WASHINGTON — An incensed Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., is ready to go to the mat with Grover Norquist, a GOP strongman whose organization, Americans for Tax Reform, sent a news release out this week claiming that Taylor had changed his position on health care.
"Americans for Tax Reform are lying sacks of scum, and anyone who knowingly repeats this false information is also a liar," said Taylor, a conservative Democrat who has been critical of health care plans, even the one agreed to by his fellow Blue Dogs.
"I am opposed to the current health care reform bills being debated in Congress," said Taylor, a founding member of the conservative Democratic Blue Dogs, who forced a steep price cut in a Democratic health care proposal this week.
"We should not create an expensive new government health program or promise new government health benefits when we have not figured out how to pay the future costs of Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, and other federal health programs that were promised by previous presidents and previous Congresses."
Taylor spokesman Ethan Rabin said that he left messages for Americans for Tax Reform calling for a retraction, but "no one from Americans for Tax Reform has attempted to provide any information or get in touch with Congressman Taylor on fixing this mistake."