White House press secretary Jay Carney has hit a tough patch — what columnist Dana Milbank dubbed a Junius Horribilis of bad news for President Obama that’s virtually impossible to spin into something positive. But Carney should take heart. The administration’s bad PR run is a cakewalk compared with what his counterpart in the Kremlin is facing.

For starters, Moscow is now seen globally as chief defender of Syrian butcher Bashar al-Assad — something akin to being Hitler’s last friend. Last week, President Vladimir Putin signed a law slapping massive fines on anyone participating in public protests that aren’t government-approved. And at the Euro 2012 soccer championships, Russian fans have already taken first place … for riotous, racist behavior. The bad press keeps on coming.