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."

[hunter112]

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

Moved to NY two years ago yesterday, and while just about everyone you meet is a friend of a friend of someone who lost a relative on 9/11, these asshats still vote DemonRat.

[cookcounty]

"Ah! More transparency! "

Isn't it time somebody started asking about the phony "Transparency" fraud? We're only 100 days in and already there is zero transparency about anything potentially embarrassing. Can you think of any administration LESS transparent in its first 12 weeks than this one?

The only "transparency" Obama is interested in is regarding "those things that might embarrass George Bush." Period.

[Victor]

Good questions. Here's another one: How did this little stunt impact ATC for 4 nearby airports; JFK, EWR, LGA, and Teterboro?

How many flights were delayed, cancelled, or re-routed because of this?

[wtc911]

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

_____________________________

Well, you know what they say about opinions, even humble ones.

[cookcounty]

Hey Liz, Caldera may be the guilty one, or he may be the fall guy, but it has nothing to do with his origins. Stupidity comes in all colors, including yours.

[Miss Didi]

As I just posted...Former Deputy Asst. to President Bush, Brad Blakeman, was just on with Bill Hemmer saying that Gibbs needs to release the manifest now—that this was a joy ride for somebody. He called it a boondoggle junket and said it’s routine for WH folk who don’t usually get to ride on Air Force One to be invited. Are there any reporters out there with guts to do so???

[maggief]

This own thread needs it, IMO.

[Miss Didi]

Watch this get swept away by the Sebelius nomination and more flu scares.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Are there any reporters out there with guts to do so???

I'm sure the NY Times has staff on it and will produce one of their famous expose's -- like their stories about Joe The Plumber.

[maggief]

Tomorrow’s prime time presser will knock it off the MSM radar.

[Francis McClobber]

“As a pilot of more than 30 years I ask, training for what?”

The pilots of Air Force One need to maintain their minimums to stay qualified. I don't know for sure, but I believe they are required to keep up instrument, landing, VFR, EP and other quals just like all the other military pilots.

When I was flying in the military, we almost always combined hops to get the most out of our training dollars. When I was on the East Coast, we hopped up to New York occasionally on a cross country, combining VFR/IFR missions. Swinging by the Statue of Liberty for a photo op was SOP.

Of, course, this was before 9/11 and I wasn't in a 747.

[Miss Didi]

Ah, yes...The First 100 Days Celebration! Will be so funny if Fox has the highest ratings tomorrow night.

[maggief]

I am wondering if that NYC Air Force One joyride was part of the First 100 Days Celebration festivities.

[Francis McClobber]

“Unless the camera was mounted externally, photos taken from inside the canopy are crap because of the reflections.....”

Not so. Look up a guy named Heater Heatley and his pics. He was an F-14 RIO and took a ton of great shots from the back seat.

[Liz]

Robert "Vinnie Barbarino" Gibbs

WH Press Secy Robert Gibbs just morphed into Vinnie Barabarino. Gibbs vocabulary does not extend beyond: "What?” “Where?” “I have no knowledge of that,” I wasn’t aware,” “Nobody informed me".................

Gibbs contempt for Americans is astounding. We are expected to believe the White House was "unaware" of the flyover plan. Barbarino-Gibbs does not know that a lot of high-level people have to sign-off in order to take an Air Force plane on a joyride around Manhattan?

Did fall guy Louis Caldera---- Director of the White House Military office----dupe other high officials to pulloff this stunt? Did Caldera forge official documents to get the OK?

Why was this done in the first place? Probably for a propaganda piece on our "fearless leader"---Obama----to build up his bona fides around the world.

The Obama admin evidences a stunning incompetence------the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

[Tammy8]

Amazing. The way the votes go in NYC I had assumed they had all forgotten. I guess they can’t translate their memories of being attacked by terrorists and wanting to be safe in the future into how to vote in order to have a shot at preventing future attacks.

[Upstate NY Guy]

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

Yes! Amazing hypocracy, no? And the MSM's are letting them get away with it.

[Upstate NY Guy]

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

If you are referring to the title of the article it is "photo op" not "Photoshop". Short for photograghic operation.

[Just mythoughts]

The Obama admin evidences a stunning incompetence------the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

Somebody forgot to program the prompter in the event anyone out here in fiefdom land might have the nerve to question their ultimate authority... Remember everybody, Bama and his Crew won, how dare we ask questions. Now they have a 'flu' to micro manage.

[annieokie]

Great bumper sticker.