Bradley Manning found guilty of a lot of crimes, but being a traitor isn't one of them

Let's get the details out of the way, first. Bradley Manning has been found guilty of 20 of 21 charges, but has not been found guilty of aiding the enemy. Although the sentencing is yet to occur, it's clear Manning will continue to spend time behind bars, but the military court has determined that he's officially not a traitor in the legal sense of the term.

I'll discuss that point in a minute. For now, let's just look at how the press is parsing this news. Drudge claims "NOT A TRAITOR" as it goes on to link to Politico. The Wall Street Journal headlines Manning Acquitted of Aiding the Enemy. The New York Times also headlines Manning Acquitted of Aiding the Enemy. Reuters trumpets, Bradley Manning verdict: Judge finds soldier in WikiLeaks case not guilty of aiding enemy as does the Washington Post: Bradley Manning found not guilty of aiding the enemy.

Reading these headlines, you'd think that young Bradley was off the hook, that stealing government secrets was an okay thing to do, and that his supporters were vindicated. Of course, once you click into the stories, you'd learn the truth, that Bradley Manning is still in a heap of trouble and will probably spend most of his days in jail for his crimes.