69-560: Grover Glenn Norquist (born October 19, 1956) is an American political activist and anti-tax advocate who is founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform , an organization that opposes all tax increases. A Republican , he is the primary promoter of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge , a pledge signed by lawmakers who agree to oppose increases in marginal income tax rates for individuals and businesses, and net reductions or eliminations of deductions and credits without
138-481: A "criminal project" that are "under the umbrella of the Cuban regime". Norquist favors dramatically reducing the size of government. He has been noted for his widely quoted quip from a 2001 interview with NPR 's Morning Edition : "I'm not in favor of abolishing the government. I just want to shrink it down to the size where we can drown it in the bathtub." Journalist William Greider quotes Norquist saying his goal
207-839: A 2006 guilty plea by Abramoff to three criminal felony counts of defrauding of American Indian tribes and corrupting public officials. Records released by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee allege that ATR served as a "conduit" for funds that flowed from Abramoff's clients to surreptitiously finance grassroots lobbying campaigns. Norquist denied that he did anything wrong, and has not been charged with any crime. Norquist's national strategy has included recruiting state and local politicians to support ATR's stance on taxes. Norquist has helped to set up regular meetings for conservatives in many states. These meetings are modeled after his Wednesday meetings in Washington, with
276-632: A conference in South Africa sponsored by South African businesses called the "Youth for Freedom Conference", which sought to bring American and South African conservatives together to end the anti-apartheid movement. Norquist represented the France-Albert Rene government of Seychelles as a lobbyist from 1995 until 1999. Norquist's efforts were the subject of Tucker Carlson 's 1997 article in The New Republic , "What I sold at
345-593: A decline in the number of Taxpayer Protection Pledge signatories in both the upper and lower houses of the 113th Congress: from 41 to 39 in the Senate, and from 238 to "fewer than ... 218" in the House of Representatives. According to journalist Alex Seitz-Wald, losses in the election by Norquist supporters and the " fiscal cliff " have emboldened and made more vocal critics of Norquist. In November 2011, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) blamed Norquist's influence for
414-475: A friendly fire incident in the Gulf War won him his first Peabody Award. Two of Kroft's stories in 1994, a profile of Senator Bob Dole and an exposé on the Cuban government's quarantine policy for people infected with AIDS , won Emmy awards. In 2003, he and the rest of the 60 Minutes team were awarded Emmys for lifetime achievement. Kroft asked Clint Eastwood how many children he has while interviewing
483-554: A long time and quite well." Some smaller government advocates argue that Norquist's "obsession with tax revenue" is actually counterproductive with respect to minimizing the size of government. Although the Americans for Tax Reform mission statement is "The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized", critics at the Cato Institute have argued that "holding
552-586: A matching reduced tax rate. Prior to the November 2012 election, the pledge was signed by 95% of all Republican members of Congress and all but one of the candidates running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . Norquist was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania and grew up in Weston, Massachusetts . He is the son of Carol (née Lutz) and Warren Elliott Norquist, a vice president of Polaroid Corporation , and
621-464: A monthly "Politics" columnist and contributing editor to The American Spectator . Norquist has called for reductions in defense spending as one way to reduce the size of government. He has endorsed a non-interventionist foreign policy and cuts to the U.S. military budget . Norquist has described himself as a "boring white bread Methodist ." In 2004, at age 48, he married a Palestinian Muslim named Samah Alrayyes, public relations specialist who
690-497: A moral community of conservative activists." As a nonprofit organization, Americans for Tax Reform is not required to disclose the identity of its contributors. Critics, such as Sen. Alan Simpson , have asked Norquist to disclose his contributors; he has declined but has said that ATR is financed by direct mail and other grassroots fundraising efforts. According to CBS News, "a significant portion appears to come from wealthy individuals, foundations and corporate interests." Prior to
759-569: A nonprofit donor-advised fund . Since 1986, ATR has sponsored the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, a written promise by legislators and candidates for office that commits them to oppose tax increases. All candidates for state and federal office, and all incumbents are offered the Pledge. Nearly 1,400 elected officials, from state representatives, to governors, to US Senators, have signed the Pledge. There are separate versions at
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#1732801081220828-468: A public building. The project has also supported efforts to place Reagan on the ten-dollar bill . The project has also encouraged state governors declare February 6 to be "Ronald Reagan Day"; as of 2006, 40 governors have done so. Since 2008, ATR has sought to encourage transparency and accountability in government through the Center for Fiscal Accountability. The organization's mission includes supporting
897-770: A representative to the Wednesday Meeting even before he formally announced his candidacy for president in 1999, and continued to send representatives after his election in 2000. ATR has helped to establish regular meetings for conservatives nationwide, modeled after the Wednesday meetings in Washington, with the goal of creating a nationwide network of conservative activists to help support initiatives such as tax cuts and deregulation. There are now meetings in 48 states and more internationally, with meetings in Canada, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, and
966-523: A total of 41, have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. All except 13 sitting Republicans have signed the pledge, while three Democrats have signed it (outgoing-Sen. Ben Nelson (NE) and House members Robert Andrews (NJ) and Ben Chandler (KY)). ATR's president Grover Norquist has written about the importance of the "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" for many publications including Human Events in June 2010. In this article, Norquist writes, Raising taxes
1035-503: Is a project of Americans for Tax Reform. It produces the International Property Rights Index annually, ranking individual rights to own private property in countries worldwide. The index focuses on three main factors. These include: Legal and Political environment (LP), Physical Property Rights (PPR), and Intellectual Property rights (IPR). In 2021 it published a Trade Barrier Index. In October 2014
1104-471: Is a refutation of the argument that the state has a place in nature." Americans for Tax Reform Americans for Tax Reform ( ATR ) is a politically conservative U.S. advocacy group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter , more visible, and lower than they are today." According to ATR, "The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized." The organization
1173-621: Is an interest of Norquist's, who believes that the United States should have "dramatically higher levels of immigration" than it currently does. According to a 2011 memoir by former lobbyist Jack Abramoff , Norquist was one of Abramoff's first major Republican party contacts. Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform were also mentioned in Senate testimony relating to the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal , which resulted in
1242-457: Is designed to reduce the capital gains tax by reducing the tax on capital gains by the standardized inflation rate over the time period in which the capital was invested. ATR argues that by taxing the capital gains without taking into account the gains that occurred simply due to inflation, that investors are being punished for investing over a long period of time. The organization published an open letter to congressman urging them to vote in favor of
1311-462: Is known for its "Taxpayer Protection Pledge", which asks candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to oppose all tax increases. The founder and president of ATR is Grover Norquist , a conservative tax activist. Americans for Tax Reform is a 501(c)(4) organization with 14 employees, finances of $ 3,912,958, and a membership of 60,000 (as of 2004). It was founded by Grover Norquist in 1985. The associated educational wing
1380-671: Is of Swedish ancestry. His younger brother, David Norquist , has served in senior posts in Republican administrations at both the United States Department of Defense and the United States Department of Homeland Security and is currently President and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association . Norquist became involved with politics at an early age when he volunteered for the 1968 Nixon campaign, assisting with get out
1449-536: Is the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation, which is classified as a 501(c)(3) research and educational organization. The purpose of both entities is to educate and/or lobby against all tax increases. Americans for Tax Reform is an associate member of the State Policy Network , a U.S. national network of free-market oriented think tanks. Americans for Tax Reform is a grantee of the Donors Trust ,
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#17328010812201518-446: Is to bring America back to what it was "up until Teddy Roosevelt , when the socialists took over. The income tax, the death tax, regulation, all that." When asked by journalist Steve Kroft about the goal of chopping government "in half and then shrink it again to where we were at the turn of the [20th] century" before Social Security and Medicare, Norquist replied, "We functioned in this country with government at eight percent of GDP for
1587-522: Is to reduce government revenues as a percentage of the GDP. ATR states that it "opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle." Americans for Tax Reform has supported Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) legislation and transparency initiatives, while opposing efforts to regulate health care. In 1993, Norquist launched his Wednesday Meeting series at ATR headquarters, initially to help fight President Clinton's healthcare plan. The meeting eventually became one of
1656-493: Is to reduce the percentage of the GDP consumed by the government. ATR states that it "opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle." Americans for Tax Reform seeks to curtail government spending by supporting Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) legislation and transparency initiatives, and opposing Democratic efforts to overhaul health care. ATR is a member of the Cooler Heads Coalition , which denies
1725-580: Is what politicians do when they don't have the strength to actually govern. The taxpayer protection pledge was created in 1986 by Americans for Tax Reform as part of the effort to protect the lower marginal tax rates of Reagan's Tax Reform Act of 1986. It has grown in importance as one of the few black-and-white, yes or no, answers that politicians are forced to give to voters before they ask for their vote. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and individual Democratic candidates began attacking "The Taxpayer Protection Pledge" and its signers during
1794-478: The CBS Evening News on the assassination of Indira Gandhi won him an Emmy. In 1986, CBS News brought Kroft back to the United States to become a principal correspondent on a new magazine show called West 57th . He stayed in that position until the program was cancelled in the spring of 1989. That September, Kroft and Meredith Vieira , a West 57th colleague, joined 60 Minutes . In 1990, he became
1863-549: The American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2014 (H.R. 4438; 113th Congress) , a bill that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to modify the calculation method and the rate for the tax credit for qualified research expenses that expired at the end of 2013 and would make that modified credit permanent. ATR argued that the bill would be "permanent tax relief for American employers" and pointed to
1932-692: The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction 's lack of progress, claiming that Congressional Republicans "are being led like puppets by Grover Norquist. They're giving speeches that we should compromise on our deficit, but never do they compromise on Grover Norquist. He is their leader." Since Norquist's pledge binds signatories to opposing deficit reduction agreements that include any element of increased tax revenue, some Republican deficit hawks now retired from office have stated that Norquist has become an obstacle to deficit reduction. Former Republican Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY), co-chairman of
2001-478: The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform , has been particularly critical, describing Norquist's position as "[n]o taxes, under any situation, even if your country goes to hell." Norquist was listed as one of the five primary leaders of the post- Goldwater conservative movement by Nina Easton in her 2000 book, Gang of Five . Working with eventual Speaker Newt Gingrich , Norquist
2070-656: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce from 1983 to 1984. Norquist traveled to several war zones to help support anti- Soviet guerrilla armies in the second half of the 1980s. He worked with a support network for Oliver North 's efforts with the Nicaraguan Contras and other insurgencies, in addition to promoting U.S. support for groups including Mozambique 's RENAMO and Jonas Savimbi 's UNITA in Angola and helping to organize anti-Soviet forces in Laos . In 1985, he went to
2139-658: The United States Army and served in the Vietnam War . He was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division in Cu Chi , where he was a reporter for the Armed Forces Network ; he covered the division's participation in the invasion of Cambodia . Kroft won several Army journalism awards for his work and a Bronze Star for Meritorious Achievement . When the division was redeployed, he was reassigned to
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2208-634: The War in Afghanistan . In March 2009, Kroft asked Obama, who was laughing while discussing the recession, "Are you punch drunk?" Regarding the interview of Obama and Hillary Clinton on January 27, 2013, Conor Friedersdorf of The Atlantic argues that Steve Kroft's softball interview technique diminishes 60 Minutes . Peggy Noonan , in a column titled "So God Made a Fawner" in The Wall Street Journal , says that Kroft's interview
2277-593: The Washington Post Company . As an investigative reporter for WJXT in Jacksonville , his reports on local corruption led to several grand jury investigations and established his reputation. In 1977 he moved to WPLG -TV in Miami , where his work came to the attention of CBS News . Kroft joined CBS News in 1980 as a reporter in its Northeast bureau, based out of New York City . The next year, he
2346-511: The scientific consensus on climate change , saying that "the science of global warming is uncertain, but the negative impacts of global warming policies on consumers are all too real." ATR supported the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 and continues to favor a comprehensive immigration reform bill. ATR has called for cuts in the defense budget in order to reduce deficit spending. ATR supported
2415-606: The 2010 cycle with charges that the pledge protected tax breaks for companies shipping jobs overseas. The first appearance of the argument arose in the HI-01 special election. Americans for Tax Reform responded by calling the attack ad "blatantly false." They pointed out that the Pledge does not prohibit any deduction or credit from being eliminated. It only prevents individuals and/or businesses from experiencing an overall increase in income taxes and allows for revenue-neutral tax reform. The non-partisan, nonprofit Factcheck.org reviewed
2484-1018: The ATR said that a report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) found that the IRS has not been safeguarding federal tax information properly. The tax information is gathered by the IRS from the tax returns filed in the United States. The IRS provides confidential information to over 280 federal, state and local agencies. According to this TIGTA report the IRS's Internal Revenue Manual does not require on-site validation of an agency's ability to protect federal tax information and does not set any guidelines for an agency's background investigation for accessing this information. The TIGTA report surveyed 15 agencies that receive federal tax information and found that none of them conducted sufficient background checks on employees handling
2553-846: The CBS London bureau, where he traveled extensively to cover stories in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Many of his assignments involved international terrorism and sectarian violence, including the hijackings of TWA Flight 847 and Achille Lauro , the Rome and Vienna airport attacks of the Abu Nidal Organization , the Lebanese Civil War , and the violence in Northern Ireland . His report for
2622-580: The DCCC's ad and agreed with ATR that the ad was "blatantly false." The director of Factcheck.org, Brooks Jackson, wrote It was called "blatantly false" by Americans for Tax Reform, the Republican-leaning group that got Djou's signature on its anti-tax pledge. We agree. ATR's tax pledge does protect corporations in general – but only from an overall increase in taxes. It says nothing about jobs at all. More important, it does not rule out an overhaul of
2691-459: The November 2012 election, 238 of 242 House Republicans and 41 out of 47 Senate Republicans had signed ATR's "Taxpayer Protection Pledge", in which the pledger promises to "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rate for individuals and business; and to oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates." The November 6, 2012 elections resulted in
2760-709: The United Kingdom. The significance of the Wednesday meeting has influenced liberals and Democrats to organize similar meetings to coordinate activities about their shared agenda. In 2001, USA Today reported that Rep. Rosa DeLauro initiated such a meeting at the urging of then-House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt , even holding it on a Wednesday. Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other The primary policy goal of Americans for Tax Reform
2829-616: The age of 21." He attended the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia, an organization that teaches conservative Americans how to influence public policy through activism and leadership. Early in his career, Norquist was executive director of both the National Taxpayers Union and the national College Republicans , holding both positions until 1983. He served as Economist and Chief Speechwriter at
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2898-571: The bill, which focuses on the harm that occurs to seniors due to the lack of protections that this bill would provide. This bill was introduced on September 28, 2016 into the U.S. Congress and as of November 2, 2016 has not been voted upon. Steve Kroft Stephen F. Kroft (born August 22, 1945) is an American retired journalist who was a long-time correspondent for 60 Minutes . His investigative reporting garnered widespread acclaim, winning him three Peabody Awards and nine Emmy awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement in 2003. Kroft
2967-912: The boards of directors of numerous organizations including the National Rifle Association , the American Conservative Union , the Hispanic Leadership Fund, the Indian-American Republican Caucus, and ParentalRights.org, an organization that wishes to add a Parental Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution . In 2010, Norquist joined the advisory board of GOProud , a political organization representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender conservatives and their allies, for which he
3036-626: The comedy fundraiser "Washington's Funniest Celebrity" and placed second in 2009. Humorist P. J. O'Rourke has described Norquist as " Tom Paine crossed with Lee Atwater plus just a soupçon of Madame Defarge ". Norquist and his wife attended the annual Burning Man festival in Black Rock, Nevada in August 2014. Norquist explained that he wished to attend because, "There's no government that organizes this. That's what happens when nobody tells you what to do. You just figure it out. So Burning Man
3105-652: The conservative movement. He campaigned for Bush in both 2000 and 2004 . After Bush's first election, Norquist was a key figure involved in crafting Bush's tax cuts. John Fund of The Wall Street Journal dubbed Norquist "the Grand Central Station" of conservatism and told The Nation : "It's not disputable" that Norquist was the key to the Bush campaign's surprising level of support from movement conservatives in 2000. He has been active in building bridges between various ethnic and religious minorities and
3174-430: The creation of searchable online databases of government spending, among other initiatives. ATR sponsors the calculation of "Cost of Government Day", the day on which, by its calculations, "Americans stop working to pay the costs of taxation, deficit spending , and regulations by federal and state governments." Since 2008 the event has been sponsored by the Center for Fiscal Accountability. The Property Rights Alliance
3243-870: The data: one agency conducted national background investigations, four agencies fingerprint employees and only one checks the sex offender registry . Almost half of the agencies hire convicted criminals. Federal tax information provided to other agencies must remain confidential by federal law. ATR has several special project lines dedicated to specific issues including The American Shareholders Association (ASA), Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), and The Media Freedom Project (MFP). In October 2010 ATR began mailing fliers to voters in Florida directing them to call Florida governor and Independent candidate for Senate, Charlie Crist . ATR's mailers included pictures of Crist with Obama and quotes from right wing authors. Shortly after Bill Clinton 's 1992 election, ATR headquarters became
3312-535: The fact that the credit has been in existence since 1981, but businesses had always faced uncertainty about it due to Congress being forced to renew it 14 times. ATR also argued that businesses already face high corporate income tax rates and that "investment in new technologies and sources of capital is under pressure from other areas of the tax code." ATR supports H.R. 6246, the Retirement Inflation Protection Act of 2016. This act
3381-538: The first American journalist to be given extensive access to the contaminated grounds of the Chernobyl nuclear facility, and his story won an Emmy. After allegations of infidelity surfaced in the 1992 presidential election , then-Governor Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary , gave an exclusive interview to Kroft. The interview was one of the defining moments in the election. Kroft continued to file groundbreaking reports for 60 Minutes . A 1992 segment which detailed
3450-589: The free market community through his involvement with Acton Institute , Christian Coalition and Toward Tradition . He has also "announced his plan to assemble a center-right coalition to discuss pulling out of Afghanistan to save hundreds of billions of dollars." Norquist is active in Tea Party politics . Speaking to a Florida rally, he said "tea party groups should serve as the ' exoskeleton ' that protects newly elected Republicans" from pressures to increase government spending. Comprehensive immigration reform
3519-517: The goal of creating a nationwide network of conservative activists that he can call upon to support conservative causes, such as tax cuts and deregulation. There are now meetings in 48 states. In 2004, Norquist helped California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger with his plan to privatize the CalPERS system. In Virginia 's 2005 Republican primaries, Norquist encouraged the defeat of a number of legislators who voted for higher taxes. Norquist serves on
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#17328010812203588-444: The highly secretive actor in 1997. When Eastwood responded "I have a few," Kroft broached the subject with a declarative question: "Seven kids with five women, right?"—actually a conservative estimate, but at the time an unprecedented statement. Eastwood did not answer and stared at Kroft in silence for 30 seconds. In May 2019, The Hollywood Reporter disclosed Kroft would retire from 60 Minutes on May 19, 2019, his 30th season on
3657-552: The line on taxes constrains only one of the four tools (taxes, tax deductions, spending without taxation, and regulation) used by government to alter economic outcomes." Norquist published Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government's Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives , in 2008. In 2012, he published Debacle: Obama's War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future , with John R. Lott, Jr. He has served as
3726-627: The military newspaper Stars and Stripes as a correspondent and photographer. Shortly after receiving an honorable discharge from the army in 1971, he began his broadcast journalism career as a reporter for WSYR-TV in Syracuse, New York . Kroft returned to academics in 1974, enrolling at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and earning his master's degree in 1975. Upon graduation Kroft moved to Florida , where he worked for two stations owned by
3795-529: The most significant institutions in American conservative political organizing. The meetings have been called "a must-attend event for Republican operatives fortunate enough to get an invitation", and "the Grand Central station of the conservative movement." Medvetz (2006) argues that the meetings have been significant in "establishing relations of ... exchange" among conservative subgroups and "sustaining
3864-403: The national and state level. In the version for the U.S. House of Representatives , the signer pledges to: ONE, oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and/or businesses; and TWO, oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates. In the version for state legislators,
3933-466: The new Congress convenes in January 2013. Norquist claims that 219 Republicans support the pledge; this figure, however, includes several Republicans who have signed the pledge only to disavow it later. Created in 1997, ATR's Ronald Reagan Legacy Project , has worked toward seeing each county in the United States commemorate the former president in a "significant" and "public" way, such as the naming of
4002-516: The revolution." Norquist founded Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) in 1985, which he says was done at the request of then-President Ronald Reagan . Referring to Norquist's activities as head of ATR, Steve Kroft , in a 60 Minutes episode that aired on November 20, 2011, claimed that "Norquist has been responsible, more than anyone else, for rewriting the dogma of the Republican Party." The primary policy goal of Americans for Tax Reform
4071-544: The show. Kroft has been corrected by Gallup.com on public opinion he cited while interviewing U.S. President Barack Obama on December 13, 2009. He stated in the interview that "Most Americans right now don't believe this war's worth fighting". He then questioned President Obama, about why he was conducting the war without public support. Gallup Editor in Chief Frank Newport challenged his statement and presented data, that indicated that Americans were split on
4140-414: The signer pledges that: I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes. In the 112th Congress serving in years 2011 and 2012, all but six of the 242 Republican members plus two Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives, for a total of 238 – a majority of that body – as well as all but seven of the 47 Republican members plus one Democratic member of the U.S. Senate , for
4209-484: The site of a weekly, off-the-record get-together of conservatives to coordinate activities and strategy. The "Wednesday Meeting" of the Leave Us Alone Coalition soon became an important hub of conservative political organizing. Participants each week include Republican congressional leaders, right-leaning think tanks, conservative advocacy groups and K Street lobbyists. George W. Bush began sending
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#17328010812204278-487: The tax code. Signers agree to oppose any "net" reduction of deductions or credits "unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates." According to The Hill , the Democrats' net pickup of eight seats in the House of Representatives in the November 2012 election, combined with several Republicans' disavowal of the pledge, means that the pledge will no longer have the support of a majority of that chamber when
4347-565: The vote efforts. He graduated from Weston High School and enrolled at Harvard University in 1974, where he earned his B.A. and MBA . At college, Norquist was an editor at the Harvard Crimson and helped to publish the libertarian -leaning Harvard Chronicle . He was a member of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals . Norquist has said: "When I became 21, I decided that nobody learned anything about politics after
4416-772: Was as "soft as a sneaker full of puppy excrement." Kroft lives in New York City with his wife, Jennet Conant , who is a journalist and author. They have one son, John Conant Kroft. In 2015, the National Enquirer broke news of an affair involving Kroft and New York City attorney Lisan Goines, a woman 28 years his junior. Kroft later admitted to and apologized for the affair publicly. He appeared as himself on an episode of Murphy Brown . He played himself again in Woody Allen's 2000 movie Small Time Crooks , in which he interviewed Allen's character for
4485-399: Was born on August 22, 1945 in Kokomo, Indiana , the son of Margaret and Fred Kroft. Kroft attended Syracuse University , where he earned his bachelor's degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1967. At Syracuse, he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. He also worked at The Daily Orange and WAER radio station. After his graduation, he was drafted into
4554-489: Was criticized by the Family Research Council . Norquist also sits on a six-person advisory panel that nominates Time' s Person of the Year . In business, Norquist was a co-founder of the Merritt Group, later renamed Janus-Merritt Strategies . He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations . Norquist signed the Madrid Charter , a document drafted by the conservative Spanish political party Vox that describes left-wing groups as enemies of Ibero-America involved in
4623-473: Was formerly a director of the Islamic Free Market Institute and a specialist at the Bureau of Legislative and Public Affairs at U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The couple has adopted two children, both girls, one of whom is from the city of Bethlehem . According to friend and former roommate John Fund , Norquist's devotion to his political causes is " monk -like" and comparable to that of Ralph Nader . Norquist has competed three times in
4692-410: Was named a correspondent and the network soon moved him to its Southwest Bureau in Dallas, where he stayed until 1983. That year, Kroft returned to Florida after CBS reassigned him to its Miami bureau. He was soon making frequent visits to the Caribbean and Latin America, covering the civil war in El Salvador and the U.S. invasion of Grenada . In 1984, Kroft landed a job as a foreign correspondent at
4761-432: Was one of the co-authors of the 1994 Contract with America , and helped to rally grassroots efforts, which Norquist later chronicled in his book Rock the House. Norquist also served as a campaign staff member on the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Republican Platform Committees. Norquist was instrumental in securing early support for the presidential campaign of then-Texas Governor George W. Bush , acting as his unofficial liaison to
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