Repeated protests by Iraqi women, a temporary constitutional boycott by aggrieved Sunni Arabs and steady pressure from Washington seem to have brought a partial rollback of some of the most offensive provisions of an earlier constitutional draft.

It defines breakpoints for a transaction to allow partial rollbacks.

Even Alan Greenspan, who has quite clearly conveyed his support for Paygo, acknowledged the likelihood that extending Paygo would force at least a partial rollback of the Bush tax cuts.

Militant left-wing unions said they were not satisfied with the partial rollback in fuel prices and would proceed with a nationwide strike Wednesday.

Well, Mr. Obama is now on record calling for a partial rollback of the Bush tax cuts.

The implementation of the new tax system was not without its problems and voter dissatisfaction with the GST increased; Labor stepped up a campaign against it, promising a partial rollback should it win office.

Still, the 1982 increase was effectively a partial rollback of a 1981 tax cut of $750 billion, which Mr. Dole also backed.

Many Democrats have called for a partial rollback of the Bush tax cuts, preserving the "middle class" cuts - those that convey at least some benefit to the 77 percent of taxpayers in the 15 percent tax bracket or below.

Such a partial rollback would have reduced this year's budget deficit by about $180 billion; that would help, but one hopes politicians realize that it's not enough.

They include a comparatively small tax on motor fuels, a partial rollback of Mr. Clinton's plan to raise Social Security taxes and a patchwork of spending cuts in Medicare, food stamps and other benefit programs.