Except Leon Panetta

“The president, he went around the table with all the senior people, including the Chiefs of Staff, and he said, ‘I have to make a decision. What is your opinion?’ ” Biden recounted. “He started with the national security adviser, the secretary of state and he ended with me. Every single person in that room hedged their bets except Leon Panetta. Leon said go. Everyone else said, 49, 51. He got to me. He said, ‘Joe, what do you think?’ And I said, ‘You know, I didn’t know we had so many economists around the table.’ I said, ‘We owe the man a direct answer. Mr. President, my suggestion is, don’t go. We have to do two more things to see if he’s there.’ ”

Biden is so eager to show how bold and cool Obama was in that teeth-rattling moment that he relishes admitting he gave cautious advice that was ignored.

The next morning, the president came down to get into Marine One, turned to Tom Donilon and said, “Go.”

“He knew what was at stake,” Biden said. “Not just the lives of those brave warriors, but literally the presidency. And he pulled the trigger.”

The vice president concluded triumphantly: “This guy doesn’t lead from behind. He just leads.”