AMLO and the tax bill

The Mexican lower house just passed Felipe Calderón’s tax bill. That is of significance because Andrés Manuel López Obrador had called on the PRD and others to physically block the vote, in particular because the gas tax was regressive.

``Put in practice, if it is necessary, peaceful civil resistance inside this chamber until they withdraw the initiative,'' Lopez Obrador told supporters during a news conference at the congressional complex.

The PRD ended up bringing placards in protest, but did not stop the vote. I had written a few days ago about how AMLO’s connection to national politics seems weaker. Maybe his grassroots approach, where he barnstorms and makes speeches at the local level, will pay off politically, though recent polls reported that 71% of Mexicans disagreed with the call to block the vote, while 65% approved of Calderón.

At least for now, Calderón is steamrolling AMLO, and successfully convincing the PRI to work with him. Maybe AMLO simply believes that the policies will get passed, but their effects will anger the average Mexican, who will then be ready to look again at AMLO as a political leader.