Missed Message: A tax increase by any other name is a tax increase.

How hard is this message; Republicans break their pledge, raise taxes on the middle class?

Even though the payroll tax holiday is ending, Republicans don’t consider that a tax increase. The Bush tax cut holiday is ending too, but that's different? The Bush tax cuts were passed under reconciliation, which means they have to expire, because they add to the deficit.  

In the story below, never once is breaking the no tax pledge used against the Republicans for raising taxes. It almost seems like the media wants to perpetuate the "no tax" party line ;myth:

NY Times: The No. 2 Senate Republican, Jon Kyl, expressed concern on Sunday about President Obama’s proposal to continue a reduction in the Social Security payroll tax … Senate Democrats want to offset the cost by increasing the tax on income over $1 million a year. Obama says that if Congress does not extend the tax cut, “the typical family’s taxes will go up $1,000 next year.”

Richard Durbin, said on “Fox News Sunday … “I can’t believe that at a time when working families in this country are struggling paycheck to paycheck,  the Republican position is, they’ll raise the payroll tax on working families. I think that just defies logic.”

Again, the message is easy and missed by everyone in the story: Republicans are breaking their pledge, raising taxes on the middle class.