Under President Obama’s leadership, the U.S. has suffered yet another problem with the H1N1 virus.

Not only has H1N1 claimed the life of hundreds of Americans, especially children, it also exposed a systemic problem with the government’s execution of health care in the country.

There have been shortages of the rushed H1N1 vaccine nationwide.  The shortages were compounded today when we learned that thousands of doses of the vaccine are not up to snuff, and that recipients of these defective shots are being encouraged to get another round of treatment.

Typically, I would not blame a President for this problem.  He’s not a scientist.  He did not make these faulty shots.  And even though Democrats in previous years harshly criticized President GW Bush for shortages under his watch, and now perhaps this Democratic President deserves a taste of his party’s own medicine, I still don’t think it is right to blame a President.

But with President Obama, it is different.

Our current President has set himself up to be the fallguy for all of the nation’s ills.  He actively gets involved in all aspects of American life.  Whether it’s commenting on police who “acted stupidly,” calling Kanye West a “jackass,” or proposing fines to those who don’t want health insurance, President Obama forces his way into our life.  And for that, he deserves criticism when things go wrong.

President Obama has also become actively involved in the fight against H1N1.  In October, he declared a state of emergency, granting hospitals additional freedoms to treat patients in otherwise non-ideal conditions.  In September, President Obama said he “strongly recommends” everyone get the vaccine.  In July, his administration began “aggressively” preparing for the fall season, including holding a “H1N1 Summit.”

I point out these actions to show that he did take steps to try to minimize the impact of H1N1.  He obviously would have wanted the credit if his actions did have a large positive impact.  Therefore, he must also accept the blame when they fall short.