Okay, so we've gotten a sorta-kinda-half-assed explanation of what happened, vis-a-vis Undibomber, with yet more (according to some, very shocking revelations) to come. The bad publicity caused by a Homeland Security Secretary who is extraordinarily clueless, a State Department who can't revoke the visa of a terrorist they themselves have identified, a TSA that can't stop people from walking backwards through security checkpoints, and a host of unconnected dots, has finally stripped Barack Obama of his stock excuse -- "It's George Bush's Fault" -- and has him admitting, finally, "It's My Responsibility."
It remains to be seen how much of this is simple political theatre, and how much is actually indicative of a genuine change. Is this President, finally, learning? Is he beginning, after Fort Hood and Pantybmber, to realize the nature of the threat? We can only hope so. His "The Buck Stops Here" speech was the first time I can remember this guy at least looking like he got it. Perhaps he's just stung by the criticism that he wouldn't interrupt his vacation to deal with Pantybomber, perhaps he's come to the realization that there have been two high-profile attacks on his watch, or maybe his Keystone Kops lineup, starting with Napolitano, was so incompetent and so publicly humiliating, that the Big Guy decided to grab the reins and save himself some grief?
We'll see.
In the meantime, we hear that the CIA didn't exactly take the Knickerbomber seriously, either, but then again, Leon Pannettta couldn't be bothered to interrupt his vacation either when seven of his agents were snuffed out in a bombing attack in Afghanistan, so it begins to become clearer almost everyday just where all this lackadaisical attitude comes from. From the top.
Obama treats terrorism as if it were a social issue, instead of an act of war. Eric Holder treats it as a criminal issue, in his mind there being no difference between a terrorist and stick-up man. Hillary Clinton doesn't speak of terrorism at all, unless she can't avoid it, because that re-opens the whole "Bill Clinton didn't get Osama Bin Laden when he had seven chances" box. Leon Pannetta doesn't believe it exists -- even when it strikes close to home and claims the lives of CIA agents in the field. Janet Napolitano, the shockingly-dumbest person I've seen come down the pike since John Edwards, can't wait to get in front of a television camera to paint defeat as victory -- only to have to stumble over a recantation a few hours later that makes even less sense than her previous announcement.
If you want to see how that sort of attitude, and that sort of 'professionalism" brought us a guy with a bomb in his underpants, read this.
Perhaps now, this Administration will keep it's eyes on the ball, and get serious about stopping people like this.
Update: Clueless Janet opens mouth, inserts hoof...again. (with Video!)
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