In a recording that became public last week, Conservative strategist Grover Norquist, head of the Washington, D.C.-based Americans for Tax reform, lambasted Gov. Bob Taft in a private meeting with members of the organization Republicans Abroad at the Republican National Convention.
We have to hold Ohio. OK? We have an idiot
stupid corrupt dumb
rotten
Republican governor in the state who's been busy looting the state
and raising taxes and lying to gun owners
Norquist said in the recording that was made available on the Internet last week.
His state is the only state in the nation that's lost jobs and isn't recovering because he's beating the economy to death in the state...he should be taken out and horsewhipped
Norquist said.
Norquist said he made the statements in response to questions about the ability of President George W. Bush to win key battleground states in the November election.
It was a rant and the point was my unhappiness with the governor's tax hike
Norquist said.
Norquist has been an outspoken critic of tax increases nationwide and maintains that the reason for Ohio's job losses and weak economy is because of Taft's tax hikes in response to state budget woes.
The federal government announced that 12,000 Ohio jobs were lost in August, said House Democratic Spokesman John Kohlstrand.
Orest Holubec, spokesman for Gov. Taft's office, said the governor would not dignify the comments with a response.
Ohio House Democrats picked up on the statements by posting the comments made by Norquist on their Web site and called for change this election after what Kohlstrand called 10 years of one-party rule.
Norquist said he stood by his comments and said as a tax activist he opposed the governor's tax increase because tax increases (slow) economic growth in the state.
Norquist said he would not apologize for his comments unless Taft immediately repealed the tax increase.
I would certainly apologize for the harshness
Norquist said. If he would hurry up and repeal the tax increase
I would send him flowers.
