Shuttle Cover-up? (kook alert)

NewsMax ^ | 02/03/03 | John LeBoutillier

[Pokey78]

There was one odd item in the Washington Post story Sunday about the shuttle crash. White House Chief of Staff Andy Card was up at Camp David with the president. They had originally planned to have British Prime Minister Tony Blair up there, but the foggy conditions prevented helicopter flights. So Friday afternoon the two leaders had their meeting in the White House residence instead. Then the Bush party went up to Camp David for the weekend.

Saturday morning, according to this story, Card was "watching NASA TV at Camp David when the accident occurred." He then immediately went over to Bush's cabin, Aspen, and told the president what happened.

The fact that the White House chief of staff is even watching the landing of a space shuttle on a Saturday morning - while at Camp David in the middle of the Iraq crisis - raises a big red flag.

Was he previously informed that NASA was worried about tile damage from the launch?

How much internal chatter about a risky landing was there?

Did NASA expect trouble on an otherwise routine landing?

How many other officials suspected trouble Saturday morning?

Did NASA tell the astronauts and their families of the extra risk with this landing?

These and many other questions are hanging in the air as NASA tries to figure out what happened.

It seems possible that right after the launch NASA officials grew worried that there may have been serious damage. Perhaps they then had high-level meetings about their worries and, as a potential CYA measure, informed Andy Card.

It is odd that the White House chief of staff would watch a shuttle landing. Such a routine event - early on a Saturday morning, in the midst of Blair, U.N. inspections, Colin Powell's upcoming intelligence revelations to the Security Council - seems to be something that a White House big shot would pay no attention to.

If he had a heads-up that something might have been amiss, then we need to be told. And it will come out - eventually.

Haven't we all learned that cover-ups are huge mistakes? It is always better just to square with the people.

NASA has a wonderful safety record over 40 years of manned space flight. They now need to also have a wonderful candor record.

[MrConfettiMan]

I was going to ping you to this thread but somehow I knew you'd already be here. :)

[Catspaw]

I saw that one, Shermy. But Mom is in shock and pain and has decided her five-year-old's statements about being separated from Daddy are psychic.

[Fred Mertz]

Thanks for the link, Shermy. It seems like a stretch to call that a premonition on the part of the 5 year-old, but stranger things have happened.

[Anticommie]

NASA has a wonderful safety record over 40 years of manned space flight.

One shuttle destroyed in 62 flights 'wonderful safety record' ??? Ha Ha Haaaa, if commercial aviation had ten time better safety record there still would be no more jets to take to the skies, lets see, one airlainer down every 620 flights, boening couldn't build them fast enough.
and I don't buy a crap that 2 fatalities in 20+ years is a "good safety record" with only about 5, 6 launches a year. It is still 1 fatality in 62, no matter if it is in one day, one month, year or decade it is STILL ONE in Sixty TWO.

[Arkie2]

I remember seeing that episode. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. How many TV episodes do you really remember? Only a few stick out in my mind and that one is near the top of the list.

[Fred Mertz]

The Joint Chiefs were able to get together for a domestic incident meeting by 10 AM or so.

Getting them all together at one time is a major scheduling feat normally. Were they in Camp David or the Pentagon or where for their meeting?

[dirtboy]

Please....Andy Card's watching NASA TV on an early Saturday morning at Camp David makes about as much sense as me watching NASA TV while I was on a business trip to Eureka, CA, back in October

Oh, so YOU'RE part of this conspiracy as well, eh? :^)

[dirtboy]

Fred, c'mon and give it a rest. The weather? As it turns out, at 2000 feet in PA, there was a significant ice storm - we drove around some on Sunday and when we got to the top of one 2000 foot mountain there was a significant ice buildup, whereas down at our elevation at around 1000 it was just rain and mist. And if the President tells the JCS to get together, they get together.

[aristeides]

I couldn't tell from the thread where they were meeting. Has anybody seen it reported?

[RGSpincich]

The fact that the White House chief of staff is even watching the landing of a space shuttle on a Saturday morning - while at Camp David in the middle of the Iraq crisis - raises a big red flag.

Totally agree with this author. Card missed an opportunity to see inside the inner walls of an Iraqi presidential palace as Scooby and Scrappy chased ghosts in Baghdad.

[Squawk 8888]

The loonies at DU think that NASA and President Bush knew right after the launch that the shuttle was doomed.

Not outside the realm of possibility, but given the fact that there was nothing they could do about it I don't see it as an issue. As the flight director said in Apollo 13, "If they can't do anything about it they don't need to know." I think the only reason the DUmmies are latching onto this is because they haven't been able to come up with a way that Bush and the Rockefellers could sabotage the shuttle.

[TomServo]

the bozos that they are.

Please retract that statement. It's an insult to Bozo.

[netmilsmom]

Calling Mulder and Scully.....(puts me in the mind of Art Bell)

[aculeus]

There was one odd item in the Washington Post story Sunday about the shuttle crash.

Definition of "odd item": Man watches television on Saturday morning.

(Wasn't this nut once a Congressman?)

[Focault's Pendulum]

Only a few stick out in my mind and that one is near the top of the list.

I remember the one where the photog took compromising photos of Jennifer......she killed in a bathing suit back then.

Of course...back then...so did I.

[aristeides]

Man watches television on Saturday morning.

If you work White House hours, you sleep in when you get the chance.

[Beenliedto]

The single funniest sitcom episode in the history of television.

What's truly funny is that the incident portrayed in the sitcom actually happened.....

To Steve Bellenger, of Radio Station WDZ, in Decatur, IL....

The people in the parking lot below were win a great prize if they could catch the turkey....

Happened in the 60s...

One of the true urban legends of the radio business (in which I had a very proud career).

[MindBender26]

Please understand, Les Nessman was a model of some of the more stable guys for doing local radio/tv news?

Ever see Bob Izzard in Texas?

How about Fedko doing sports?

Anyone remember Bob Cannon in Tampa?

How about the WX guy who, when there were two escaped convicts loose near Amarillo, did his weathercast in camos with a .357 in his hand and then discussed shot placement for the last :30 of the 'cast.

His tag line that night was, "Remember, all good Christians know how to speed reload!" He spent the next few months in the State Rubber Room.

How about Peter Jennings pronouncing the town near DisneyWorld, " KISS-ah-me! "

A certain reporter,(me) doing live hurriacne coverage in Terribone Parish in the very thickly accented Cajun/French part of Louisiana, asking the manager of a local fast food drive in how to pronounce "where we are now" (Terry-bone, Trea-bon, Terrih-bohwn?) She asked "you mean rhaight here?" I answered a solem "Yes." She pointed to the drive-in's sign and replied for 4 million viewers; "We call it "Ber-Ger-Kiiing!"

Ever see the tape of Sam Donaldson getting arrested on the WH lawn, the Rabbi's kid in the live shot from Philly, or the anchor (Mara Wallinski) in New York who flips off the cameraman DURING a live set peice?

Dick Bate was never sober in 5 years of nightly newscasts in New York!

Remember, Adrian Chronauer is a real guy. He is now a conservative republican lawyer in DC, now with DOD on POW projects. Great guy. "Goooood Morning, Vietnam" helped pay for law school.

[netmilsmom]

You're right. I think that WKRP turkey drop and the Chuckles the Clown funeral on Mary Tyler Moore are about all that stick forever.

[ErnBatavia]

I was wondering what a**hole would be the first to make a conspiracy theory out of this.

Right here in Freepville, most of the day Saturday, there was a clamor of all the conspiracists......one of the more shameful days for Free Republic that I've seen.