In his prime-time press conference on February 9, Barack Obama made it clear that tax cuts were included in the stimulus bill not just to woo Republican support, but because Obama himself wanted them there. As far as Obama was concerned, we needed tax cuts in addition to spending.

Yesterday brought news that Obama also intends to deliver on the corollary of that policy premise. If it’s helpful to cut taxes, it must also be helpful to postpone tax increases. The New York Times reports that that’s exactly what Obama proposes to do, as part of his plan to halve the deficit in four years:

Mr. Obama will also call for letting the Bush tax cuts on income, dividends and capital gains lapse after 2010 for individuals who make more than $250,000 a year. But while the top rate for income would rise to 39.6 percent, the top rate for capital gains and dividends would be 20 percent.

As a candidate, Mr. Obama called for immediately repealing those tax cuts. He decided instead to keep them in place through 2010, as scheduled, reflecting the widespread belief that raising taxes further depresses economic activity.

Wasn’t this one of the cornerstones of his campaign, the immediate repeal of the Bush tax cuts? But, hey, he didn’t break a campaign promise, he just changed his mind.

How’s that believing-in-change thing working for you?