Can you imagine how it would have went if he didn't do that? I mean, ya, sucky choice, but when the Republicans are ready to pounce on him for being weak on national security ("see we told you Obama was a weak"), I see how it is hard to go backwards.

If there is one thing Americans hate more than they gov killing Americans abroad, its Americans getting killed by terrorists at home. Ya, this is a very abstract threat, but politics revolves around it.