Though we’ve been told again and again how irresponsible, obstinate Republicans were blocking a deal on the debt ceiling, the New York Times admits this morning the Democrats have actually emerged as the primary obstacle to an agreement.

The home-page headline of the story is “Challenge to a Budget Deal: Selling It to Democrats.” Sure enough, as the third paragraph of the article tells us: “This time, the flak came mostly from senior congressional Democrats, who are angry at some of Mr. Obama’s concessions and at being excluded from the talks.”

So congressional Democrats don’t want to make serious concessions and are allowing their bruised egos to dictate their response to compromise. But wait, there’s more: “Congressional Democrats already are suggesting the potential Obama-Boehner deal is more tilted toward Republican priorities than a bipartisan plan suggested this week by the so-called Gang of Six senators, three Republicans and three Democrats.” So the Democrats are also expressing their ideological inflexibility.

This is a far cry from the “Democrats are willing to do anything to save the economy” narrative the media has been pushing until now. That narrative was first dented by yesterday’s release of a CNN poll that showed 66 percent of Americans support the “Cut, Cap, and Balance” bill House Republicans passed earlier this week, but which Democrats have opposed and Obama threatened to veto.

One reason Obama and John Boehner have kept quiet about their latest round of negotiations is to stave off an outcry that would torpedo a deal before it can even be presented to either party. We saw an example of this yesterday when the Times tweeted that the two sides were close to a deal, and then the White House and GOP leaders immediately denied it.

This is now the third Republican plan that has met resistance from Democrats. There is more public support for the GOP than previously thought. And it looks like the media is finally taking notice.