NY Flyover

[Dr. Shane]

Series of gaffes led to Air Force One flyover

Click to see pic ---> http://media.washingtontimes.com/media/i...ec8653055db7939

The report said: Initial planning for the flyover, in which a combat photographer trailing Air Force One in one of two F-16 fighter jets was assigned to take a new publicity photo of the presidential plane as it flew low over the Statue of Liberty, began in March 2009, "or earlier."

...There was a consensus that coordination with "the general public" would commence two days before the flight, but the written summary of the call insisted that "no reference should be made to the presidential aircraft in any public outreach."

Neither Mr. Caldera, who was traveling with President Obama in Europe at the time, nor his deputy, George Mulligan, sat in on the call...

"The Deputy Director [Mr. Mulligan] believes that he did not read Colonel Turner's e-mail until the following morning," the report said.

At 11:21 a.m. on April 24, he e-mailed his boss: "All has been coordinated. Will probably receive some local press, but WH shouldn't catch any questions about it. Provided in case you want to pass to Jim Messina or [White House spokesman] Robert Gibbs for awareness."

According to the report, the director, Mr. Caldera, did not respond to the e-mail. In fact, he now says "he did not read the e-mail until the afternoon of Monday, April 27, after the flyover had concluded. He explained to us that he did not see the e-mail because it was sent to his WHMO e-mail account the director has two e-mail accounts and checks his White House account more frequently."

...On April 27, shortly after hysterical reports said that a 747 was buzzing New York City with two fighter jets chasing it, a White House staffer, Denis McDonough, pulled Mr. Mulligan out of a meeting, informing him that "issues had arisen regarding that flight."

Mr. Caldera left the meeting to meet with Mr. Messina. Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel "entered the room, described the controversy created by the flight, and asked whether the White House knew about the flyover in advance."

"According to the director, this was the first time he learned that the flight reminded people of 9/11," the report said. Mr. McDonough later dropped by with "a prepared statement on behalf of the director, which accepted responsibility for the flyover. The director made some edits to the draft statement and gave it back to Mr. McDonough."

"Both the director and the deputy director feel terrible about the incident," the White House Counsel's report concludes. "The director stated that he had no idea that the plan called for the aircraft to fly at 1,000 feet; he feels terrible that the flight has caused harm."

"In the deputy director's view, the breakdown was the lack of public notification."

[text taken from link]

[Woody]

During these hard economic times ... I think that spending $358,000.00 on a photo shoot is just a bit much.

[Dr. Shane]

But that is a nice picture.

[Woody]

Photoshop would have been just as nice and a whole lot cheaper.

[Amelia]

I see someone else watched SNL tonight.

[Key Guy]

Like Air Force One in the elevator?

[Amelia]

[Amelia]

[Key Guy]

I was hoping somebody caught this quote. (It's from a movie... pictured earlier) There's a method to my stupidity.

[Key Guy]

If even one gets it, then my job here is done.

[Woody]

That's a good one. I think he has frightened more people more quickly than any other president in history.

[Planey]

[i think he has frightened more people more quickly than any other president in history.

This says more about your memory than it does about the President.

Graeme