Saxby Chambliss says Grover Norquist is not the boss of him

Grover Norquist's control is slipping Grover Norquist's hold on congressional Republicans continues to weaken, with Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss saying he'd defy Norquist on taxes, despite expecting to draw a primary challenge as a result:

'I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge,' said Chambliss, who signed Norquist's 'Taxpayer Protection Pledge' when he first ran for Senate. 'If we do it his way, then we'll continue in debt, and I just have a disagreement with him about that.'

Let's be clear-eyed about Chambliss's motivations, though. While he talks about the Norquist-backed primary challenge that might result from supporting some tiny amount of added taxes on the very wealthy, the general election has to factor in his thinking as well. After all, in 2008, Democratic challenger Jim Martin forced the race to a run-off when Chambliss failed to get a majority of votes cast on election day. While Chambliss should have an easier time in a midterm election, his brave statements about primary challenges should be viewed with that general election scare in mind.

But the fact that saying no to Norquist has become an appealing way to declare (limited) political independence shows how much the battle over taxes on the wealthy favors Democrats. Now if Democrats in Congress will just stand their ground...