Timothy Noah writes:

Never mind that Hawaii was the most recent place in the United States to be attacked by a foreign power.

I have no wish to denigrate the importance of Pearl Harbor in American history, but the people of Brookings, OR might want to challenge Noah's statement, considering the aerial bombardment of nearby Mt. Emily by the Japanese in 1942...

... And may I add that the Alaskan islands of Attu and Kiska were occupied by the Japanese in June of 1942. Not to be too pedantic or overly literal but Hawaii was not the most recent place in the United States to be attacked by a foreign power.

Hawaii was the last significant attack by a foreign power on occupied American soil. The attack on Oregon was by incendiary balloon, which killed a woman and a child, was launched from Japanese territory. The Aleutian Islands never involved an attack on an entrenched American position. All of the occupations were made while the islands were unprotected, and were designed as a diversionary tactic. Neither was an attempt to neutralize a strategic military asset.

No child in Hawaii goes untutored about that day, and the sacrifices made in the War. I would assume that Mr. Obama has absorbed that lesson.

There was a small Coast Guard contingent on Attu at the time of the invasion. Additionally, the quite large base at Dutch Harbor (at the time a naval base with an Army barracks) was bombed repeatedly. Certainly none of this was on the scale of the Pearl Harbor but it did occur later, so Noah's statement is inaccurate. Not to be pedantic or anything.

New York City and Arlington VA, were attacked by agents of the Taliban government of Afghanistan on 2001 September 11.

Obama 08!

Hey thanks ...I never heard of this!

Apparently, neither has Timothy Noah.

Obama 08!

I'm going to venture a guess that Noah was not considering al-Qaeda a "foreign power."

No, look at the context of Noah's statement. He simply screwed up royally.

Obama 08!