How Complicated is the Chen GuangCheng issue?

I thought this NYT article was a great summary of the controversy surrounding Chen Guangcheng UNTIL I read the second to last paragraph:

"The deal appeared to resolve the diplomatic crisis. But it was unlikely to silence a fusillade of accusations that the Obama administration had bungled Mr. Chen’s case by essentially handing him over to Chinese authorities without ironclad assurances that he would be safe. And it only underscored the degree to which Chinese violations of human rights have become the lightning rod in the two nations’ ever-more-intertwined relationship, despite Washington’s best efforts to the contrary."

Shame on the NYT for oversimplifying this situation into a statement that an average American will read and place blame on not just on the US government, but the current administration is misleading and inappropriate. This is not as simple of a situation as it seems. I am not suggesting that Chen is not worthy of our support. But as a reminder, this is the activist that is loved by the US Media (in Newsweek cover in 2002, visited by Christian Bale (yes batman) last year. For anyone to assume that China relations should pivot on this particular issue as opposed to something like, I don't know, the fall of Bo Xilai, is interesting.  Why not make that the headline or even reference it in any articles? Or is that not reaching the same entertainment value as Chen? The goings-on in Chongqing, alignment on Iran, economic equity (which some would argue is the root cause of local corruption which initiated the Chen case in the first place) are ultimately much more indicative of where fundamental change should be focused and I think that Secretary State Clinton might have better spent her time focusing on Billions rather than one. Yet 90% of the media coverage was focused on Chen successfully negotiating for escape, I mean to study at NYU. Well, I guess all is right with the now. Whew.