What Are These "Tax Cuts" of Which You Speak?

Politics are often reduced to maxims that the average non-congressman types among us (myself included) can easily understand while sitting at the dinner table, little quips or "rules" we can throw around over conversation in a vain attempt to make everyone else think we know politics. These maxims generally consist of defining party lines and the basic difference between the two major parties. For example, Democrats tend to create more new taxes, and Republicans don't. This doesn't mean one is better than the other, mind you, it's just two different policies intended to reach the same financial goal and there are pros and cons to each approach.

The point is, it's maxims like that which made Obama so fascinating during the election. He broke the mold, so to speak. Remember his little half-hour infomercial before the election? The one clearly intended to snipe off those few remaining right-leaners on the political fence?

For those who don't remember, here it is below. If you have half an hour to kill, by all means watch, but I doubt most of you have half an hour to watch a useless political ad. So let it load for a while and take it to the 4:45 mark and watch what Obama promises:



See, that was the funny thing about Obama. A Democrat making a tax cut for the middle class a major part of his campaign rhetoric. It was the kind of thing that made me think "hey, this guy might be willing to play some bipartisan ball, use some common sense!"

Then, after a day or two in office, he made a speech in which he said some promises would have to be "delayed." Fine, I can deal with that, we're in a fiscal funk right now, I understand.

Now this comes along. $1 trillion in taxes over the next decade? Really? You promise a tax cut and then do this? I mean, I understand we're in a really bad recession but come on!

It's not the policy for me so much as the principle of the thing. Taxes are a fact of life. I guess I just feel a little (ok, a LOT) disappointed in this little move. I'm really pulling for Obama here, and I think he's made some good steps. But this sort of stunt tells me he's more of the typical politician than I wanted to believe.