$328,835
Apr 28th, 2009 by MariaEvans
$328,835 is the pricetag for the White House’s tragically stupid New York City photo-op according to the Air Force. Check it out:
The flight by the VC-25, a modified Boeing Co. 747, and two F-16 fighter jets cost $328,835, Air Force spokeswoman Vicki Stein said.
$328,835 for a picture at a time when many Americans are struggling financially, losing their jobs, and being kicked out of their homes. But, as they say in infomercials, that’s not all….
It’s being reported that the Feds were totally aware that the moronic stunt would send New Yorkers straight for the Prozac, but they demanded that the public be kept in the dark and “threatened” to punish the city if there was a leak:
Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.
In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration’s James Johnston said the agency was aware of “the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes” in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor’s office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.
So hundreds of thousands of dollars spent and New York City being threatened by the Feds with sanctions, and it’s all over something being described by the White House as a “picture mission.” And these are supposed to be the smart guys? Sheesh.
I totally agree, Maria.
So does President Obama: “WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has ordered an internal review to determine how the decision was made to send of one of his official airplanes on a low-flying photo op past the New York City skyline.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that deputy chief of staff Jim Messina will lead the review. Gibbs said the point is to determine “why that decision was made and to ensure that it never happens again.”
Gibbs said Obama was “furious” when he heard about the incident. Obama has called it a mistake.”
I’m sure Obama was “furious” Perry, his Administration screwed up. But it’s good to know that he’s looking for an appropriate scapegoat since he can’t blame Bush for this one.
And, Perry, will Obama address the allegation that his FAA threatened NYC with sanctions over a “picture mission”?
You guys got a cookie today. Savor it. Your crazy-ass governing philosophies are kaput and your party is not looking so good.
Maria, like I said, I agree with you. That said, neither you nor anything I’ve read give any evidence that Obama knew ahead of time about this planned demonstration, correct?
What Obama appointee was behind this fiasco? Was it some political hack who was given authority over something that should have been under military cognizance?
Will any heads roll?
And these are supposed to be the smart guys? Sheesh.
Yep. And the “smart” people keep blindly following him and making excuses for him. Just see this thread already.
Perry Obama’s White House Military Office and his FAA authorized it.
I understand that, Maria. That is not evidence that Obama knew beforehand, however. This is not an attempt to make excuses for anyone. We need the facts. Judging by Obama’s reaction, it seems that he would not have approved this exercise.
“The Buck Stops … Somewhere.” — Barack H. Obama
So much for the new “era of responsibility.” That was quick.
Obama has accepted the responsibility and has initiated an investigation to assure that such an action is never repeated.
And it is all out in the open. When was the last time that
Bush openly criticized a member of his team? This is change, folks!
I agree with you Maria and Perry. That was fun to write in the same sentence.
What disturbed me the most was the nonsense that they told local folks not to do their job. The local law enforcement had a duty to prevent a panic, by saying it is only a drill. The disrespect of local law enforcement flies in the face of the Constitution and the 10th amendment to it. It is far more disturbing than the expenditure of 328K. It is institutionalized arrogance and bullying. That has to stop if we are to have a federal-local partnership working to keep us safe.
Keep up the excuse-making. It just keeps getting more pathetic every day…
Perry…so blaming someone else in your Administration for it’s failures is some kind of good change? Remember hurricane Katrina when Bush’s Administration totally screwed up? Well here’s how Bush handled it:
“Katrina exposed serious problems in our response capability at all levels of government and to the extent the federal government didn’t fully do its job right, I take responsibility,” Bush said during a joint news conference with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.
And Bush ousted the FEMA head, Michael Brown. Sure he was under pressure to do it, but so is Obama. But where is Obama saying he’ll accept responsibility for his Administration’s screw up? Heck, Obama didn’t even apologize, he said it was a “mistake” but offered no apology to New Yorkers.
Perfectly stated, Maria.
Maria, you’re knitpicking prematurely here. Obama stepped up to the “mistake”. He is described as being furious about it. Again, he said it will be investigated. We do not know yet whether anyone will be canned. So you have set up a straw man at this point. Let us see how this plays out. In the meantime, we must deal in facts, not in hypothetical straw men. There is no excuse-making going on here yet! And note well, Bush did not fire “good job Brownie” immediately, now did he?
Moreover, Bush taking responsibility for the Katrina response you say? You must be kidding, Maria! When one takes responsibility, one makes things right, or at least a lot better. Did Bush finally ever do that? You need to take your microphone, recorder and camera to New Orleans and find out.
Sorry, I can’t resist, Maria: 9/11, the Iraq War, Katrina and the economy are the four key events that defined the Bush-43 years and the lock-step Repub party. Bush failed on three of the four, which is why the Repubs lost in 2006, and worse in 2008. Instead of prematurely knitpicking Obama, you folks need to focus on revitalizing your party and policies so you can be a true loyal opposition to the Obama approach. That way, we get the best governance!
Perry I posted Bush’s Katrina quote, he couldn’t have taken responsibility more clearly. I’m not going around in a circle with you over this. His Administration is HIS responsibility. We’ll see how he handles this “mistake,” but the fact that it was made says a lot.
HIS Administration wasted money at a time when Americans are losing their homes and their jobs, and HIS Administration threatened NYC with sanctions, again, over a “picture mission.”
So where’s the picture? If we shelled out $328,835 of taxpayer money for a picture of Air Force One flying by the Statue of Liberty, I want to see that picture! Better yet, I want to use it as my desktop background. I swear, if Rahm Emmanuel decides not to post it after all because of all the embarrassment this has caused Obama, I will be mightily pissed! I WANT MY $328,835 PICTURE!
(And to Perry: it’s spelled “nitpick” you knitwhit!)
It supposedly was standard Pentagon operations, Maria. The White House involvement is limited to the guy behind the desk who rubber-stamped the request.
Change in the status quo probably won’t be possible without the attention this kind of waste is getting and the attention (and outrage) will surely lead to further scrutiny of so-called rubber-stamp expectations.
Keep the pressure up.
From today’s New York Post:
The $328,835 snapshots of an Air Force One backup plane buzzing lower Manhattan last week will not be shown to the public, the White House said yesterday.
“We have no plans to release them,” an aide to President Obama told The Post, refusing to comment further.
So it’s okay to release more pictures of uncomfortable Guantanamo detainees in the name of transparency (and because it reminds people to blame Bush for everything) despite the fact that they’re essentially recruiting posters for al Quaeda, but we’re not allowed to see Air Force One over the Statue of Liberty because it reminds us that the Obama administration is a carnival of idiots.