If we are to suppose that the Bush administration was over-zealous, war-mongering, and constitution-shredding, what are we to make of the events since the new president took office? After 9/11/01, there was not a single successful terrorist plot on American soil until this new administration. Every one was stopped. Every one. And we know now that there were many attempts. The only successful terrorist activity in this country since 9/11 has been under the new administration.
The Ft. Hood shooting was clearly Islamic terrorism: the cowardly murder of unarmed men and women. The Christmas "panty-bomber" (thanks, Mark Steyn) too was clearly an Islamic terrorist, in a cowardly attempt to kill unarmed men, women, and children in the air and on the ground. The administration must see this as failure.
In addition, the war in Afghanistan has heated up, and there has been little strong leadership from the White House (in spite of the president's rhetoric before the election that this was the "good" war). The winding down of the Iraqi war had begun under the previous administration, and whatever the degree of its long-term results, its success is due to the "surge" mounted and maintained by the previous administration in spite of the opposition of the Democrats.
It seems that 1/3 of all the terrorist plots in the last decade have happened during 2009. (See Victor David Hanson's piece on NRO: http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjYyYzhlZWM3NGViOTEwMmE1NGNlY2M5MGMxMzM4ODY=). The numbers of attempted attacks are (as predicted) going UP under this new administration. Charles Krauthammer said the other day that we should consider the Christmas bombing a success for the terrorists as it should have worked, and would have apart from the bomber's ineptitude and the heroism of one Dutch fellow.
What will it take to turn this around? Quietly, the present administration is adopting the very policies of the Bush/Chaney White House that they criticized so blatantly during the 2008 campaign. Hanson writes, "Given his adoption of the Bush protocols, Obama might show the same magnanimity toward his predecessor that he does toward the Muslim world."
I won't hold my breath.
