Redwood's post's .....and a poll

[Neil D]

I am not 'anti-Obama'. I wish him well. But I will be honest when he makes mistakes like when he spooks New Yorkers with a low flying jet over the NY skies. How stupid. New Yorker had to evacuate Sky risers out of fear of Obama. Sorry for the off topic statement. But you did challenge me.

Ha! "not Anti-Obama???" There is hardly a post that is not anti-Obama....Look at the above....You couldn't just disagree...but had to make sure there was an anti-obama post...Atributing the Fly Over in Lower Manhattin as Obama's problem when it was a communications problem is poor justice/judgement.

[Neil D]

Hmmmmmm.....Sorry, ...can't get a poll up..

[Woody]

Quote:

Atributing the Fly Over in Lower Manhattin as Obama's problem when it was a communications problem is poor justice/judgement.

Ha Ha ... YES. I have noticed Obama's "communications" problems a lot lately. Oh well ... I do agree that no one is perfect. And we can certainly see that in Obama. But I do wish him well for the country's sake. However ... I will continue to point out when he is wrong and does bad things. I would do that for any president be they Repubs or Demos.

[Taylor]

Ya I don't think it was Obama's fault but someone messed up majorly. I can't imagine ANY president doing something that would scare people like that after 9/11. I heard that Obama was furious when he found out....and likely mortified.

[Neil D]

According to some news outlets, the PR promotion was sent from it origion of homeland security, thru the proper channels to Manhatatins/NY mayor....only it didn't get communicated to him.....

Even the Ed Show was calling for someone's head for this one....And Obama was frank enough to say that it's a mistake and that they found out when the public did....

[Woody]

Not to mention the waste of having this photo op. It costs some $50,000 per minute to frighten thousands of New Yorkers.

[Neil D]

Not to mention the waste of having this photo op. It costs some $50,000 per minute to frighten thousands of New Yorkers.

$50k per minute??? Um....try this....

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House plans an inquiry into a low-flying photo shoot by a presidential plane that panicked New Yorkers, and President Barack Obama said Tuesday it won't happen again.

But the origins of the government public relations stunt that went awry remained an engrossing mystery.

"I think this is one of those rare cases where we can all agree it was a mistake," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said of Monday's "unfortunate" flight low over the Hudson River that for many on the ground evoked chilling memories of 9/11.

The sight of the huge passenger jet and an F-16 fighter plane whizzing past the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan financial district sent panicked office workers streaming into the streets.

"It was a mistake, as was stated ... and it will not happen again," Obama said.

White House officials did not say why new photos were needed of the plane that is sometimes used as Air Force One — Obama wasn't aboard the flight — or who the presumed audience of the planned photographs were.

Air Force officials began to provide basic information Tuesday about the cost of the flights, but did not disclose how long the public has paid for similar photo op flights.

And public officials from the White House to New York still had not explained why they acceded to a plan that informed several dozen officials about the impending flight but kept the public in the dark.

"I think we've all learned something from it and now it's time to make sure our procedures are better and to get on with other things," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "It does seem like it was a waste of money, but that's up to the federal government."

Air Force officials Tuesday said the cost of three-hour trip from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and back was $35,000 for the flight of the Boeing VC-25 presidential jet and the two accompanying F-16 fighters flown by D.C. Air National Guard pilots. Most of that amount would be for fuel. The large jet — a Boeing 747 — carried only military personnel, the White House said.

The Air Force said the photo op flight was run as a regular training mission, so that the costs of the aircraft were considered training costs and were handled under the operations and maintenance budget the 89th Airlift Wing.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that there would be an inquiry into how the decision was made to make the flight. He made no move to defend the midlevel White House civilian who had accepted blame for it on Monday.

"The president will look at that review and take any appropriate steps after that," Gibbs said. The inquiry would be led by Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, Gibbs said.

White House officials said Obama was fuming mad and thinks Air Force One didn't need a new publicity photo anyway.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates "did not know in advance about this flying photo op," Morrell said. "Once he found out, suffice it to say he was surprised and not very pleased."

The presidential air fleet answers to the White House military office, whose director, Louis Caldera, issued a mea culpa on Monday.

"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," Caldera's statement said. "I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

For a half-hour, the Boeing 747 and one of the F-16s circled the Statue of Liberty and the financial district near the World Trade Center site. Offices emptied. Dispatchers were inundated with calls. Witnesses thought the planes were flying dangerously low.

A White House official has said the New York City mayor's office and other New York and New Jersey police agencies were told about the Boeing 747's flight. The official said the FAA, at the military's request, told local agencies that the information was classified and asked them not to publicize it.

Bloomberg initially lambasted the government for failing to notify him, then criticized one of his own aides after learning that the aide had not relayed notification that the flight was coming.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine said Tuesday he also received no warning ahead of time that the back-up Air Force One jet and military fighters would be flying low around the Statute of Liberty.

Corzine said he had yet to find a New Jersey official who was told in advance about the Monday morning fly-over.

Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said the Obama administration should have been more careful about alerting New Yorkers to the photo-op.

"There should have been better communication," Levin said Tuesday. "They've expressed their regrets for not having a better communications line to New York, and I think New York people should have known about it."

Associated Press writers Richard Lardner, Philip Elliott and Lara Jakes in Washington, Sara Kugler in New York and Beth DeFalco in New Jersey contributed to this report.

[Woody]

That's what I get for listening to ABC on occasions. I will definately return to listening to F _ _ .

[olger]

ABC will shrink the BRAIN !! Read the warning label.

oG

[Dr. Shane]

So the Air Force can take off with Air Force One without the President knowing? That seems rather odd. So I guess he has to schedule his flights in advance. No last minute changes allowed.

[Kountzer]

The prez of the usa, whoever he or she maybe, has too many things to be concerned with beside keeping up with air force one.

If ever there was a task that needs delegating, that is one.

[Dr. Shane]

I think if this would have happened during the Bush Administration a lot of people that are minimizing it now would have been making a big deal out of it. I am one of those kind of guys that always knows where my car is. If I had a 747 personal jet, I think I would know where that is too. But that is just me. I wonder if he knows where Air Force Two (his helicopter) is.

[Joe_in_RP]

Quote:

So the Air Force can take off with Air Force One without the President knowing? That seems rather odd. So I guess he has to schedule his flights in advance. No last minute changes allowed.

There are many of these planes. They all look alike. It is only Air Force One when the president is on board.

[Woody]

So the Air Force can take off with Air Force One without the President knowing? That seems rather odd. So I guess he has to schedule his flights in advance. No last minute changes allowed.

Yes Shane ... not to mention the expenditure of $328,835 which is the 'accurate' estimate of the cost of this little photo op. Since the first estimate that I gave from ABC was poo pooed ... I went to the "I report ... you decide" network .... and they are reporting an estimated $328,835 for this one little opportunity to cause evacuations city-wide.

I am pleased that there will now be hearings to determine what went wrong here. But I suspect we will find out that of course Obama authorized this terror.

[Dr. Shane]

There are many of these planes. They all look alike. It is only Air Force One when the president is on board.

There are two and they fly together. I guess that is so that any enemy wanting to target them wouldn't know which one the President is on. Maybe there is some other reason. I am not sure. But if two is considered "many" than yes, there are many - there are two.

[Dr. Shane]

I suspect we will find out that of course Obama authorized this terror.

The left went crazy. I mean, they went on something like a six-year rampage because President Bush had a photo op taken with the banner "Mission Accomplished" hanging behind him. Yet Bush had as much to do with the banner as Obama had to do with flying Air Force One around the Statute of Liberty. This incident reveals the hypocrisy of the Left. If the Left hates the person they will twist the truth to make a mountain out of a mole hill. If they love the person they will defend him even after semen is found on a blue dress.

[Woody]