It 's a bad sign for us when Jeb Bush 's conservative allegiance questioned , " Avlon says . Avlon says Bush was right to repudiate Grover Cleveland 's anti - tax pledge . Ronald Reagan was willing to accept some tax increases to achieve compromise , he says . Avlon : This inconvenient fact is often denied by Norquist and other activists because it is their prime objection to attempts to find a `` grand bargain '' on deficits and debt , along the lines of the recommendations of the Bowles-Simpson commission . In the battle between Bush and Norquist , the smart thing is to follow Bush 's view .
It 's a bad sign for us when Jeb Bush 's conservative allegiance questioned , " Avlon says . Avlon says Bush was right to repudiate Grover Cleveland 's anti - tax pledge . Ronald Reagan was willing to accept some tax increases to achieve compromise , he says . Avlon : In the battle between Bush and Norquist , the smart thing is to follow Bush 's view .