Woodward quotes Obama as saying that:
“We can absorb a terrorist attack. We’ll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever … we absorbed it and we are stronger.”
Marc Thiessen twists Obama's words and accuses the president of thinking that another 9/11 is "no big deal." Serwer pushes back:
Thiessen is in the category of Republicans who would apparently prefer Americans not show resilience and bravery in the face of another terrorist attack. Of course, it was only a few weeks ago that Thiessen was arguing that the administration, by saying another attack on the scale of 9/11 was unlikely, was also being complacent.
Earlier Serwer took an even firmer line:
Basically Republicans are outraged and offended at the notion that the president has enough faith in the courage of the American people that another terrorist attack wouldn't reduce them to a quivering mass of frightened little children.
Mataconis is on the same page.