Incompetence and Terrorism

The best kind of defense of the Obama administration that I've seen is the kind represented by Ta-Nehisi Coates at http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/12/the_dream_of_invunerability.php

It is best summed up with the line "there is no such thing as invulnerability, that we have to acquit ourselves to the possibility that an occasional nutjob will get away with an occasional act"  That is true, but also in this case, deeply misleading.  Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was already on a terrorist watchlist and being given visa by the State Department was not one of those things that happen.   It was an example of shocking (and very nearly fatal) incompetence, that was followed by despicable ass covering by Janet "the system worked" Napolitano.

This isn't about party or partisanship.  Citizens should be equal opportunity opponents of incompetence (cough*MikeBrown*cough) or apologists for incompetence (cough*Rumsfeld*cough).  We can't expect perfection from the government, but we have a right to expect more competence than we have seen in this instance, and more honesty from the people in authority.