In his interview Tuesday with Bret Baier on Fox News' Special Report, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney explained why any bill failing to push the debt ceiling problem past the next election is unacceptable.

"It would leave the cloud hanging over our ca-- economy."

(Watch it here, at about minute 2:15)

The word "campaign" seemed more likely to have come out than "economy" in the phrase, particularly since clearing next year's re-election effort of further debt limit debate seems to have taken on greater importance to the President lately than any other single point of negotiation (such as the degree of spending cuts or even his craving to raise taxes).

One wonders if, in dancing around such an obvious elephant, Mr. Carney may have nearly given himself away by briefly meeting its gaze and letting loose the secret that, behind closed doors in the White House, the center of attention is already the "campaign."