Imagine if George W. Bush’s White House had ordered Air Force One to flyover Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty for a photo opportunity. There would have been a media and public uproar over the incident. Of course this never happened in the Bush White House, but did happen the other day in New York City. As usual, the pro-Obama media has under played this embarrassing incident, but people in New York are outraged.
Who authorized this flyover? Incredibly, the Obama administration is responsible for this ill-advised stunt. It was ordered by Louis Caldera, the Director of the White House Military Office, who apologized for causing such a panic in New York City. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said that the apology “rings hollow.” He is also asking for a full-scale investigation into the incident. According to McCain, the “disruption and panic” should have been foreseeable.
President Obama is supposedly furious about the incident, but he has not fired Caldera or anyone else. He has also refused to answer questions about the mishap. If the Bush White House had been responsible for such a disastrous stunt, there would have been an outcry from the media demanding that heads roll..
What is even worse is that this stunt cost taxpayers over $328,000 for the fuel costs and use of Air Force One and the fighter jets. The planes flew as low as 1,000 feet and frightened New Yorkers filled the streets of Manhattan. Fortunately, no one was injured, but there was mass panic and psychological distress as images of 9/11 were relived.
Ultimately, the buck stops with the President. He should accept overall accountability for what happens in his White House. This episode was a tragic misjudgment that was costly and embarrassing. It was a misuse of Defense Department resources, all to capture an image of Air Force One flying next to the Statue of Liberty.
Hasn’t the White House ever heard of Photoshop? I thought President Obama was the smartest person to ever sit in the Oval Office?
Jeff Crouere is the Host of “Ringside Politics,” which airs at 7:30 p.m. Fri. and 10:00 p.m. Sun. on WLAE-TV 32, a PBS station, and 7 till 11 a.m. weekdays on WGSO 990 AM in New Orleans and the Northshore. He is the Political Analyst for WGNO-TV ABC26 and a Columnist for selected publications. For more information, visit his web site at RingsidePolitics.com. E-mail him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com
Join Publisher Stephen Sabludowsky and Political Commentator, Jeff Crouere, today in an online chat at 11:30 a.m. about the first one-hundred days of the President Obama Administration on http://abc26.com
Heff, Wgt the surprise? Obama is enjoying his new toy. Didn't he just take his babe to dinner in New York? That has to be the most expensive dinner date ever. How much to fly AF1, transport his limo, and all his entourage? Probably approaching half a million. So why the surprise when he ignores the people and does his thing to get special pics of his new playtoy Written by Noladude
on 6/15/2009
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maybe this will begin to piss the knuckle draggin, religious, right wing extremists enough to get involved in the 2010 election? -- "Those of you who are watching certain news channels on which I'm not very popular, and you see folks waving tea bags around, Obama said, “let me just remind them that I am happy to have a serious conversation about how we are going to cut our health care costs down over the long term, how we are going to stabilize Social Security.” - Mr. O
Written by Sid
on 4/30/2009
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I guess what is frustrating is that when Obama's administration spends millions and scares citizens of New York just to get a cool picture all we hear from the media is crickets chirping. Almost every single appointee to his cabinet didn't pay taxes and lied or conveniently forgot certain details, what do we hear from the media...crickets chirping. When Obama breaks campaign promise after campaign promise what do we hear, yup chirping. When it's obvious the man is at a loss without his telepromter we hear how he is the greatest president ever. When we spend bazillions on the auto industry to just have them file chapter 11...crickets chirping. And all anyone hears is that Arlen Spector changed parties, wow. Obama finally came out and pretty much attacked the Tea Party participants and what do we hear...chirping. He bows to a foreign leader, North Korea shoots a missle and again chirping from the press. Oh they might throw a page four two paragraph report but that's about it. It's sad. We have a MTV President and the press is happy to treat things like a reality show. Written by CN
on 4/30/2009
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Ten years from now, people will remember Arlen Spector's switch to the Democratic Party and not a flyover of the Statue of Liberty. The GOP has clearly lost focus. Written by David Quidd
on 4/29/2009
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Jeff- give us the REAL front page story--- Arlin Specter...........not a peep- eh? Written by KjunLady
on 4/29/2009
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Good luck, TeeDub. Jeff's entire career is comprised of serial "Brain Farts". More time for reflection wouldn't help. Written by CL
on 4/29/2009
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Jeff, do you even watch the "media" you are so often screaming about? Everything I have seen or read (including the leftist blogs I read) on this incident has been extremely critical of this decision, and even critical of Obama for not firing the idiots who were in charge of this "photo op"!!! You're so snaggle-toothin' paranoid about "differential treatment" to conservatives in the media that you ignore reality. It's a bit sad, really. Maybe you should cut down the number of columns you write per week so that we only see your best efforts, rather than every "brain fart" that comes over you? TW Written by Tee Dub
on 4/29/2009
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Imagine if George W. Bush’s White House had ordered Air Force One to flyover Ground Zero and the Statue of Liberty for a photo opportunity. There would have been a media and public uproar over the incident. Of course this never happened in the Bush White House, but did happen the other day in 
