Recriminations after NYC jet flyover photo op

AP ^ | 4/28/09 | ULA ILNYTZKY and SARA KUGLER

[Upstate NY Guy]

NEW YORK (AP) — It was supposed to be a photo op that captured images of an Air Force One plane with a majestic Statue of Liberty in the background. Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor and prompted thousands other to ask, "What were they thinking?"

Just before the workday began on Monday, an airliner and supersonic fighter jet zoomed past the lower Manhattan skyline. Within minutes, startled financial workers streamed out of their offices, fearing a nightmarish replay of Sept. 11....

An Air Force combat photographer took pictures from one of the fighter jets, administration officials said.

The photo op was combined with a training exercise to save money, according to another administration official who also spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the behind-the-scenes discussions about the flight....

It had a classified footnote that said, "Information in this document shall not be released to the public or the media."

[Hatteras]

"Well, the buck never stops at the Obama desk....another one thrown under the Obama bus, another fall guy, all because Mr. O.....

"did not know of the elaborate plans for the photos. "When he found out, he was absolutely furious,"

David Watkins, pick up on the red courtesy phone...

[Scotswife]

“Why was a TARP bank told about this, while Mayor Bloomberg was not?”

My best guess is Geitner knew about it and happened to mention it in passing to some other admistration official.
And it may be possible (slightly) that someone stopped to think “hmmm...how might this look to my buddies in NYC early in the morning on a nice sunny day?”
And that person might have been the ONLY one in DC to have the common sense to send a headsup to his/her friends so they wouldn’t have heart attack on their way to work.

[DouglasKC]

The FAA notified the New York Police Department of the flyover..... It had a classified footnote that said,"Information in this document shall not be released to the public or the media." A very strange event. Many questions need to be answered.

If it was cool pictures they wanted why not just photoshop it? Why do they need these pictures?

[COBOL2Java]

Lets assume for a minute that it was, as they say, a "photo op". Why in the world would they do an unannounced photo op flight resulting in numerous buildings in NY and NJ to be evacuated when millions of pictures of the Statue of Liberty exist and millions of picture of Air Force One exist and any two of which could easily be photoshopped together to create the desired image?

Hollywood has to jump through a ton of hoops and get permits up the wazoo to be able to film a few minutes of footage for an upcoming movie. Everyone needs to be informed of what's going on - the municipal, state, and any other relevant authorities. In addition, private businesses near the site must be notified. Yet the clueless schmuck heading this administration can do what he pleases.

[Scotswife]

“I hope, when election time comes, that some clever GOP media types find a way to use this video. Perhaps as an example of how “tone deaf” some libs are with respect to our national security. It’s a disgrace.”

And considering the amount of damage O is about to inflict on all of us over the next 3 years it would be nice if they used that footage to label him for exactly what he is...a terrorist.

[chimera]

You can, but the idiots in NY won't. No matter how many bonehead stunts Odouchewad pulls like this, my guess is he wins NY by 20+ points in 2012. Liberals are that stupid. That and the welfare addicts and illegal immigrants who vote ‘Rat for one reason only: free money.

[ontap]

Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor

From the president.....isn't his team the ones who are responsible......is the teleprompter guy the one who ordered this? Just asking!!!!

[ontap]

Instead, it turned into a public relations nightmare that led to recriminations from the president and mayor

From the president.....isn't his team the ones who are responsible......is the teleprompter guy the one who ordered this? Just asking!!!!

[Thermalseeker]

I can remember a low fly-by of military aircraft along the Hudson River a couple of years ago during Fleet Week in New York City. Every news outlet within 250 miles of Manhattan carried advance stories in the days leading up to it describing what was going to happen -- specifically to avoid any chance of chaos/panic that could have resulted among New Yorkers after 9/11.

Meanwhile, I read in an Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association news brief this morning that a private pilot flying from Maine to North Carolina to visit his granddaughter was forced to land by two Air Force F-16's after nicking the prohibited airspace near DC when his GPS malfunctioned....

[TankerKC]

Photographers (plural) aboard the F-16 took pictures? Um, how many people can sit in an F-16?

Two max...times two F-16s...four max. They may have hung a camera pod also. I've hung them to get airshow video...

[joshhiggins]

How much were we paying for this picture?

[Miss Didi]

In my humble opinion, their memories are not that vivid and needed a good shaking-up...

You'd be surprised...every time a flurry of fire trucks race by or a helicopter flies overhead, people run to the window scared thinking of 9/11. When we had that steam explosion last summer, we were terrified and that's all anyone talked about.

[Miss Didi]

Finally! Bill Hemmer just asked—WHO WAS ON BOARD???

[maggief]

“The photo op was combined with a training exercise to save money, according to another administration official who also spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak publicly about the behind-the-scenes discussions about the flight....”

Who is buying this convenient leak?!

[dirtboy]

GUESS WHO Louis E Caldera. Born: 1-Apr-1956. Birthplace: El Paso, TX. Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic

My wife was born two years earlier, in Arizona, with a Hispanic ethnicity. Care to insult her as well because of her ethnicity?

It's OK, she's used to it, she's dealt with the occasional bigot her entire life.

[TankerKC]

Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic

Irrelevant. You should be embarrassed for posting this.

[dfwgator]

It’s called “Photoshop”, look into it!

[utahagen]

What you assert would make sense if we weren't talking about the top guy at a TARP bank. These guys are OWNED by Obama these days. In whatever era would credit card companies be dutifully filing into the White House to hear the president lecture them about the types of credit cards they should be issuing? Perhaps the White House intended the TARP CEOs to alert only their security teams about the plane, but the way this info was comminicated made it very clear this was not by-the-way info. The email was detailed as to the time of the planned flyover, where the plane would go, and the purpose (i.e., P.R.). CEOs of banks parse every word they communicate in email because the media almost always get their hands on the emails within minutes.

[TankerKC]

BS

BS that several "expert" Freepers are posting.

[Scotswife]

well clearly you know more about it than I do.