The 9/11 panel concludes that both the Bush and Clinton administration erred in their pre-9/11 assessment of the terrorist threat.



On the one hand: No sh*t.



I think it was obvious to all of us that we got a national wake-up call on that day. We now need to assess where we missed the signs and how best to fix it. The issue is not whether we were ignorant, but how ignorant were we and can we do better in the future.



On the other hand, the rest of the article is sheer finger-pointing as both parties try to deflect blame onto the other. Election year politics at it's most basic level, if it weren't for so many people that gave their lives for this issue.



It would be a refreshing change if the two parties would simply grow up, examine where and what they did wrong, admit the nation was unprepared for 9/11, and pledge to do their level best to make us prepared for future attempts. That would include foregoing any further stonewalling on current attempts to analyze prior intelligence.



In other words, stop the CYA nonsense and do what's right.



Of course, then it wouldn't be politics, would it?





UPDATE: I seem to be quite bitchy annoyed today. I'll get an attitude adjustment at some point, I promise.