Quiz: Who has the most anti-Obama headline?

by David Safier

And the winner for the most anti-Obama headline is, once again, The Arizona Daily Star.

Obama gave a speech yesterday talking about the intelligence failures that led to the would-be terrorist boarding a plane and almost blowing it up. Obama has always said there were failures. It's not like he's changing his position. Only Napolitano said, in a statement that was partly boneheaded on her part and partly taken out of context, "The system worked," a statement she quickly retracted.

Here's the Star's front page headline this morning:

Obama concedes failure in security

Concedes? "Concedes" means to acknowledge something grudgingly. In political terms, it also means admitting you've lost. That's absolutely inaccurate. How about "Obama condemns failure in security"? That's absolutely accurate. "Condemn" is the kind of strong term that was used in relationship to Bush. Obama? He gets "concede."

But maybe the headline is an accurate reflection on the AP story? In fact, no. Read the article yourself. Obama sounds grim but strong and resolute. He condemns the intelligence failures. There is nothing begrudging or concessionary about his statements, nor should there be.

Let's look at other headlines for the same AP story around the country.

Obama declares attempt on airline was intelligence failure (Star Telegram)

Obama: Dots not joined in terror attack (Columbus Dispatch)

Grim Obama says terror attack 'dots' not connected (Nashua Telegraph)

Obama acknowledges more ‘red flags’ in flight plot (Boston Globe)

Obama discusses attempted attack (Durango Herald)

Obama: Agencies had more red flags' about plane attack suspect (Fresno Bee)

Once again, only the Star goes out of its way to make Obama look weak and make it sound like he's admitting error.