At least he's attempting to show a spine. That's worth some credit.
I really hate political codewords such as "spine" when they're used to describe actual policy. When fighting terrorism, there is no such thing as having a spine, or lack thereof. It's all about making smart or dumb decisions. Firing a cruise missile into a Sudanese 'weapons factory' may have taken a spine, but in the end it hurt us. Invading Iraq may have taken a 'spine,' but the net result will perhaps be irreparable damage to this country. If not handled properly, invading Pakistan could have a similar effect.