There use to be a President with a sign on his desk, "The Buck Stops Here", that is where it should stop, with the CIC. Clinton wasn't a bit shy about being thought a dictator, or issuing a blizzard of Executive Orders, and a few well placed ones would go a long way to protecting American citizens. Like zero admittance to this country by anyone from a terrorist nation or of Arab decent until a better identification system is in place.
Right after 9-11 everyone would have cheered that decision from a strong President taking charge of a bad situation. Politicans grasp at every poll, yet the polls showing at least 70% or more Americans want a halt to immigration goes ignored, now ask yourself just why is that? Why is the will of the people being ignored? Politicans claim they are real keen on the will of the people. We can no longer be sure of just which people they are talking about I suppose, American people? Third world people? I think we need them to define just which people's will they are keen on.
I'm pretty sure Bush doesn't have a sign on his desk saying "The Buck Stops Here", I'm pretty sure he must have a photo in a heart shaped picture frame of V. Fox, he must have, he keeps trying to sneak 245i past very opposed and frightened American citizens. Not very compassionate of him now is it. I have been adviced by Bush loyalists to watch what he does, not what he says, I have and I trust him less every day.
Pre 9-11 the blame can be placed squarely on the Congress, post 9-11 Bush gets the blame and congress comes in a close second. What you suggest may happen is a real shame, that after the next attack people will angrily demand change, not good, shame on ya for waiting for more innocent victims blood to be spilled before "angrily demanding" more be done. It's a shame that a politican won't step up to the plate until he is assured of which way the political wind will blow, I guess I can understand that self serving attitude. Here is the thing, I can't bear to see the innocents in Israel come to harm, and I hear the clock ticking on my fellow American's lives and yeah, I guess I am pre-angry about that, instead of post-angry. My bad, my timing is always off with everyone else's.
PC is the real culprit here. John Ashcroft was raked over the coals by Congress (and plenty of posters at FR) for attempting to target middle eastern men for scrutiny at airports. Other examples abound. The FBI is afraid to be accused of racial profiling, so they do it very quietly, if at all. Airport Security is a contradiction in terms.
Your fears over immigration seem a bit excessive but understandable. I would love to see the borders shut down and I part company with the President on Mexican immigration policy. We're not that far apart but you seem to believe that President Bush can 'fix' the Arab-Terrorists-in-America problem as well as issue EO's that bar all Arab immigration with no opposition and no political or public blowback and that is simply not so.
The trite comparisons to Clinton are cheesy, Miss Pie and you know it. President Bush is not reading polls but acting in conscience. If he attempted to use the FBI to find and isolate every potential Arab terrorist in America he would be impeached by the Democrats because there is no legal way to do this once the more obvious suspects (illegals) are apprehended. That's the damn thing about terrorism. Every Arab may be a terrorist but how can you tell? Who says anglo sympathizers can't be terrorists, too? The simple fix you are seeking does not exist. No Executive Order will rid us of terrorists unless we become a police state and then, you-know-who wins.
You and I will never be 'safe' from terrorism Miss Pie, never. Get that idea out of your mind. We can do more but we'll never see closed borders or a national sweep and deporting/jailing of Arabs in this PC climate we're living in. Another attack may very well change that but even then, I have my doubts. Most of America has half-forgotten 9/11 eight short months after the grim fact. We 'move on' real good here.
I'm not going to make the same argument over and over so I'll drop this one here but I state again that even if we sustain another attack and hundreds or thousands die and you and all of America blame Bush and he resigns or is impeached (happy, now?) you will stil not be 'safe', no matter who is president or how many Executive Orders he issues or what clever little sign he puts on his desk. Blaming Bush may comfort you in some way and give you a target to aim your fear and anger toward but in the final analysis, it won't matter much.