I often hear Obama reiterate that his number one duty is to protect the citizens of the US. I wish that he would stop saying that. It's part of his job to protect US citizens, but like all of the duties that he is expected to fulfill, he must work to the best of his abilities within the legal framework that defines his position. Every time he makes such a statement, he is asserting that he has an ability to secure us to an extent that he does not, and he is normalizing the idea that attacks upon US citizens are evidence that the President's powers are too limited. There is a massive, military, security, and intelligence apparatus that works to ensure the safety of US citizens. Obama cannot and should not assume supreme authority in the execution of that objective. He has a role to play, and attacks upon US citizens do not mean that he alone isn't keeping us safe enough.