Look I don't like the guy at all. But these comments may give enough Republicans the political cover needed to vote for the thing. Like it or not, he influences a lot of votes up on the Hill. But as the article notes, that still puts him to the "left" of the most militant teabags.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/07/grover-norquist-mcconnell-reid-better-than-default.php?ref=dcbltHe doesn't care for it, but Grover Norquist said the plan hatched by Senate leaders Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Harry Reid (D-NV) is preferable to the nation going into default.
This puts Norquist -- one of the most powerful men on the GOP side of the aisle as the debt ceiling talks continue to percolate -- just slightly to the left of some in the Republican party's tea party activist wing, which have suggested default is a legitimate option.
In an interview with CNN directly following President Obama's angry presser Friday, Norquist was not ready to go that far. He said it was better to do something distasteful (McConnell-Reid) and then have a larger debt/deficit fight in next year's election.
Asked if Obama's warnings that default would be a "disaster" were true, Norquist said that as far as he knows, they are.
more