You have to admire the cunning of the pharmaceutical industry.

Only weeks ago, President Barack Obama was hailing a White House deal with drugmakers to "save" the nation $8 billion a year in prescription drug costs. Now it turns out that Big Pharma has been quietly hiking wholesale prices of prescription drugs: Industry analysts say that the 9 percent increase this year will increase taxpayers' prescription drug bill by $10 billion.

No wonder the pharmaceutical industry has offered to launch a $150 million ad campaign for health care reform. It'll still come out way ahead.

Obama needs to reopen talks with drugmakers. If they don't roll back these price hikes, he should renew his push to give the federal government the ability to negotiate bulk purchases of prescription drugs. That would probably be best for the public in the long run anyway.

Drugmakers deserve a fair profit for their lifesaving products. But they shouldn't get away with hoodwinking the president and the American public.