Grover Norquist lays down the law. ( Gage Skidmore

The Republican puppet master has spoken, so you can expect no Republican support, anywhere, for basic tax fairness in the form of the Buffett Rule.



[Grover] Norquist, president of the conservative advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, dismissed predictions by Senate Democratic leaders that Romney, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, will pressure Senate Republicans to move to the center on tax policy. [...] Norquist voiced confidence that there’s not a chance the presumptive GOP presidential nominee will back away from the tax pledge, which binds office holders to “oppose any and all efforts” to increase the marginal income tax rate. “He has basically endorsed the Ryan plan,” Norquist said in reference to the House GOP budget authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), which would lower the top individual tax rate to 25 percent. “He’s signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge so he’s put in writing that he would never do this. “And what House of Representatives would allow him to and what Republican Senate would allow him to? This is not going to be an option,” Norquist added.

Romneyvulnerable on this issue, as Jed Lewison points out . His 15 percent tax rate on the millions he rakes in every year, because hehave a gold-plated tax schedule all his own, as a member of the uber-wealthy in America. Republicans are well aware of that, and have apparently been expressing some concern that Romney is just going to etch-a-sketch away his opposition to tax fairness when he's wrapped this nomination up.

So consider Norquist's assurances that Romney won't flip on this issue more of threat to Romney not to flip. Grover has spoken, and every Republican from Romney on down has their marching orders.