All promises are subject to decay
When made before election day.
This Tax-No found out and, too late,
Was called to Congress to debate
The rashness of his campaign vow;
They made him raise taxes anyhow.
Then he was known, without dispute,
Through the realms of Lies, absolute.
The players in this comedy
(What others call a tragedy)
Are Tax-No, the fleet socialite;
His faithful sidekick, young Bob White;
And their foe, the fiend Congress,
A Hydra full of bitterness:
For Ron Ray-gun, Tax-No's mentor,
Had beat the beast some time before.
It thought it had Ron cornered, yet,
He won by saying, "I forget."
This tale of sorrow and of woe
Begins with an oath to just say "No!"
A pledge by Tax-No to the state
"No new taxes, won't that be great?
Congress may ask, and beg, and plead;
My lips I will tell them to read:
`No new taxes! Don't ask again!'
And if they challenge or complain,
There is but one reply to make:
`Read my lips, for goodness'-sake,
No new taxes!' -- Make no mistake;
Congress will not win this fight.
I have a thousand points of light:
My burning branch to help behead
The beast. Have no fear, do not dread,
Tax-No will save you from its greed;
No more money will it need."
Well, Tax-No talked a bunch, it's true,
But he forgot how to argue;
And White was never any help -
Congress scared the little whelp.
And the thousand points of light?
They disappeared into the night.
When Congress came to tell Tax-No,
"I need taxes to help me grow,"
He could have dealt a telling blow.
Instead, he thought and then did say,
"READ - MY - LIPS -- okay."
A groan was heard throughout the land
When Tax-No refused to take a stand.
So Congress grew and grew and grew,
While Tax-No brought it taxes new;
He filled the belly of the beast,
The wicked wivern of the East.
And to the people he did cry,
"It's true I lost; I did not try;
But no one thought I told the truth,
For honesty is so uncouth.
You loved Ray-gun despite his flaws,
So love me too, just because.
I'll fix things up by Ninety-two:
Do you think I'd lie to you?"
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This page last updated on June 21, 2002