Why is it always Obama who "returns fire?"

At the New York-based Anything for Obama Times we see the headline - "Obama Returns Fire on McCain in VFW Speech" – and reporter John Broder’s story which begins:

Addressing both his opponent’s charges of weakness and vacillation, and public doubts about his credibility on military matters, Senator Barack Obama on Tuesday told the Veterans of Foreign Wars that he offered not just tough talk but smart answers to national security questions.

Mr. Obama appeared before the V.F.W. a day after his presumed Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, criticized him for advocating a policy of defeat in Iraq and suggested Mr. Obama put personal ambition before the interests of the country.

Mr. Obama struck back with tough language, although his delivery was largely without passion. ….

The rest of Broder’s story’s here.

Why does it seem it's always Sen. Obama who “returns fire” and is “responding to attacks?”

Why don't we find in the Times reporting such as:

“A day after presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama injected race into the campaign during a speech in Jacksonville, presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain responded by noting Obama had promised not to do that.”

or

“Speaking before a group of white Pennsylvania voters still upset by Sen. Obama’s attack on them as “bitter” people who cling to “guns and religion,” Sen. Mc Cain assured them they were “worthwhile citizens.’”

or

“Urged on by campaign advisers, Sen. McCain today finally asked Sen. Obama to explain what he meant when he said his grandmother was ‘a typical white person.”