Not For Long

From The Hill, some of the least-surprising news of the day:

Democrats are looking at the possibility of raising taxes on families below the $250,000-a-year threshold promised by President Barack Obama during the election.

The majority party on Capitol Hill does not feel bound by that pledge, saying the threshold for tax hikes will depend on several factors, such as the revenue differences between setting the threshold at $200,000 and setting it at $250,000.

Two things:

One, "the majority party on Capitol Hill" has about six more months to enjoy that status. Come January, the opinions of Diane Feinstein, Steny Hoyer and Tom Harkin (all quoted in the article as favoring higher taxes on lower and lower levels of income) aren't going to amount to much. The opinion of Byron Dorgan (also quoted) won't amount to anything at all, since Dorgan has already announced his "retirement" rather than face the voters in November.

Second, only once in the entire article is cutting government spending so much as mentioned, and then (by soon-to-be Minority Whip Hoyer) only as a package deal to be accompanied by tax hikes. As a certain green-skinned puppet once put it, "That is why you fail."