The Obama administration has been fiercely on the defense since the Christmas Day bomber's botched attempt to blow up an airplane with his explosives-covered thighs. The administration is operating in campaign mode - issuing statements, messaging through press releases and reactively hitting the airwaves while the President birdies and bogeys his way to the bottom of things.

The administration has also been trying to deflect and shift blame - a notorious campaign move - by hammering the GOP for playing politics in the hopes that it will scare off discord. But blaming former President George W. Bush will only make the Obama administration appear devoid of answers.

As Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) went after President Obama for his silence in the days that followed the attack, Democrats were pointing out that  Bush had waited as long, if not longer, after the 2001 shoe bombing. As though that's supposed to comfort anyone now.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was busy warning Washington against politicizing the attack. "This should not be a tug of war between the two political parties," he said.

Translation: We screwed up. Stop pointing it out. Please.