With a title like that at this time of the year, I’m sure you’re expecting a post about “the year that was.” Well, kind of, except that I’m really only focused on the last week of it.
A week ago tomorrow we heard about the harrowing experience of NWA flight 253. After a complete breakdown of routine security procedures, the passengers aboard the plane subdued a terrorist who attempted to ignite explosives to destroy the plane and all of those aboard.
Within 48 hours of the attack, Janet Napolitano, the individual responsible for Home Land Security including things like air safety, no fly lists and the like, was on camera telling us “the system worked.” Not since the world watched the aftermath of Katrina and heard President Bush utter the phrase “heckuva job Brownie,” has there been a public comment by a senior government official that was so obviously out of touch with the situation that was right before their eyes.
The day following her assertion that “the system worked,” and after hearing the response to her absurd proclamation, Napolitano moved into high damage control mode. On Monday, December 28th, Napolitano claimed her words were “taken out of context” and that “our system did not work in this instance.”
Even with Napolitano’s admission of “oops,” bloggers and even the MSM continued to ask how Napolitano could take the situation so cavalierly. In the course of a couple of days it was determined that the terrorists father had warned the CIA that his son was dangerous, that the terrorist had been put on a watch list but not a no fly list, that groups within the government were aware of concern about the terrorist but did nothing to follow up on the concern or share the information with other agencies.
The level of incredulity over Napolitano’s, “we did great. Wait, maybe we didn’t,” grew so large that on Tuesday, President Obama had to find some time between golf rounds and tennis sets to tell us that the Christmas day terror attack was allowed by a “systemic failure.” Of course, he was quick to point out that the system that failed was one that he had inherited from President Bush. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of President Obama’s comments is that they were assembled so quickly and in such a panic that the White House was unable to arrange for live coverage of his comments.
It’s clear as we watch these and other events this week, that President Obama was and is put in a bad light as a result of this event. We also know how well he handles anything that impunes his ego; hello Reverend Wright, White Grandma etc.
In the case of Michael Brown, President Bush made his infamous statement on 9/2. Brown was removed from Katrina responsibilities for Katrina on 9/9, one week later. On September 12th, Michael Brown resigned.
The Obama administration has made an art of releasing news it finds embarrassing at the start of weekends and especially holiday weekends. Tomorrow makes one week since the Christmas terrorist attack. One week of Napolitano making a bad situation worse. This also happens to be the last “off” weekend before things get refocused on an issue that Obama absolutely needs to win; placebocare.
I wonder if Janet has started cleaning her office yet?
