Our poor, valiant President is struggling to keep his promise not to raise middle class taxes and still provide health insurance for all. That’s the version of the story that the Associate Press tells at least. There doesn’t appear to be any actual factual errors in this piece, but it seems to drip with sympathy for the President and point the recent dust up, with some of his top advisers dangling the possibility of middle class tax increases, in the best possible light. The AP provides this helpful clarification:



Ultimately, the decision to propose tax hikes remains with the president, not a government economist or Cabinet official. Obama’s position has not changed: New taxes on the middle class are not a politically viable option.


Really? Is it possible that the AP would have provided that kind of helpful analysis in a story about a conflict between one of Bush’s cabinet officials and President Bush?


The problem for Obama, of course, is that he promised the moon during his campaign: no taxes increases on most Americans, no deficit spending, and a huge expansion of the welfare state. The media bought those promises unquestioningly, which is one reason they may be trying to help spin the President’s current dilemma of making them good.