Obama After Underwear Bomber: 'Buck Stops With Me'

In January 2010, President Obama addressed the nation with an update on the security review of the attempted terrorist attack and outlined the reforms and corrective actions he ordered. The President said, “I have repeatedly made it clear — in public with the American people, and in private with my national security team — that I will hold my staff, our agencies and the people in them accountable when they fail to perform their responsibilities at the highest levels … Moreover, I am less interested in passing out blame than I am in learning from and correcting these mistakes to make us safer. For ultimately, the buck stops with me. As President, I have a solemn responsibility to protect our nation and our people. And when the system fails, it is my responsibility.”