From the paper's take on Obama's press last night, here's the lede:

In a strikingly defensive explanation of his stance on Bush-era anti-terrorism tactics, President Obama on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time that the harsh interrogation techniques he has banned might have yielded useful information, but that he was nonetheless willing to rule them out on moral grounds.

The article continues with that weird, breathless tone throughout, as the Times does its best to gin up the drama. To our eyes and ears though, Obama's response to back-to-back questions about torture last night weren't in the least “defensive,” let alone “strikingly” so. See for yourself in the extended clip below.

P.S. The Times' effort continues the media's Bizarro World reporting on the topic of torture. i.e. It's the Obama White House that's been put on the defensive regarding how the Bush administration authorized the illegal use of torture. Good luck connecting those dots.