The president-elect still has eight days left until he is even sworn in as the political executive of the United States, but he already has managed to back away from two of his most touted campaign promises: middle-class tax relief and halving the federal deficit.

Clinton promised to stick to his guns. He said he planned to revamp the American political machine, but it appears that Washington insiders have different plans. He has been publicly doubted by such prominent Democratic figures as Speaker of the House Tom Foley, and special interest groups are clinging to Clinton like moss to the north side of a tree. Clinton has been forced to choose his words—and promises—very carefully.

Foley and other long-term congressional residents have publicly disputed and doubted that Clinton can make good on his promises. His staff has attempted to blame President George Bush for concealing the actual size of the deficit. Bush’s estimate of a $305 billion deficit by 1997 is too low by $60 billion, Clinton aides claimed, but the promise was only to cut the deficit in half. Why doesn’t Clinton take half of $365 billion? Clinton cited the increasing problem with health care as the number one priority, and said a middle-class tax cut is very unlikely.

The Democrats should stop trying to pull the wool over the voting public’s eyes. The domestic antics of Bush proved that tomfoolery will no longer cut it.