Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Letter to the editor:

In defense of being uncompromising

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I’d like to respond to Robert Blanner’s letter Wednesday, “Common sense calls for compromise.” I agree with his position that Democrats have to be willing to compromise in the current negotiations. But they’re not. All of the pressure for compromise is being applied to Republicans. Mr. Blanner seems pleased that some Republicans are beginning to waffle on their no-new-taxes pledge.

A couple of thoughts: The pledge that Mr. Blanner doesn’t like was a pledge made by Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Lindsey Graham not to Grover Norquist but to donors and constituents. It’s to them the senators will have to answer. And if either senator thinks raising taxes now is in the best interests of the country, what has changed since he signed the pledge? Or since 2009, when President Barack Obama said you don’t raise taxes in a recession?

Finally, Mr. Blanner believes that any pledge that leaves no wiggle room is a bad idea. I refer him to the last lines of the Declaration of Independence, where the signatories pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. No wiggle room. No compromise. And none walked away from that pledge, which is one of the reasons Mr. Blanner and I enjoy the freedom to have this discussion.

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