The 15 promises Mitt Romney knew he'd be breaking

Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan in Denver yesterday. Romney campaign donors, and his son Tagg, have been linked to voting machine manufacturer, Hart InterCivic (Getty Images)

As a rogue Republican senator might say, shortly before being denounced by his party, running for President is like courting beautiful woman; make as many elaborate promises as you like, it doesn't matter if you actually keep them.

In today's New York Times, political commentator Timothy Egan has written an open letter to "President-elect Willard M. Romney" to be opened, presumably, on the day of his - increasingly likely - inauguration. In it he reminds Romney of the 15 things he has promised to do in office, not just over the course of his presidency, but on the very first day.

"The Affordable Care Act is gone," writes Egan. "All you sickly types with pre-existing conditions that you expect the insurance companies to cover, no more Obamacare for you."

Nor has Mitt neglected foreign policy: "On to China, and a trade war. You promised to declare our biggest creditor a currency manipulator on Day 1. Say it loud and clear, brother. But watch for the stock market to crash and the Chinese to retaliate, setting off a domino effect that would rattle a very fragile global economy. Well, heck, they started it."