by Mark Silva
The low-flying journey of the United States of America jumbo-jet that serves as Air Force One when the president is aboard -- there are two -- created quite a stir today when the big blue bird, sans president but trailed by fighter jets, swept over the Statue of Liberty.
It was a military "photo-op,'' the Federal Aviation Administration said, and it had been coordinated with many local, state and federal agencies.
It was an outrage -- a callous insult to the people of New York -- many of whom panicked at the sight over a city still traumatized by the hijacked airliners that attacked the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, the way Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) saw it.
"To think that the FAA would plan such a photo shoot and not warn the public, knowing full well that New Yorkers still have the vivid memory of 9/11 etched in their minds,'' Schumer said. "In New York, of all places, to not warn the public that one of the largest jets in the country tailed by a fighter jet is going to fly low over their communities defies logic and borders on simply being cruel."
"It defies the imagination,'' New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
The White House at first indicated it didn't know anything about the photo opp -- but later in the day, Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, said this about the flight of the presidential aircraft, sans president, over New York:
"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."
Comments
Caldera should to be fired. RIGHT NOW.
So should Gibbs. There are much better spokespeople than him out there. Loyalty and friendship to the president is not enough. He should go back to being a senior advisor aide and have a more professional and more forthright spokesperson at the helm.
This whole episode was outrageous and dangerously insensitive.
And it further hardens the resolve that there should be no interrogation inquiries or the like. People of the States are still freaked out and scarred. The commander in chief has a duty to unite our nation at this time, when we're at risk, not divide us or make us feel scared.
And I'm a supporter of Obama's domestic and foreign policy initiatives before anyone seeks to assume otherwise.
But these are serious flaws that leave people not feeling safe.
Posted by: Jen | April 27, 2009 6:06 PM
**Neon lights, a nobel prize
**The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
**You dont have to follow me
**Only you can set me free
**I sell the things you need to be
**Im the smiling face on your t.v.
**Im the cult of personality
**I exploit you still you love me
**
**I tell you one and one makes three
**Im the cult of personality
**Like joseph stalin and gandi
**Im the cult of personality
**Cult of personality
**Cult of personality
Posted by: heartburn | April 27, 2009 6:41 PM
They pulled the same thing about 4 years ago over the Loop on a Sunday afternoon about 4 p.m.
I saw the jetliner flying low, Northeast over the Loop.
It was very realistic. I thought, by the time I call 911, it will have struck the John Hancock Building.
Fire engines raced to the corner of State and Jackson, from the North on State and from the west on Jackson.
No one seems to have been shocked or even mentioned it in the local press. Which tells you how observant the local press is in Chicago--NOT.
Chertoff mentioned the code name of this exercise a couple or 3 years later in an interview on the air.
Why is Bloomberg feigning shock?
Cheap little politician.
You know he had advance warning, just as the Mayor in Chicago had to have been advised of the exercise in Chicago.
Posted by: ornery | April 27, 2009 7:21 PM
Isn't it about time New Yorkers got over it? Every time there's a loud noise in Manhattan they run for the hills. 9/11 happened. Deal with it. Londoners, who were bombed plenty of times during the IRA years, don't jump every time a car backfires. As for planes, what do they do when they visit other cities, where overflights happen all the time? Do they run for the basements?
While I can accept that 9/11 was extremely traumatic, I think New Yorkers are being just a bit too emo about it.
Posted by: Andreas | April 27, 2009 7:48 PM
A photo opp for what? Is the Air Force doing a remake of "Escape from New York?" Are they making a promo film to make the Presidency and its accoutrements more attractive to the next big ego to hit DC?
People evacuated buildings in NJ and lower Manhattan and fled in a panic because of this SNAFU.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | April 27, 2009 7:57 PM
Calm down New York! Ya'll voted this egomaniac into office. O'bama just wants his ride to look good. Chill...
...it did get ya thinkin... well that can't be all bad! Look to the skys as O'bama's ride flys high! Who's your master now!
HA HA HA HA HA
Posted by: oldmrelics | April 27, 2009 8:27 PM
If anything happen in America it will be on Obama's hands.
100 days and time for a change.
Posted by: doro | April 27, 2009 8:39 PM
Leave the New Yorkers alone, it is BS to tell them they are too emotional. Doesn't anyone think its weird that the White House didn't know anything about it at first and then came back and said, oops, we planned it. Who was taking the picture? Where was it being taken from? The f16? There is no camera that can shoot a plane in detail from a mile away. Its BS, there is more to it. People need to wake up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAaQNACwaLw
Posted by: Obama Deception | April 27, 2009 8:50 PM
Whoever is talking here is truth challenged. Is the name Caldera?
It wasn't a "photo op". It was a drill, a reality exercise, and they just can't seem to tell the truth.
It was "insensitive" to fly it over Manhattan, I agree.
What is more insensitive is not telling the truth.
We were tired of that. At least a goodly majority.
That's why Obama was elected.
Posted by: ornery | April 27, 2009 8:58 PM
Andreas,
Unless you were in New York, lost somebody, or saw the scale of the destruction, then you don't have a clue -- as your insensitive
tone indicates.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport | April 27, 2009 9:04 PM
Those idiots in the Bush Administration can't do anything right!!!.....Oh! wait a minute...I forgot ...we switched administrations three months ago!!!
Posted by: Joe | April 27, 2009 9:08 PM
I look for Caldera to be canned (resign to spend more time with family) within the next few weeks.
Posted by: Hulk SMASH! | April 27, 2009 9:23 PM
I see the farce that is the Swamp Gestapo Censors are pulling their Anti-First Amendment act again, so we'll try this again. It really is amazing though (actually it's not knowing how much the Tribune is afraid of the truth and covers for its personally selected president) that a U.S. newspaper would do so much censoring.
Anyway, this is nothing new for the Obama badministration. How many Cabinet picks didn't pay taxes? And, of course, the badministration didn't know. Then we had the AIG scandal in which the Obama badministration was "outraged" about, only to find out the sadministration knew and APPROVED of the AIG bonuses. And now this latest embarrrassment.
Also, for a "green" oriented administration, this president jets all across the nation, to Iowa for Earth Day, to Denver to sign the spendulus bill and wherever else this incompetent wants to fly on a whim. Heck, he's even taken the jet to Virginia, for crying out loud!
Course, the hacks at the Swamp will censor this post too. Too much realism for them!
Posted by: John D | April 27, 2009 10:37 PM
Cool it boys and girls. It's problably just a test run to test the readiness of the Homeland Security. Obviously, the local governments weren't prepared. . .protocols should have driven the process into an automatic response. Instead of pointing fingers! LOL
Posted by: HmongRodneyKing | April 27, 2009 10:50 PM
Notice that the Obama administration flunky's first instinct was to lie.
Guess he'd figure the boss wouldn't mind.
Posted by: Arthur Henning | April 27, 2009 11:22 PM
The party of drama queens.
Posted by: bill r. | April 27, 2009 11:25 PM
"Unless you were in New York, lost somebody, or saw the scale of the destruction, then you don't have a clue -- as your insensitive
tone indicates."
My friend was 2 minutes from being blown apart by an IRA bomb. My dad was in WWII and before service he was in the target area of many German bombings. My family was hours from being murdered during a vacation in Africa. They and I got over it.
I lived in an area of CT that lost more people in relation to population than NYC. So yeah. I get it.
Planes pass over buildings every day. It's called modern civilization. I cried with the rest of the world on 9/11. But this is just milking it...
Posted by: Andreas | April 28, 2009 12:27 AM
Posted by: Andreas | April 27, 2009 7:48 PM ...
Isn't it about time New Yorkers got over it? Every time there's a loud noise in Manhattan they run for the hills. 9/11 happened. Deal with it. Londoners, who were bombed plenty of times during the IRA years, don't jump every time a car backfires. As for planes, what do they do when they visit other cities, where overflights happen all the time? Do they run for the basements?
While I can accept that 9/11 was extremely traumatic, I think New Yorkers are being just a bit too emo about it...
Without getting into your apparent lack of empathy.. Simple answer to your question............................
Because Europeans have been ATTACKED so much its called.. Let me keep it simple, They have grown use to it. Is that the world you want your family to live in when we have the safe guards to keep all pretty safe?? -So I guess if there is a school shooting god forbid and your child was in danger, you are saying hey you lived kid "shake it off" .. Jesus
Posted by: MaryN | April 28, 2009 1:41 AM
Joe, So well put. I was THERE across the river and was one with a car getting people out of there! Lost many friends also. WE have a right to be mad and it's not just New york we in North NJ ( 10 min drive and directly accross) are and were very effected till this day. It is appalling when on ALL matters what you will defend "your party line" It is a slap to your fellow Americans.
Posted by: MaryN | April 28, 2009 1:51 AM
If it was a defense dept. deal it had to be some type of exercise or drill about how to shoot down a airliner with the least amount or collateral damage, otherwise if it was another "cool" Obama "cool" photo op it reveals just how ignorant and naive the WH has become. However, the "war on terror" is over, just look at it as an NY contingency operation. Obamaland!
Posted by: bubba Porter | April 28, 2009 6:34 AM
How much did taxpayers get soaked for this photo op?
How much of a "carbon footprint" did this cause?
The motto of the HopeyChangy Administration is: Do as We Say, Not as We Do.
Posted by: Arthur Henning | April 28, 2009 8:16 AM
I'm disappointed and angered by this brainless stunt. It's something I'd expect from the previous administration, not from Obama. It takes very little to know better than to have planes flying low over a big city, looking suspiciously like they might be ready to crash into something. If a photo-opp was needed, that's something I can accept (somewhat grudgingly, but I can accept it) -- but word should have been given to the people of New York and particularly to occupants of buildings in the area that this was to be expected so that people didn't panic. This was ignorant and insensitive.
Posted by: Op109 | April 28, 2009 11:43 AM
With stunts like this... and every one took cover? Well, well, well---let's see; Obama is testing the water here didn't anybody think of that? The double standard president here (BO)... who mocked the Bush administration for trying to protect us from the Osama terror camp got to play the 'terror' game. What a hypocrite. Don't tell me this type of stunt was kept secret from the White House. At least, with the Bush administration, they mean what they say and will not hesitate to take action if needed. I, along with millions of Americans respect Mr. Bush for keeping the country safe. I don't know about this president, he makes me feel this country is going nowhere. Sad, but that's the truth.
Posted by: eva | April 29, 2009 5:16 AM
How can anyone suggest that New Yorkers cool it! New Yorkers died in an attack on the United States, and I, as an American from the Southwest desert, am OUTRAGED that some fool would do this. That plane was flying for 30 minutes over Manhattan!
What ever you say about George Bush - imagine if this happened under his term - Bush would have personally beat the s**t out of Caldera for this asinine stunt, and then fired him. Now Obama’s incompetence is not theoretical; It has become REAL and PERSONAL. Obama has brought fear to America and NYer’s are again suffering. I am so angry.... Now I know that Obama doesn’t give a damn about us.
Hey Mr. President... is this a Kodak moment?
Posted by: RDA | April 29, 2009 2:03 PM