lobbying firms, trade associations, and industries." Ironically, it shares its name with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/K_Street_Project" title="K Street Project">project</a> by the Republican Party to pressure Washington lobbying firms to hire Republicans in top positions, and to reward loyal GOP lobbyists with access to influential officials. That projects was launched in 1995, by Republican strategist and ATF founder Grover Norquist working with former House majority leader Tom DeLay.

While many of the resources on this site appear non-partisan, there is also a prominent link to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Daniel_J._Flynn&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Daniel J. Flynn (page does not exist)">Daniel J. Flynn</a>'s report on liberal bias in higher education. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.kstreetproject.com/index.php?content=KSTProject">[6]</a>

Author of Intellectual Morons: How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas (Crown Forum, 2004) and Why the Left Hates America: Exposing the Lies That Have Obscured Our Nation's Greatness (<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Prima_Forum&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Prima Forum (page does not exist)">Prima Forum</a>, 2002). The latter is a Crown imprint which publishes conservative, current event titles. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/crownforum/">[7]</a> such as Flynn, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ann_Coulter" title="Ann Coulter">Ann Coulter</a> and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Brent_Bozell" title="Brent Bozell">L. Brent Bozell III</a>, founder and president of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Media_Research_Center" title="Media Research Center">Media Research Center</a>. Flynn served from 1994-1997 as program officer for <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Young_America%27s_Foundation" title="Young America's Foundation">Young America's Foundation</a>, from 1997-2003 as executive director of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Accuracy_in_Academia" title="Accuracy in Academia">Accuracy in Academia</a>, and from 2004-2005 as director of the Campus Leadership Program at the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Leadership_Institute" title="Leadership Institute" class="mw-redirect">Leadership Institute</a>.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.flynnfiles.com/bio.php">[8]</a>

<h2>Ronald Reagan Legacy Project</h2>

The <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Ronald_Reagan_Legacy_Project" title="Ronald Reagan Legacy Project">Ronald Reagan Legacy Project</a> is a project of Americans for Tax Reform. It is a project to put Reagan's image on U.S. ten dollar bill and to "dedicate more things after Reagan." It promotes a Ronald Reagan Day and naming landmarks after Reagan. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_note-1">[2]</a>

<h2>Property Rights Alliance</h2>

This group works to influence legislation in opposition to the estate tax,<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.propertyrightsalliance.org/index.php?content=cwa_alert">[9]</a> environmental protection, licensing restrictions, Federal purchase of land for national parks and wildlife areas, broadcast requirements for multicssting and drug importation, as well as seizure by eminent domain. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.propertyrightsalliance.org/index.php?content=issues">[10]</a>

<h2>Alliance for Worker Freedom</h2>

The "Alliance for Worker Freedom" is a "special project" of Americans for Tax Reform. The name is really a misnomer, as the Alliance opposes unions. At the Web site of the AWF, it says "AWF works to raise awareness of labor union abuses within the political system by educating movement conservatives on the threats to liberty posed by labor unions." AWF opposes collective bargaining.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_note-2">[3]</a> AWF opposes the Employee Free Choice Act.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_note-3">[4]</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.workerfreedom.org/index.php?content=mission">[11]</a>

<h2>The Media Freedom Project</h2>

Advocating free market solutions to media, technology and telecommunications policy issues <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.mediafreedomproject.org/index.php?content=aboutus">http://www.mediafreedomproject.org/index.php?content=aboutus</a>

<h2>The American Shareholders Project</h2>

This project has the mission of providing a "voice to people...in the public policy debates that impact" savings and investments. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.americanshareholders.com/about/">[12]</a> This includes opposition to the estate tax and a "fairer, simpler", e.g. less progressive tax rate.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.americanshareholders.com/policy/awardvotes.php">[13]</a>

<h3>Conservative Movement Maps</h3>

"As a resource to our friends and supporters, we have provided issue maps that describe the 50 states in terms of where they are in the issues that most affect Conservatives" such as voting trends, but also government pensions, home schooling and official English laws.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.atr.org/special/maps/index.html">[14]</a>

<h3>Action Alerts</h3>

<h4>End the Estate Tax</h4>

<h4>Fight Net Neutrality</h4>

<h4>Oppose any limitations on "Grassroots" Internet Lobbying</h4>

<h4>Extend lower taxes on capital gains and dividends</h4>

<h4>Suport Alito for the Supreme Court</h4>

<h4>Support the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)</h4>

"Approving CAFTA will reward the democracies in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic for rejecting the Communists, and will send the message to the region and the world that those who adopt free market policies will prosper, and those who adopt Leftist anti-American protectionist policies will fail."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://capwiz.com/atr/issues/alert/?alertid=7840526&type=CO">[16]</a>

<h2>Personnel</h2>

ATR is headed by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Grover_Norquist" title="Grover Norquist">Grover Norquist</a>, one of the most connected members of the new <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Right-wing" title="Right-wing">right-wing</a> movement. He has close ties to the Republican Party, large U.S. business interests, and both the subsidized and regular U.S. media. Norquist helped the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heritage_Foundation" title="Heritage Foundation">Heritage Foundation</a> write the Republican's 1994 <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Contract_With_America" title="Contract With America" class="mw-redirect">Contract With America</a>.

Shortly thereafter, Norquist led a right wing charge to "de-fund" the left, declaring that "We will hunt [these liberal groups] down one by one and extinguish their funding sources." Norquist has also worked as a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lobbyist" title="Lobbyist">lobbyist</a> for clients including <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Business_for_Legal_Immigration" title="American Business for Legal Immigration" class="mw-redirect">American Business for Legal Immigration</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Distilled_Spirits_Council&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Distilled Spirits Council (page does not exist)">Distilled Spirits Council</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Edison_Electric_Institute" title="Edison Electric Institute">Edison Electric Institute</a>, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Interactive_Gaming_Council&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Interactive Gaming Council (page does not exist)">Interactive Gaming Council</a>, and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/British_Petroleum" title="British Petroleum" class="mw-redirect">British Petroleum</a>.

<h2>Funding</h2>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lynde_and_Harry_Bradley_Foundation" title="Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation">Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation</a></li>

<li>Carthage Foundation; see <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Scaife_Foundations" title="Scaife Foundations">Scaife Foundations</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/JM_Foundation" title="JM Foundation">JM Foundation</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/John_M._Olin_Foundation" title="John M. Olin Foundation">John M. Olin Foundation</a></li>

<li>Sarah Scaife Foundation; see <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Scaife_Foundations" title="Scaife Foundations">Scaife Foundations</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/R.J._Reynolds_Tobacco_Company" title="R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company">R.J. Reynolds</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Philip_Morris" title="Philip Morris" class="mw-redirect">Philip Morris</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tobacco_Institute" title="Tobacco Institute">Tobacco Institute</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jack_Abramoff" title="Jack Abramoff">Jack Abramoff</a>'s clients, the Chiefs of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas and the Coushattas tribe of Louisiana both gave $25,000 in 2001 and AATF received a cut of funds for laudering the emoney <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/10/politics/10abramoff.html?ei=5070&en=1870d0e1b1c33db4&ex=1149998400&pagewanted=print">[17]</a></li>

</ul>

<h2>History</h2>

In a May 25, 1989, memo to the Steering Committee of Americans for Tax Reform – a document that was curiously found in the files of the now defunct Tobacco Institute – Grover Norquist excitedly reported progress on the ‘anti-tax front’. Not only had a swag of member of Congress promised to veto any tax increase, Norquist reported, there had been “three <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wall_Street_Journal" title="Wall Street Journal">Wall Street Journal</a> editorials highlighting the importance of ATR’s pledge campaign in stopping tax hikes”.

He also reported that an article in the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Washington_Times" title="Washington Times">Washington Times</a> “which kindly quotes an agreement that I will have input into the question of what is a ‘duck’ – ie tax increase, and what is not”. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://tobaccodocuments.org/ti/TITX0034731.html">[18]</a>

<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Newt_Gingrich" title="Newt Gingrich">Gingrich</a>, as Republican whip in the House of Representatives, negotiated an agreement with the then President <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_Walker_Bush" title="George Walker Bush">George Bush</a> to vet any budget proposals. Under the deal, Gingrich would advise on whether proposed revenue raising proposals were in fact tax increases, or 'ducks' as Gingrich termed them. “It is fair to say, in dealing with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Richard_Darman" title="Richard Darman" class="mw-redirect">Darman</a> [White House Budget Director] and the administration in general on what is and isn’t a duck, I would lean very heavily on <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Richard_H.Rahn&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Richard H. Rahn (page does not exist)">Richard Rahn</a> (chief economist for the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.Chamber_of_Commerce" title="U.S. Chamber of Commerce">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a>), <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jeff_Eisenach&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Jeff Eisenach (page does not exist)">Jeff Eisenach</a> and Grover Norquist … They have a very good sense of the distinction between ducks and geese”, Gingrich said.

“The president has agreed the administration team will consult with the House Republicans and that for my part I will, as whip, in turn consult with these three people regarding the duck test,” he said. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/vuw32f00">[19]</a>

<h2>Wining and dining with Norquist</h2>

While corporate funding for ATR may have been volatile, Norquist had success on another front. In a letter to invitation to PM’s Washington-based Legislative Council, Ms Beverley McKittrick, Norquist reported that during 1997, 1997 and 1998 a series of ATR hosted dinner discussions on tax issues had all been sold out. The earlier dinners had featured speakers such as former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, Congressman John Kasich and Congressman Bill Thomas.

Norquist offered McKittrick a subscription to the 1999 series of six dinners – with Congressmen Armey, Chairman Archer and the Speaker of the House Denny Hastert amongst the invited speakers – “for a modest contribution of $10,000”.

“Only 24 business leaders will be in attendance,” Norquist assured McKittrick. The series of dinners, Norquist wrote, were chaired by Bill Roesing of Seagram & Sons and co-chaired by Chuck Crowders of Lucent Technologies.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/jqo83c00">[20]</a>

By 1999 PM’s contribution to ATR had grown to $160,000. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://tobaccodocuments.org/pm/2065281658-1661.html">[21]</a> The Tobacco Institute contributed another $10,000 in 1999. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://tobaccodocuments.org/lor/86599571-9649.html">[22]</a>

In March 1999, Norquist was active lobbying members of the Senate Budget Committee in defence of the tobacco industry. “The Tobacco industry is a lawful industry subject to an excessive tax burden, already 41 cents per packet to state governments for re-imbursement of smoking related illness and over a dollar per pack taxes (depending on the state, some taxes are much higher0. That is already one-third tax burden on a legal product. Furthermore they employ thousands of Americans, which educates, feeds and clothes families across this nation”, Norquist wrote. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/ifo60d00">[23]</a>

The following week ATR was claiming to legislators that a Senate Budget resolution seeking to remove the tax-deductibility of payments made by the tobacco industry to settle the legal actions taken against it by State Attorney General’s would breach ATR’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge. The second paragraph of the pledge, ATR said, required supporters to “oppose any further reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar further reducing tax rates”.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/mvi02d00">[24]</a>

ATR’s role also extended to facilitating the introduction of one Republican political aspirant to RJR. “<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bethany_Noble" title="Bethany Noble">Bethany Noble</a> from Americans for Tax Reform will be bringing Kevin Kellems (republican candidate to oppose Baron Hill in Ind. 9) by for a brief visit at 3.00 today. Kellems is a tobacco farmer, and has a pretty fair shot at unseating Hill,” Donald Foreman, an RJR staffer, wrote in an e-mail to his colleagues.

There was potential for embarrassment however, as RJR had donated $500 to Hill. Despite this, Foreman suggested “this is a race we may want to keep an eye on and see how it look [sic] in a few months”. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/fxj82a00">[25]</a>

A 1999 RJR Corporate Affairs plan identified one of the key strategies as being to “mobilize key third party groups (such as Americans for Tax reform, CART, NSA and others) to ensure that RJR’s message is effectively communicated, reinforced and understood by key opinion leaders”.

“We seek forums, in the media or with third parties who help us fight onerous legislation/regulation, to balance hyperbolic accusations of well financed critics whose credibility with key audiences is greater than hours”, the document stated. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/mum50d00">[26]</a>

<h2>Tax and spend ... for war</h2>

Shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City, the New Republic reported that Norquist had been working to broker a "strange alliance" between the Republican Party and radical Islam.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.tnr.com/111201/foer111201.html">[27]</a> In February 2003, however, ATR weighed in to support the Bush administration's war drive against Iraq. According to the New York Times, "Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, said his organization had sent every state legislature a proposed measure for adoption the day fighting starts that supports Mr. Bush's actions."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/01/politics/01PEAC.html?ex=1045136269&ei=1&en=f7706b72d4e51e34">[28]</a>

<h2>Contact information</h2>

Americans for Tax Reform

1920 L Street NW

Suite 200

Washington, DC 20036

Phone: (202) 785-0266

Fax: (202) 785-0261

Email: friends AT atr.org

Press contact: John Kartch, jkartch AT atr.org

Website: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.atr.org/">http://www.atr.org/</a>

<h2>Articles and resources</h2>

<h3>Related SourceWatch articles</h3>

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform_and_Jack_Abramoff" title="Americans for Tax Reform and Jack Abramoff">Americans for Tax Reform and Jack Abramoff</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform_and_Big_Tobacco" title="Americans for Tax Reform and Big Tobacco">Americans for Tax Reform and Big Tobacco</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/In_Defense_of_Freedom_Coalition" title="In Defense of Freedom Coalition">In Defense of Freedom Coalition</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Media_Freedom_Project" title="Media Freedom Project">Media Freedom Project</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Peter_Roff" title="Peter Roff">Peter Roff</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Global_Climate_Science_Communications_Plan_%281998%29" title="Global Climate Science Communications Plan (1998)">Global Climate Science Communications Plan (1998)</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Peter_Cleary" title="Peter Cleary">Peter Cleary</a></li>

</ul>

<h3>References</h3>

<li id="cite_note-Noble_Ellington_NPR-0"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_ref-Noble_Ellington_NPR_0-0">↑</a> Noble Ellington, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.npr.org/2011/07/21/138575665/national-chairman-of-alec-responds-to-report">National Chairman Of ALEC Responds To Report</a>, "Fresh Air" Interview with Terry Gross, NPR, July 21, 2011</li>

<li id="cite_note-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_ref-1">↑</a> Americans for Tax Reform <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.atr.org/ronald-reagan-legacy-project-a4499">about the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project</a>, organizational Web site, accessed August 27, 2010</li>

<li id="cite_note-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_ref-2">↑</a> Alliance for Worker Freedom <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.workerfreedom.org/Collective-Bargaining-a2785">Collective Bargaining</a>, organizational Web site, accessed August 27, 2010</li>

<li id="cite_note-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform#cite_ref-3">↑</a> Alliance for Worker Freedom <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.workerfreedom.org/Card-Check--The-Employee-Free-Choice-Act-a2784">The Employee Free Choice Act</a>, organizational Web site, accessed August 27, 2010</li>

</ol>

<h3>External resources</h3>

<h3>External articles</h3>

<ul>

<li>BBC News, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8493936.stm">Why does Taxing the rich make ordinary voters angry</a>, Feb. 3, 2010.</li>

<li>Reuters, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2010/02/02/tea-party-warriors-take-aim-at-florida-senate-race/">"Tea Party Warriors Take aim at Florida Senate Race</a>, Feb. 2, 2010.</li>

<li>Ken Bode, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.indystar.com/article/20100129/OPINION12/1290321/1002/OPINION/Florida-tea-party-in-full-swing">"Florida Tea Party in Full Swing"</a>, Indianapolis Star, Jan. 29, 2010.</li>

<li>Peter Roff, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.usnews.com/blogs/peter-roff/2010/01/26/the-obama-spending-freeze-is-simply-not-credible.html">"Obama Spending Freeze is Simply not Credible"</a>, U.S. News and World Report, January 26, 2010.</li>

<li>Americans for Tax Reform, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://press.arrivenet.com/pol/article.php/631869.html">ATR Launches Media Freedom Project, Web site; Grassroots Organization Will Advocate for Media Deregulation</a>", Media Release, U.S. Newswire, May 4, 2005.</li>

<li>Washington Post, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/daily/graphics/virginia_money_022504.html?referrer=emaillink">Virginia's Money Plans</a>" chart of February 25, 2005.</li>

<li>Shenon, Philip, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/10/politics/10abramoff.html?ei=5070&en=1870d0e1b1c33db4&ex=1149998400&pagewanted=print">$25,000 to Lobby Group Is Tied to Access to Bush</a>," New York Times, March 10, 2006.</li>

<li>Americans for Tax Reform,"<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.atr.org/special/misc/leaveusalone/index.html">[29]</a> "Leave Us Alone]" accessed June 8, 2006. All footnotes in the special projects section link to the ATR website on the page noted, as accessed on that same date.</li>

<li>Americans for Tax Reform, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.atr.org/content/pdf/2005/mar/pr-va-primaries.pdf">Virginia signers of the taxpayer protection pledge</a>" Release of April 4, 2005.</li>

<li>Americans for Tax Reform, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.atr.org/content/pdf/2005/jun/061505pr-va-postprimary.pdf">Taxpayers win in Virginia Primaries</a>" release of June 14, 2005.</li>

<li>James V. Grimaldi and Susan Schmidt, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/12/AR2006101200889.html">"Senate Report: Five Nonprofit Groups Sold Clout to Abramoff,"</a> Washington Post, October 12, 2006.</li>

<li>Press release, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-14-2007/0004705432&EDATE=">Survey: 7 in 10 Americans Urge FCC to Cap Out-Of-Control Spending on 'High Cost' Portion of Universal Service Fund Phone Bill Tax</a>," Cap The Fund (a project of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=The_Senior_Coalition&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="The Senior Coalition (page does not exist)">The Senior Coalition</a>, Americans for Tax Reform, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Maryland_Taxpayers_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Maryland Taxpayers Association (page does not exist)">Maryland Taxpayers Association</a> and The <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Media_Freedom_Project" title="Media Freedom Project">Media Freedom Project</a>) via PR Newswire, November 14, 2007.</li>

<li>Press release, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/as-federal-phone-tax-heads-higher-cap-the-fund-web,319018.shtml">As Federal Phone Tax Heads Higher, 'Cap The Fund' Web Site To Help Consumers Support FCC Curbs on Universal Service Fund (USF) Waste</a>," <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Cap_The_Fund&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Cap The Fund (page does not exist)">Cap The Fund</a> via PR Newswire, March 18, 2008.</li>

<li>John Eggerton, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6570305.html?rssid=193">Boehner, Conservative Groups Weigh In on Localism: FCC Chairman Kevin Martin Hears from Rep. John Boehner, Americans for Tax Reform, Christian Coalition, Citizens United</a>," Broadcasting & Cable, June 13, 2008.</li>

<li>Glen Dickson, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6608913.html?industryid=47170">Microsoft Presses for White Spaces Vote: Microsoft's Craig Mundie tells reporters 'no justifiable reason' to delay FCC vote on proposed devices</a>," Broadcasting & Cable, October 27, 2008.</li>

<li>David Hogberg, "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=16&issue=20081106">Conservatives Admit Mistakes As They Plot Return To Power</a>," Investor's Business Daily, November 6, 2008.</li>

<li>Mike Allen, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25072_Page2.html">"Exclusive: Conservative group offers support for $2M"</a>, Politico, July 17, 2009.</li>

<li>Dennis Whitfield, ACU Executive Vice President, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.conservative.org/pressroom/2008/StatementfromACU.asp">"Statement from ACU regarding false headline by Washington publication POLITICO "</a>, Media Release, July 17, 2009.</li>

<li>Tom Hamburger and James Oliphant, <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-fallout22-2010jan22,0,5914423.story">[30]</a>, "Court Ruling on Campaign Spending could Pay off for GOP."</li>

<li>Tea Party movement gains steam across the country, <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100123/OPINION09/301230001">[31]</a>, January 23, 2010.</li>

</ul>

</div>

<div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Categories</a>:

<ul>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:ALEC_Exposed" title="Category:ALEC Exposed">ALEC Exposed</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Tobaccowiki" title="Category:Tobaccowiki">Tobaccowiki</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Front_groups_portal" title="Category:Front groups portal">Front groups portal</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:United_States" title="Category:United States">United States</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Health" title="Category:Health">Health</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Politics_%28US%29" title="Category:Politics (US)">Politics (US)</a></li>

<li><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:ALEC_Non-Profits" title="Category:ALEC Non-Profits">ALEC Non-Profits</a></li>

</ul>

</div>

Bethany A. Noble was a vice president of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Progress_and_Freedom_Foundation" title="Progress and Freedom Foundation">Progress and Freedom Foundation</a> (PFF), working for <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Tax_Reform" title="Americans for Tax Reform">Americans for Tax Reform</a> (ATR), and vice president at Williams Mullen Strategies (WMS) , before she joined the international law and lobbying firm '<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Greenberg_Traurig" title="Greenberg Traurig">Greenberg Traurig</a> LLP' in May 2004 as Director of Federal Marketing.

While working for PFF and ATR, she had contact with <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/R.J._Reynolds_Tobacco_Company" title="R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company">RJ Reynolds</a> for those organizations. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://tobaccodocuments.org/rjr/522618056-8057.html">[1]</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://tobaccodocuments.org/rjr/522572216-2217.pdf">[2]</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/fxj82a00">[3]</a>

Since Ms. Noble is no longer working for WMS, information about her can no longer be found at their web site. But this is what was written about her on the WMS 'team' page:

"Bethany Noble focuses on the arena where policy, politics and corporate interests intersect. Her work at WMS ranges from coalition management to political fundraising and coordination of non-traditional allies. Through her years of fundraising work for political causes, she has developed strong ties to members of Washington's corporate and interest group communities, relationships that are instrumental when she is orchestrating the fundraising activities of Members of Congress. Ms. Noble continues to organize national and international policy conferences with academics, foreign dignitaries, policy makers, high-ranking public officials and Members of Congress." <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20021117084619/www.wmcd.com/wms/team.htm">[4]</a>

</blockquote>

<h2>Related Links</h2>

<ul>

<li>"<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gtlaw.com/biographies/biography.asp?id=5639">Bethany A. Noble</a>", Greenberg Traurig</li>

</ul>

Americans for Tax Reform

Attachments