1. we have a whining, self-pitying president.
2. The Times scrubbed from its article the worst of the president’s comments, the ones that revealed him in that self-pitying light.

Fortunately, the Today show had the tapes, and played them this morning. According to Today, when President Obama met with reporters from the New York Times yesterday aboard Air Force One, his goal was “trying to sound hopeful and reassuring.”  Mission not accomplished.  As ambivalent as were the president’s putatively reassuring words on the economy, the delivery was even worse–halting and anything but assured.  Be sure to view the video.

But much worse was his whining when it came to the burdens of his office:

PRES. OBAMA: I wish I had the luxury of just dealing with a modest recession or just dealing with health care or just dealing with energy or just dealing with Iraq or just dealing with Afghanistan. I don’t have that luxury, and I don’t think the American people do, either.

A bit later came this stunning statement, edited out of the Times story but broadcast by Today:

PRES. OBAMA: Somebody noted to me that by the time something reaches my desk, that means it’s really hard. Because if it were easy, somebody else would have made the decision and somebody else would have solved it.

Somebody “noted” this to him?  He hadn’t figured out that making the tough calls is the essence of the job description?  You want us to feel sorry for you?  OK, altogether now: poor baby President Obama!  Feel better?

Look, if the president feels overwhelmed by the burdens of office, he can always step aside: Joe Biden is tanned, rested and ready!

Note: The Times did provide a separate transcript of the interview, in which Pres. Obama’s statement about the “really hard” decisions naturally does appear.  But there was no mention of it in the actual news story about the interview, which will be read by many more people than will the transcript.  I’d consider the president’s self-pitying words the most newsworthy aspect of the interview.  Perhaps that’s precisely why the Times omitted it from its story.