QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 8:17 A.M. ET:  From superlative foreign-affairs reporter Joel Mowbray, reflecting on the Times Square close call.  From The Washington Times:

Since Sept. 11, there have been more than 800 terror-related arrests in the United States, according to New York University's Center on Law and Security. The onslaught is constant...

...That's why leadership matters. President Obama, to his credit, has not enacted many changes to the Bush administration counterterrorism policies. But the rhetorical shift has been pronounced.

Given the Muslim background of his father and stepfather, and his own formative years in predominantly Islamic Indonesia, President Obama actually has the best position of any U.S. leader to tackle Islamic radicalism head-on. So far, however, he has declined to do so. His administration has instead engaged in a coordinated campaign to soft-pedal the threat of radical Islamic ideology.

Most likely, the number of potential lone wolves will grow over time. As we could have learned in far more painful fashion this weekend, even the best policing can fall short. The key to stopping lone wolves is defeating the ideology that motivates them to act.

It's only a matter of time before our luck runs out.

COMMENT:  The Obama administration was caught behind the curve on this latest attack, making one foolish statement after the other over the weekend, and never once mentioning jihadist ideology.  I guess they were choking on all that Gulf oil.

As Joel says, it's just a matter of time.  I wonder what will be said then. 

May 4, 2010