The Definition of "Conservative"

In his excellent new book, Bruce Bartlett remarks that he can't get any conservative to admit that any level of taxation is proper.  Copy that, but isn't that a principle that has crossed over from the empiric into the analytical--ie., that if you do admit that any level of taxation if proper you are thereby drummed out of The party of Grover Norquist American conservatism. Like, for example, Bruce Bartlett? 

Idle afterthought: does anyone but me note a certain overlap between the celebrated non-conservative Bruce Bartlett and the celebrated Marxist, Doug Henwood? The convergence is not complete, of course, but they're both ornery freethinkers with a knack for tossing stink bombs into the vacuities and fatuities of ordinary debate.  

Followup: And each has an impressive Facebook presence. BTW, David Frum does not belong to this club: he is Canadian, which is something else altogether.