All hail Pennsylvania's new ruler, Grover Norquist

Regular Attytood leaders are well acquainted with Grover Norquist, the D.C.-based conservative lobbyist and muckety-muck. When I wrote frequently about venal right-wingers distorting Ronald Reagan's actual legacy to promote endless tax cuts for the rich and endless wars, I was talking about Norquist in particular, as the founder of the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project. Related to Norquist's guerrilla mission -- actually, the central part of it these days -- is a no-tax pledge that apparently now supercedes the Pennsylvania Constitution:

Over in the governor's office, Corbett remains unwavering in his campaign-era hard line over tax increases, but in recent months has shown some hint of openness - if not support - of the prospect of an "impact fee."

Until now.

Because Grover -arbiter of all things fiscal throughout the land - said so.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today reports that Norquist sent a letter to Sen. Mary Jo White (R., Venango) whose committee would have to consider the shale fee pronouncing it, in fact, a tax.

"Make no mistake, this proposal is a tax increase based on any honest and objective analysis," Norquist wrote.

Well! I guess that's that, then. You know, it's funny, but I must have missed the day in Corbett's campaign last fall when he told voters that a D,C. lobbyist would have veto power over all major state funding decisions. I'm sure that wouldn't have affected anyone's vote. Of course, they might have Googled Norquist and remembered his vow to shrink government to the size where it could be drowned in a bathtub, an apt metaphor for what is now happening to schools and universities.

I predict that voters will end the Norquist Administration in 2014.

I'm less confident that Pennsylvania will actually survive that long.