Norquist: If McCain repeals oil industry tax breaks, ‘that’s a tax increase.’

On the Fox Business Channel earlier this month, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign spokesperson Taylor Griffin claimed that McCain was in favor of “taking away the tax breaks for big oil” in the 2005 energy bill. At the time, ThinkProgress asked if Griffin’s claim meant that McCain supported a tax hike, despite his “no-new taxes” rhetoric. In an interview with ThinkProgress yesterday, anti-tax guru Grover Norquist said that if McCain followed through on Griffin’s pledge, it would be “a tax increase”:

THINKPROGRESS: McCain spokesman Taylor Griffin recently told Fox Business – Fox Business Network – that they would repeal the tax breaks for oil companies in the 2005 energy bill. Would your organization consider that a tax increase?

GROVER NORQUIST: Uh, if it, first of all, that’s a tax increase. If it’s done in conjunction with other tax changes that are net cuts, or net revenue neutral, then its not a violation of the pledge. But that stand-alone is.

Watch it:

Transcript:

THINKPROGRESS: McCain spokesman Taylor Griffin recently told Fox Business – Fox Business Network – that they would repeal the tax breaks for oil companies in the 2005 energy bill. Would your organization consider that a tax increase?

GROVER NORQUIST: Uh, if it, first of all, that’s a tax increase. If it’s done in conjunction with other tax changes that are net cuts, or net revenue neutral, then its not a violation of the pledge. But that stand-alone is. But he knows that. He knows, he knows, look, the pledge does not say you can’t cut some taxes and raise others, as long as it’s in the same bill and the cuts are bigger than the spending.