That was then, this is now

Just a few short months ago, Barack Obama was flitting around the country vowing to change the way Washington does business -- in particular, the Democratic presidential nominee pledged to put the kibosh on pet projects dropped into spending bills without debate.

"The entire earmarks process needs to be re-examined and reformed," Mr. Obama said last year when he embraced a proposal from Republican Sen. Jim DeMint to impose a one-year moratorium on such spending.

It was a bold and successful strategy. Sure, many of his fellow Democrats -- addicted to mainlining taxpayer money -- were angry at his fiscally responsible stance, but Mr. Obama's embrace of earmark reform blunted an issue that his Republican counterpart, John McCain, was eager to exploit.

That was then, however. This is now.

Over the weekend, Obama aides said the president would sign a $410 billion budget bill that Congress has larded up with earmarks and other pork. There's $381,000 for music education programs at New York's Lincoln Center; $190,000 for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Wyoming; $143,000 for the Las Vegas Natural History Museum; and $950,000 for the Myrtle Beach International Trade and Convention Center.

The list runs to some 9,000 projects.

And what of Mr. Obama's campaign promises?

"We want to just move on," purred Peter Orszag, the administration budget chief. "Let's get this bill done, get it into law and move forward."

Rahm Emanuel, White House chief of staff, was even more blunt: "That's last year's business," he sniffed.

My, my.

What other campaign promises did the president make that he has no intention of keeping? What other pledges did this agent of "change" make to the American people that are "no longer operative" or to be dismissed as "last year's business"?

"Listen, I mean, the president was elected by the people of this country to institute change in Washington and to finally demand a federal government that is accountable to the people," said Rep. Eric Cantor, the second-ranking House Republican.

A different kind of politician? So far, Mr. Obama has fit right in.