Tom Reilly has often been accused of flip-flopping on the tax rollback. It wasn't long ago that Deval Patrick was criticizing Reilly for switching positions on the tax rollback, pointing out that Reilly opposed the rollback until last year.

Now, as the primary draws near, it is Patrick who is starting to switch positions on the tax rollback.

Democrat Deval L. Patrick, who has come under attack from his rivals in the primary campaign for his resistance to lowering the state income tax rate, said last night that he might support a rollback to 5 percent if the Massachusetts economy strengthens.

Patrick, joined by four other gubernatorial candidates at a forum at Roxbury Community College, said that although he opposes a rollback from 5.3 percent to 5 percent now, the state might be able to afford the lower rate in the future if the economy sees a significant expansion.

``I do think that we can get to a point one day when we can sustain a 5 percent rate," Patrick said. ``The only way to get there is by growing the economy."

Patrick argues that cutting the income tax rate would starve cities and towns of state local aid revenue, leading the municipalities to raise property taxes. But his remarks indicating an openness to consider a lower rate down the road are a response to the criticism he has endured on the issue from Democratic rivals Thomas F. Reilly and Christopher F. Gabrieli. Reilly has called for an immediate rollback, a change from his position last year. Gabrieli has called for a phased rollback.

Patrick's remarks on taxes came as the three Democrats, independent Christy Mihos, and Green-Rainbow Party candidate Grace Ross traded opinions at the forum on housing, immigration, and other issues important to urban neighborhoods.

What can you say except that with each passing day, the Democrats become less and less trustworthy, changing positions and playing politics. One thing is clear, the Democrats are getting desperate. This is homestretch, the polls are close, all of them will resort to desperate measures as the clock winds down.

Will who wins depend on who acts the most desperate? Or will it come down to something simple, like issues.

Can you trust Reilly on income taxes? Are you patient enough to wait even longer for Gabrieli to give us the rollback we've demanded year after year? Even the uber-liberal Patrick has started to hint at moderation (at least on the issue of the tax rollback). Or does it not matter--after all, can we afford to have any Democrat in the corner office next year?

No, we can't.

Why elect someone who's pretending to be on the same side of the issues as the voting public, when you could have the real thing?