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Another influential Republican senator on Sunday backed increasing tax revenue as part of a deficit reduction deal, going against a fundamental stance of fiscal conservatives.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said eliminating some tax breaks and subsidies for special interests was one way to tackle expanding deficits.

"No one on the Republican side is going to vote to raise taxes, but I think many of us would look at flattening the tax code, do away with deductions and exemptions and take that revenue to help pay off the debt," Graham told NBC's "Meet the Press."

For example, he called for eliminating the ethanol subsidy "and a bunch of other subsidies that go to a few people" and put the money "back into the federal treasury" for debt reduction.

"That doesn't raise taxes," Graham said, but instead ends the "gravy train" for special interest groups while reducing the national debt.

Graham joined Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, another staunch conservative, in backing increased revenue despite steadfast opposition by anti-tax groups such as Americans for Tax Reform led by influential conservative strategist Grover Norquist.

Norquist's group wants to shrink the size of government and overall government spending, and therefore opposes any tax or revenue increases. Norquist and Coburn have feuded publicly over the issue, which is certain to provoke debate among Republicans in the run-up to the 2012 national election.

However, Graham's stance indicates that more Republicans are willing to go public with support for some form of what Democrats demand as a component of a deficit reduction deal being worked out in bipartisan talks led by Vice President Joe Biden.

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