Grover Norquist, on how he’s shaped the national agenda.

Question: Why has Americans for Tax Reform been so successful?

Grover Norquist: Well I think you have to constantly remember why everybody’s in the room and not assume that other people are in the room for the same reason you are. My taxpayer group, Americans for Tax Reform, deals with the central dividing issue between the two parties. We have 95 percent of Republican congressmen, senators, presidents take the pledge to never raise taxes and keep it. And 95 percent of Democrats will not make that commitment because they do want to support tax increases.

When there’s a vote on tax increases recently, every last Democrat votes for it, and darn near every last Republican votes against it. It is the central issue that divides the parties more than anything else. There are 30 Republicans who aren’t pro-life, and there are 30 Democrats who are pro-life, and so you’ll have some overlap. But on taxes, no. That’s the central dividing question between the two political parties.

Recorded on: September 12, 2007