It took the comments section at firedoglake to make me realize that's a false dilemma, stemming from a poor phrasing of the proper question--the proper question being: What is the president's job, and is he doing it?
His job is to make the right decisions.
If he runs his ship in such a way that subordinates feel free to hide things from him, and he's not asking questions to get the right information, then he's a failure in making the right decisions.
If he's getting the information and then lying about it, he's a failure at making the right decisions.
The King has failed to do his job. How exactly this came to be is of interest as an educational moment for others who come after him. But it is of no interest as a political matter.
He failed to treat Tillman with honor. He failed to make the right call on Iraq. He failed to help New Orleans. He failed to uphold the fourth amendment. He failed to keep the name of a CIA counter-proliferation agent secret.
As far as accountability is concerned, these were his calls to make, and he failed.
No OR's about it.
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