In May, President Obama unveiled an ambitious plan to protect the nation's cyber infrastructure that included as its centerpiece a new West Wing-based cybersecurity coordinator. Legitimate criticism abounded over parts of the plan, but there was still cause for optimism. At the very least, it seemed like Obama had a firm grasp of the threat at hand.
Six months on, I'm not so sure anymore.
Tonight, the President will unveil his plans for Afghanistan in a speech at West Point after months of intense debate over how many more troops to send in to turn the tide against a resurgent Taliban. It's a matter of critical importance to be sure. The lives of our troops are on the line, and as a country we seem to have lost our way in the war against Al-Qaida.
But as Obama himself noted during the 2008 presidential race -- when John McCain suggested the campaign be suspended so the candidates could return to Washington to focus solely on the then-unfolding economic meltdown -- presidents have to be able to manage multiple crises at a time.
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