Here we go again

Here we go again?

By JT Seravat

"Read my lips, no new taxes," was the now infamous line written by Peggy Noonan for President George H. Bush in 1988 which he delivered during his acceptance speech at the Republican Convention. A campaign promise he broke once in office. The reason given for the change was the necessity to reduce the national deficit.

"I think that it would be irresponsible for any president of the United States ever not to respond to changing circumstances," said President Bill Clinton in 1993, a year after his election and two years after his campaign promise to lower middle class taxes, although never making a definitive "read my lips..." statement to do so.

Here we go again?

The New York Times in an article, by Jackie Calmes and Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Vows Swift Action on Vast Economic Stimulus" report that, "In light of the downturn, Mr. Obama is also said to be reconsidering a key campaign pledge: his proposal to repeal the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. According to several people familiar with the discussions, he might instead let those tax cuts expire as scheduled in 2011, effectively delaying any tax increase while he gives his stimulus plan a chance to work."

As President-elect Obama appoints cabinet members from the center and center-right of the Democratic Party, he risks, early on, alienating progressives, who, in some cases, figuratively, awoke from the dead to participate and hope once more.

On Nov. 6, 2008 John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO said, "Barack Obama brings new hope to America’s working families, and our increased majority in the U.S. Senate means we can translate that hope into reality."

Will Mr. Sweeney hopes have been realized when he looks back in January of 2009?

In his 1985 book, "Presidents and Promises: From Campaign Pledge to Presidential Performance." Jeff Fishel, he concludes the Presidents Kennedy, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan kept on average just 66 percent of their campaign promises.

Will we once again have "reasons" why the newest President-elect cannot keep a fundamental promise almost two months before he takes office?

And will mainstream and progressive democrats stay-the -course and hope for the best or will they interpret the "reasons" for Mr. Obama's change as nothing more than the same old "excuses" they have heard before.

Like the reasoning of President Bill Clinton's chief poll taker, Stanley Greenberg, who told the New York Times in February 1993 after Clinton proposed a tax increase on the middle class, after promising tax cuts during the campaign.

"Voters never believed in the middle-class tax cut, because they have never seen anyone get a tax cut. They always believed their taxes would go up whether Bill Clinton became President or George Bush was President."

© 2008 Seravat Writers Group LLC