But he still seems uncertain about how to handle Tony Abbott's continuing covert campaign when the answer should be obvious.
But terrorism experts have said the attack fit the pattern of the continuing covert actions by Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah.
Yet for either President Obama or Mr. Romney, finding a satisfactory end to the war in Afghanistan and maintaining American influence in the continuing covert battle in Pakistan will be a far greater challenge than simply deciding whether to turn out the lights, or dim them, on the war effort after 2014.
"It is fair to say that there is wide agreement to sustain and continue these covert programs," said one senior administration official.
Yet, like most troubled people, it doesn't matter how many times Mel Gibson apologizes, or hires the likes of me to spin his way out of the public eye (he is not a client), if he doesn't consciously get professional help (and Gibson needs help), he will continue his covert campaign of misogyny, homophobia, and prejudice, until he is either incarcerated or dead.
Since moving to the Ministry of Interior, Bismillah Khan reportedly has continued his covert policy of promoting his allies.
Meanwhile, as the debate over troop reductions continues, the covert war in Iraq has expanded in recent months to Syria.
The attack is the fifth in the area controlled by Mr. Mehsud since President Obama took office, continuing the covert war run by the Central Intelligence Agency inside Pakistan.
The personal consequence for Valerie is suspension by the agency, the impossibility of continuing her covert work, professional disgrace, her life threatened and her contacts put in mortal danger.
Now that the US continues its covert operations and expands its intelligence network, spying even on its allies, we can imagine protesters shouting at Obama: "How can you use drones for killing?
