How the New York Times excuses broken campaign promises (if they like you)

"Obama has also demonstrated, not for the first time, two things about his emerging governing style that contrast sharply with that of his predecessor. The first is that he means to draw a distinction between useful campaign rhetoric and the realities of governing, even if it makes him look inconstant."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/magazine/01fob-wwln-t.html?_r=1

Get that? A campaign promise is merely "useful campaign rhetoric". Breaking your campaign promise is simply bending to "the realities of governing". And lieing? That's being brave enough to "look inconstant".