Obama Swimming Against The Tide: Homeland Security Woes

Your tax dollars at work.  Obama's Hawaii security. Cryptome photos here.  Above, Obama with a Secret Service agent.  Captions anyone?

The NYTimes reports today that the U.S. government had "early signs" of a holiday terrorist plot.  Translation:  Obama is blaming competing intelligence agencies for dropping the ball and admitting "some linkage" with al Qaeda.  The NYDN - incensed by Obama's four-day delay in addressing the Underwear Bomber - demands "it's time to get a grip, Mr. President."

A NYT editorial blames Bush, Congress, Obama, and the still vacant top job at the TSA.

NYT's Maureen Dowd laments a missing-in-action Obama:  On Tuesday, Obama stepped up to the microphone to admit what Janet Napolitano (who learned nothing from an earlier Janet named Reno) had first tried to deny: that there had been “a systemic failure” and a “catastrophic breach of security.”

But in a mystifying moment that was not technically or emotionally reassuring, there was no live video and it looked as though the Obama operation was flying by the seat of its pants.... Citing the attempt of the Nigerian’s father to warn U.S. authorities six months ago, the president intoned: “It now appears that weeks ago this information was passed to a component of our intelligence community but was not effectively distributed so as to get the suspect’s name on a no-fly list.”

In his detached way, Spock was letting us know that our besieged starship was not speeding into a safer new future, and that we still have to be scared.

Heck of a job, Barry.

Related: Politico "President Obama Takes the Heat President Bush Did Not" Wash Post: "Republican see political opportunity in Obama response to failed airplane bomb"  Financial Times:  "Republicans Seek Political Advantage"

Former veep Dick Cheney takes a shot at Obama for trying to "pretend we're not at war" with terrorists, citing the now-politically incorrect phrase "war on terror."

It is time to stop paying lip service to America's fatuous airport security and go full-tilt boogie profiling suspected terrorists.  Like Israel.  Al Qaeda gets the last laugh as Obama was either boldy set up or coldly inept.  Or a combination of both.  Either way American airline insecurity is a global joke as the Obama administration wastes time and money searching for more than three ounces of Grandma's Geritol stashed in her Vera Bradley bag and C4 in Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts. There are entire degree programs designed for careers in homeland security. They should be teaching far more practical tactics at traditional schools and homeland security online programs rather than wasteful maneuvers that don’t address the reality.