"I Screwed Up"

That's what President Obama said, regarding his supporting Daschle's nomination. Well, maybe he did screw up, maybe Daschle and a couple of others weren't vetted as closely as they could have been.

But I'm proud of the President even if he did "screw up." That's because he's a big enough man and a strong enough man to admit he made a mistake. Oh, sure, President Bush admitted to a few mistaken decisions as he was leaving office. That doesn't exactly help all the people who were harmed by those wrong decisions during his eight years in the presidency.

In President Obama's case, this mistake happened only two weeks after he took office. So he's out there admitting he erred, saying baldly, "I screwed up," without dodging behind excuses. What a refreshing change from the past eight years! In fact, I don't think I've ever heard a POTUS say right out that he screwed up, right in the middle of the problem.

By trying to take accountability to a higher level, our new President puts himself in a more vulnerable position than any past president has ever taken. Will he screw up again in some other way? Probably he will. There's no real preparation for this position. It is unique in the world, and the on-the-job training is as rigorous as it gets. From day one, he's expected to hit the ground running, and never more than today with all the problems he's inherited.

A leader who can say, "I screwed up," deserves respect. We can only learn from our mistakes if we are willing to own up to them. Here's a leader who isn't pretending to be a demigod. He's showing character instead of bluster. Good for him!