In this photograph released by the White House, one of the president's official planes flies over the Statue of Liberty in New York in this undated photograph. On Friday, the White House released the picture that panicked New York _ a spectacular shot of the president's official plane soaring majestically past the Statue of Liberty. (AP Photo/The White House)
I don't like anything about this photo.
I don't like the way the presidential plane dwarfs the Statue of Liberty.
To me, it looks like the plane is about to drop a bomb on it. If the plane is viewed as a symbol of the presidency and the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of our freedoms, it makes the president seem like an oppressor, a powerful force intimidating and assaulting liberty.
That's what I see.
I think the caption offered by the AP, "a spectacular shot of the president's official plane soaring majestically past the Statue of Liberty," is all wrong.
It's not a spectacular shot. An eagle soars majestically, not the president's plane. Should we start calling Obama "Your Majesty"?
Whether or not you like the photo, it certainly wasn't worth the panic and pain the public suffered for the government to get the shot.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House official who authorized a $328,835 photo-op of an Air Force jet used by the president soaring above New York City resigned under fire Friday as the administration tried to move past the embarrassing incident that sent panicked workers rushing into the streets amid flashbacks of Sept. 11.
As former Army Secretary Louis Caldera took the fall for the flyover, the White House released the findings of an internal investigation that portrayed him as out of the loop in a cycle of missed messages and questionable judgments as plans for the photo shoot proceeded.
Caldera said he didn't know the plane, known as Air Force One when the president is on board, would fly at 1,000 feet during the April 27 photo promotion, according to the investigation findings. He also failed to read an e-mail message describing the operation and seemed unaware of the potential for public fear, the findings said.
...The Federal Aviation Administration told local officials in advance of the flight, but asked them not to disclose it to the public, the White House report said. There was a prepared statement for the FAA's New York regional office and for the Air Force in Washington to release if anyone called to ask about the flight.
In his resignation letter, released by the White House, Caldera said the controversy had "made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office," which is responsible for presidential aircraft. "Moreover, it has become a distraction in the important work you are doing as president," he wrote in the letter addressed to President Barack Obama.
Last month, Obama called the flight a mistake and vowed it would not be repeated. Obama had no statement Friday; White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the president had accepted Caldera's resignation.
Caldera's office approved the photo-op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts. The Air Force estimated the photo shoot cost taxpayers $328,835.
White House officials said the purpose of the flight was to update the official photo of the plane. In releasing its report and the resignation letter, the White House also released a photo of the blue-and-white plane high above the Statue of Liberty, with New Jersey in the background.
Naturally, the photo was released on Friday afternoon. The Friday afternoon news dump always bothers me.
This photo was such a waste of money!
Why would the government need an updated photo of the plane?
It's not like Obama stuck his weird logo on it. Air Force One looks the same.
The photo op mission was misguided from the beginning. Caldera is willing to be held accountable, but his resignation doesn't undo the damage.
What other geniuses are working in Obama's administration?
...The White House report also indicated the operation was packed with potential opportunities for administration officials to call it off.
Deputy military director George Mulligan said he first told Caldera about the proposed photo shoot on April 20—a week before it was scheduled to take place. The same aide also said Caldera should notify deputy chief of staff Jim Messina because it was an unusual move.
Caldera told officials he didn't recall the conversation. Ultimately, Caldera didn't tell Messina or Gibbs. "When asked why he failed to do so, he did not offer a coherent explanation," according to the report.
Caldera also told officials that he didn't read an e-mail detailing the flyover plans until it was over. Mulligan, Caldera's second-in-command, sent him an e-mail message on April 24 advising him again to tell Messina and Gibbs about the photo shoot.
Caldera said he hadn't seen the e-mail because he has two official accounts. He also said he was suffering from severe muscle aches and had been prescribed pain medication.
Severe muscle aches?
Pain medication?
Very weird.
I can't believe that Caldera was the only one in the Obama administration who dropped the ball on this.
____________________
Read more, from Bloomberg.
4 comments:
I linked your critique on my website. Thanks for the info.
Thanks! And you're welcome.
I wonder who was on the plane for the joyride? Maybe the press should ask for the White House records of the whereabouts of the staff and First Family.
BTW, what is the deal with Michelle's mother living in the White House?
No kidding. The press is too busy being enchanted by Obama to ask the right questions.
It's pathetic.
Yeah, when was the last time a president's mother-in-law made the White House her primary residence?
It's not like she lived with them in Chicago.
Post a Comment