Did Obama Blow It On Northwest Terror Attack?
By M.J. Rosenberg - December 30, 2009, 9:47AM
tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com
"The fact of the matter right now is that 100% of the Islamic terrorists who are coming against us are Muslims." -- American genius, Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
It seems like there is lots of criticism of the President over the attempted terror attack over Detroit.
I understand that a President, by definition, is responsible for everything that happens under his watch but this blunder seems to have been limited to the lower rungs of the bureaucracy. This is not, by any means, the equivalent of the National Security Adviser ignoring a clear warning of an impending attack as was the case before 9/11.
In a way, Obama is hoisted on his own petard. Since coming to office he has refused to blame the Bush administration for much of anything. If it was up to me, Obama would never mention the economic collapse, two wars or the surplus-turned-deficit without reminding Americans who was responsible. (FDR made sure Americans understood that Hoover and the GOP was responsible for all their problems and that helped keep Democrats in power for decades. JFK talked about Hoover in the 1960 election!).
Obama seems to have thought he could govern more effectively -- that he would appease the miscreants -- by not blaming them. As Teddy Roosevelt said, the only way to deal with bullies is with a 2 by 4.
Obama made a huge mistake.
If anyone is to blame for the continued existence of Al Qaeda and the threat it poses to us, it is Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the neocons.
They sold us out, not only by going into iraq but by ignoring security holes here at home, and should be held responsible. In fact, Obama should have allowed Henry Waxman and the other Congressional firebrands to hold hearings on the failures that produced 9/11, the lies that produced the Iraq war, and how the decision was made not to regulate derivatives and other newfangled and larcenous financial instruments.
But it's too late now. By the time this Presidency is over, Obama could well be the President blamed for the monstrous horrors he inherited and which were inflicted on us by Republicans and corporate Democrats.
Obama is certainly not responsible for the near-disaster in Detroit. But the administration that chose to give Osama bin Laden a pass so they could go off and fight Iraq probably is.
Who told Obama that he would succeed without telling and repeating, over and over again, the facts about who is responsible for America's travails. Americans need to hold someone responsible for the fix they are in . It should be the Republicans. But, thanks to Obama's e restraint and innate politeness, it looks like it will be Democrats. |
