Norquist Says Some Republicans Having \'Impure Thoughts\' on Taxes

Grover Norquist on Monday found a new way of dismissing the handful of Republican lawmakers - including the House majority leader - who are now publicly wavering about his pledge they signed not ever to raise taxes.

Mr. Norquist, the anti-tax crusader who urges every new lawmaker to sign the pledge, joked on CNN's “Starting Point” that “we've got some people discussing impure thoughts on national television.” But he insisted that the vast majority of Republicans will pay them no mind.

“They all said this two years ago, when we w ere arguing over the debt ceiling limit,” Mr. Norquist said in the interview. “We cut spending. We didn't raise taxes. So other Republicans did not listen.”

Mr. Norquist's position as the chief enforcer of the Republican party's no-tax stance is under fire in Washington as President Obama pressures Republicans in Congress to reach a compromise that increases taxes on wealthy Americans.

Not wanting to be boxed in by Mr. Norquist's pledge, some key lawmakers are saying publicly that they might be willing to raise taxes - in certain circumstances.

The latest to express some doubt about the pledge is Representative Eric Cantor, the majority leader in the House and a staunch, anti-tax crusader himself.

In an appearance on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” program Monday, Mr. Cantor repeated his insistence that Republicans in the House “weren't elected to raise taxes.” But he also downplayed the pledge as something that would n't necessarily bind his caucus in the House.

“A lot has been said about this pledge and I will tell you when I go to the constituents that re-elected me, it is not about that pledge, it really is about trying to solve problems,” Mr. Cantor said.

That's not quite as far some other lawmakers have been willing to go. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said flat out that he'd break the pledge if Democrats agree to cuts in entitlement programs. And Representative Peter King of New York said he doesn't feel bound by the pledge any more than he'd insist on attacking Japan now because of a pledge to do so made during World War II.

“The world has changed,” Mr King said on NBC's “Meet the Press” program on Sunday.

A smiling Mr. Norquist dismissed the comments by Mr. King, Mr. Graham and others as not reflective of the broader Republican party. And he said that lawmakers who break the tax pledge do so at the risk of angering the voters who sen t them to Washington.

“You can either reform government so that it spends less and works better, or you can raise taxes to keep doing all the things we have been doing that haven't worked very well,” Mr. Norquist said on CNN.

If Mr. Norquist seemed confident, the numbers are so far on his side. His Web site lists 258 members of the 213th Congress who have signed his pledge, including 219 in the House and 39 in the Senate.

So far, only about a half-dozen have said expressed doubts about the pledge, and none have yet proved that they are willing to break the pledge with a vote to increase taxes. That test could come in the next six weeks.

The pressure to reach a compromise may work on them - and on others. But the Republican lawmakers also face real risks that voters in their states will be angry. And many could face serious challenges from a conservative, Tea Party activist if they vote for a compromise that includes a tax hike.

Mr. Norquist offered his own warning to those members.

“If you want to go to your voters and say I promised you this, and I'm breaking my promise, you can have that conversation,” he said. “You're not having an argument with me. You've made a commitment to your voters.”

Follow Michael D. Shear on Twitter at @shearm.

Debt Reckoning: Updates on the Fiscal Deadline

About Debt Reckoning

The New York Times is starting a new online feature to follow the talks between President Obama and Congressional leaders over the so-called fiscal cliff. In the weeks ahead we will use this space to track developments from the White House and Capitol Hill, explain the major economic and fiscal issues, examine public opinion and analyze the options that the parties are considering, among other things.

A Phone Cradle for More GPS Power

The Magellan Car Kit improves the GPS of an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Magellan may be best known for its dashboard GPS navigation products, particularly its oversize offerings like the Magellan RoadMate 9250Tâ€"LMB with its 7-inch screen.

But now it is making a product that helps bring a small screen to your dashboard, a GPS car kit that adds a more powerful antenna, speaker and charging for an iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S, as well as the third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch.

The $100 cradle has a 30-pin connector at the bottom and a secure ratcheting clamp at the top. There is even an  adjustable bumper to push up against the back of the phone so it won't rattle around. The whole assembly attaches to a suction cup mount that sticks on your windshield.

In a test using the car kit and a stand-alone iPhone, the car kit produced directions a little bit faster than the unmounted iPhone â€" and this was in an area with strong reception.

Of course, Magellan would like you to use it with its $50 navigation app - which happens to be quite good. But you are not limited to its app. The cradle will work with any navigation software you care to put on screen.

One thing that's a bit quirky: Although the device plugs in, you still have to connect the audio wirelessly using Bluetooth, which appears to interfere with my car's hands-free Bluetooth system.