Republicans got a wake up call in the November elections. Americans are poised to reject the Tea Party and have all but declared Grover Norquist to be irrelevant. 

Twenty years ago there may have been some novelty associated with signing the no-tax pledge from Norquist's Americans For Tax Reform. It was as if they were "sticking it to the man." In practice though, it just doesn't work. Rejecting the tax pledge, as a number of Republicans have said they'll do, does not mean embracing higher taxes; rather, it acknowledges that taxes and spending are co-equal partners in the development of deficits and surpluses. 

The idea of locking down taxes as a way to fix our fiscal crisis is roughly akin to refusing wages from your employer because your credit card balances are too high. The math just doesn't work. 

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) was one of the first to break ranks, saying what made sense in 1986 doesn't work today. Our budget dilemma is serious, fixing it is going to take a concerted effort by Congress; an effort that will include increased revenues, decreased spending, and compromise on both sides of the aisle. Anything less will spell disaster. 

The 258 members who have signed Norquist's no-tax pledge must begin to reevaluate their position, if they hope to avoid a Democrat sweep in the next midterm election.