Obama partly responsible for security failures

I find it interesting that The Baltimore Sun suggests there is no responsibility on President Barack Obama for the failure to keep the Islamic terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab from boarding the Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit ("Heeding warning signs," Dec. 29) by saying "Homeland Security officials have been following the same procedures developed by the Bush administration that had to deal with the Reid episode weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks." Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano used the same reasoning to defend their lack of preventive actions.

Since the inauguration, Mr. Obama and his staff have continuously blasted the eight years of the Bush administration at every possible moment to support their political agenda, with no objections from the media. But when Mr. Obama's policy fails, especially in defending America, he and his staff are quick to take cover under one of George W. Bush's policies, with the support of the media.

Yes, there was a failure in the security system, and it rests not only on the lap of Janet Napolitano but - in the famous words of President Harry Truman when he said "The buck stops here" - it also rests on the lap of Mr. Obama. Exactly when will the media decide it is time to hold Mr. Obama accountable for his administration's failures? Based on current media actions, I suspect never.Ron Wirsing, Havre de Grace