On the day before the first anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden and amid a debate over the politicization of that operation, President Barack Obama has made one thing clear — he'd be happy to keep talking about it all year.
"I hardly think you’ve seen any excessive celebration taking place here," Obama said at a press conference Monday afternoon, defending his campaign's web videos which prominently feature the bin Laden operation.
"I said I’d go after Osama if we had a clear shot, and I did," Obama continued, taking a veiled shot at Mitt Romney. "If there are some who’ve said one thing, and now suggest they’d do something else, I’d go ahead and let them explain it."
Romney had said earlier Monday that he — like any president including Jimmy Carter— would have given the order to kill bin Laden.
Despite his assertion last year that he didn't want to "spike the football," Obama now welcomes all discussion of the bin Laden raid even if it invites accusations that he's doing just that. Republican complaints that he's politicizing the anniversary only reinforce the simple fact that Obama gave order that killed Osama — something George W. Bush was unable to accomplish.