Terrorist Bomb Plot Foiled. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Homeland Security

Two things became clear as a result of the remarks by President Obama and John Brennan, the Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, at their televised press conference this afternoon. First, terrorists based in Yemen sent packages containing explosives to two Chicago-area synagogues. Second, the Department of Homeland Security, and the intelligence agencies of the United States and our allies had already been alerted to the potential threat and were on the watch for the packages that were intercepted in Dubai and the United Kingdom.

When President Obama was elected, the Hedgehog Blog pledged to give the new administration credit where credit is due. In this case, that sentiment is heightened by the fact that my daughter is a member of a synagogue in Chicago. There are of course many synagogues in Chicago, and the Department of Homeland Security has not released the names of the synagogues to which the intercepted explosive packages were addressed. However, I am mindful of the fact that Rahm Emanuel, the former White House Chief of Staff and present candidate for Mayor of Chicago, attended my daughter's synagogue prior to the 2008 election, and may be planning on resuming his attendance there now that he has returned to Chicago. It certainly is not out of the question that our nation's enemies were aware of this as well.

And so, as a grateful American, as well as a grateful father, to President Obama, to the Department of Homeland Security, to the intelligence agencies of the United States and her allies, I express my sincere and wholehearted thanks and extend my hearty congratulations on a job well done.