"Read my lips..."

By Richard K. Barry 

Why did I say that?

You may recall GOP presidential candidates, during the debates, rejecting the idea of a 10-to-1 budget cut to revenue deal should any of them become president. Well, Romney has repeated his commitment to the idea in an interview on Face the Nation today:

I do feel that way. Government is big and getting larger and there are those who think, well the answer is just to take a little more from the American people. 

He added that this would spur economic growth that brings in revenue without raising taxes. Yes, we're back to trickling down.

I suppose in an era in which Grover Norquist can pull strings behind the scene with so much effectiveness, we shouldn't be surprised. But I have to wonder if this could become Romney's "George H.W. Bush moment," his "read my lips" pledge.

Should Romney find himself president, what will the remembered line be when he finds he will have to increase revenues in a way that can't be accomplished simply by tax reform? What will be the equivalent of the "no new taxes" line?

Then again, this stuff would probably roll off Romney's back as so few people actually expect the truth from him. 

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)