The evidence of layers and layers of stupidity as it concerns the abortive terrorist plot to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner would be breath-taking if it wasn't so incredible common.

After blatant attempts to sweep the incident under the rug and public pleas to 'trust the government', Janet Napolitano had to backpedal furiously, lamely claiming that her earlier comments (the system worked, trust the government...) had been 'taken out of context' .

I've seen this kind of flailing many times in all sorts of places, in institutions large and small and its always symptomatic of the same problem--an absence of vision. Now I just saw "Inglourious Basterds" (sic) on DVD since I missed it in the theaters when it first came out. I was impressed with the "vision" Lt. Aldo Raines provides his squad in this speech:

"My name is Lt. Aldo Raine, and I'm putting together a special team. And I need me eight soldiers.

Eight - Jewish - American - Soldiers.

...We're gonna be dropped into France, dressed as civilians. And ...we're gonna be doin one thing, and one thing only, Killin Nazi's.

We will be cruel to the Germans, and through our cruelty, they will know who we are.

... And the Germans, will be sickened by us.

And the Germans, will talk about us. And the Germans, will fear us.

...But I got a word of warning to all would be warriors. When you join my command, you take on debit. A debit you owe me, personally.

Every man under my command, owes me, one hundred Nazi scalps.

And I want my scalps. And all y'all will git me, one hundred Nazi scalps, taken from the heads of one hundred Nazi's or you will die trying."

Gruesome perhaps, but absent any ambiguity about their purposes. Their mission is to kill Nazis, the reason and mode for killing Nazis is to inspire fear. The mission demands total and absolute commitment.

Clear and succinct, and absolute model of a good mission statement. With this kind of mission statement, you don't get any flailing around, back-pedaling or confusion.

Its safe to assume that the Great Incompetent One, failed to articulate a mission for Homeland Security. Hundreds, if not thousands of federal employees had their eyeballs on this matter at some point. There is simply no way to blame it on a bad apple or two--this was institutional failure, and thus unequivocally, Barack Obama's failure.

This would not have happened under George W. Bush--another reason to believe that history will esteem him.