It is a bar so high that no American administration can hope to achieve it.
Perfection is an unreasonable goal, you nailed it. The battle between good and evil is more personal than human nature wants to admit. Government has a role, but it is not the sole source of solution.
Isn't it crazy? How does anyone know that even if Osama had been killed, 9/11 would not have happened? Let's face it, air travel has been rife for terrorism for decades (and still is not bulletproof against it). There are numerous other opportunities for our enemies to hurt us.
We were not ready for suicide missions and still aren't. I am sur that any suicide bomber could hop onto a bus in any of our large cities and detonate, RIGHT NOW.
Why does this commission think that a single administration should be brought to blame for this? I don't blame Clinton for 9/11. He could have stopped bin Laden but 9/11 cannot be laid at the feet of any administration.