Republican strategist and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist flatly denied on 22 September 2004 that he had ever described Americans who lived through World War II as anti-American, contradicting a report in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
El Mundo, in a 12 September article, quoted Norquist as saying that generation had supported policies he characterized as anti-American, including the creation of the welfare state and mandatory military service. Norquist disputed the account and said he was attempting to obtain a recording of the interview.
"I don't believe I've ever called anyone anti-American," he told AFP, adding that the phrase simply was not part of his vocabulary.
Norquist described the World War II generation as entirely American, noting that its members tended to favor the Democratic Party, labor unions, and broad social spending programs.
He argued that the Democratic Party faces a long-term demographic problem, because older voters who have historically supported its platform are dying off. Without adapting, he said, the party would continue losing elections.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in September 2004, in its own words.