Air Force One lookalike flies over NYC

[True_Avery]

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...ew-york-nerve/

Not only was the lookalike plane ridiculously low, but no-one was told about this and it caused panic in the streets as the plane actually flew over Ground Zero and near the Statue of Liberty.

What was this stunt for? A photo op that not even the mayor of NYC was told about.

So, stupid decision or -really- stupid decision?

[Q]

Yeah, I heard about this. People naturally thought that it might be another terrorist attack.

WTF were they thinking?

Originally Posted by NYT

When President Obama learned of the episode on Monday afternoon, aides said, he, too, was furious. Senior administration officials conveyed the president’s anger in a meeting with Mr. Caldera on Monday afternoon.

Heh, I'd say that some Air Force careers are about to be cut short, and rightly so.

[mimartin]

Originally Posted by True_Avery

A photo op that not even the mayor of NYC was told about.

Originally Posted by Qliveur

Heh, I'd say that some Air Force careers are about to be cut short, and rightly so.

Originally Posted by Article

The mayor said the Police Department and someone in his administration – he did not say who – received an e-mail from the Federal Aviation Administration late on Thursday, informing them that there would be “a fly-by for a photo-op, as they described it.”

Sounds like the Federal Aviation Administration had good reason to believe the mayor was informed in advance. If Air Force careers are cut short over this, I’d also hope “someone “’s career is cut short too. Then again, they could just learn from this mistake and not do it again. It makes more sense to me than getting rid of trained Air Force personal that had a reasonable expectation that the proper people were informed.

[Web Rider]

This forum has no facepalm icons and it makes me sad.

And yeah, this was a pretty moronic thing to do. I mean, if there was a point to flying over, like, Obama needed to get to Quebec real fast, sure, but otherwise? GTFO stupid FAA.

[Q]

Originally Posted by Web Rider

This forum has no facepalm icons and it makes me sad.

[Darth Avlectus]

Oh bull****. I think it was a gauge of public reaction. And they *knew* it.

People are gullible or at least excitable. I don't buy for a minute this wasn't known about/planned.

Call me cynical.

[Totenkopf]

Monumental incompetence and blinding insensitivity. BO's watch, thus his fault. The interesting thing, though, is why they'd try to keep something that obvious (hard to hide a 747 flying that low) a "secret" from the general public. They should have publically announced it several days to a week (given the area in question) in advance. An expensive photo op in more ways than 1.

[Web Rider]

Originally Posted by Totenkopf

Monumental incompetence and blinding insensitivity. BO's watch, thus his fault. The interesting thing, though, is why they'd try to keep something that obvious (hard to hide a 747 flying that low) a "secret" from the general public. They should have publically announced it several days to a week (given the area in question) in advance. An expensive photo op in more ways than 1.

As the article says, the local police/government who's job it is to announce, were told to keep quiet.

[Totenkopf]

Doesn't really address the issue. Why would such a decision, which even BO agrees was a mistake, be made in the first place? It was just plain stupid, almost criminally so.

[JediAthos]

First of all...the guy who planned this stunt should be fired for gross negligence and plain old fashioned stupidity. A 747 flying that close to NYC is bound to cause an uproar...and the idiot in charge doesn't deserve to be employed any longer.

The public should have been informed, and it could have been done even a few days in advance with a simple press release that likely would have taken only a few minutes to draft and maybe a few more to send out to the local news media in NY and NJ.

IMO there really isn't an excuse for a lack of communication like this.

[Ray Jones]

CIA

[e-varmint]

Ack! Now the planes are showing up everywhere:

[Darth Avlectus]

^^^



YES! Those are full of win and going into my archive!

Originally Posted by Web Rider

As the article says, the local police/government who's job it is to announce, were told to keep quiet.

Hmm...told to keep quiet you say? Interesting...where'd you find that, I'd like to take a look if you don't mind.

Originally Posted by Totenkopf

Doesn't really address the issue. Why would such a decision, which even BO agrees was a mistake, be made in the first place? It was just plain stupid, almost criminally so.

I agree there, but let's let the guy speak. Sure it is stupid to the point of criminal negligence (or possibly more sinister if Web is going where I think he is). However, we should at least try to see as many details as possible.

Originally Posted by JediAthos

First of all...the guy who planned this stunt should be fired for gross negligence and plain old fashioned stupidity. A 747 flying that close to NYC is bound to cause an uproar...and the idiot in charge doesn't deserve to be employed any longer.

The public should have been informed, and it could have been done even a few days in advance with a simple press release that likely would have taken only a few minutes to draft and maybe a few more to send out to the local news media in NY and NJ.

IMO there really isn't an excuse for a lack of communication like this.

True. Stupid or intended, there are no excuses for it. I'm not sure if I subscribe to it being on purpose or on accident. There is reason for both I suppose.

...Web? You were saying?

[EnderWiggin]

Originally Posted by True_Avery

So, stupid decision or -really- stupid decision?

Stupid decision, but not BHO's decision.

@Thread:

BHO already indicated his anger at the situation, thus, stop butthurting.

_EW_

[Totenkopf]

^ not sure what you're on about. She asked a question, people responded. If you find it offensive that people question the Obama administration....you're gonna be mad for about 4 more years, plus.

[Darth Avlectus]

Originally Posted by True_Avery

So, stupid decision or -really- stupid decision?

I vote for the Latter of the two TYVM.

[e-varmint]

Originally Posted by Totenkopf

^ not sure what you're on about. She asked a question, people responded. If you find it offensive that people question the Obama administration....you're gonna be mad for about 4 more years, plus.

Originally Posted by GTA:SWcity

I vote for the Latter of the two TYVM.

First off, I would like compliment both of you on your signatures.

[rare appearance in a political thread]

To answer the OP's question, I would say that it was a really stupid decision. As citizens of this great Republic (not a Democracy), I feel it is our civic duty to "question authority", regardless of the political leanings of that authority. After all, the "authority" works for us, not the other way around. Freedom requires eternal vigilance, and it is up to us to hold our elected officials, and the bureaucrats they control, to the highest possible standards. Otherwise, we doom ourselves to oppression by ideological fanatics.

I would say that this holds true whether one is a Democrat or a Republican. Personally, I am neither, and believe that both parties are hopelessly corrupt at this point.

[/rare appearance in a political thread]

[Dagobahn Eagle]

Monumental incompetence and blinding insensitivity.

Or just a major ****-up on the part of the mayor or whoever was responsible for informing the public. Had there been a real effort to tell people what was going to happen, things would probably have gone down more smoothly, or possibly even been cancelled due to public outcry.

BO's watch, thus his fault.

Right, because it's Barrack Obama's personal responsibility to plan and execute photo ops and warn the affected civilians. That Bush, now he was something else. Called me personally before staging that disaster exercise near my house, and even went in and drove one of the Humvees himself. Really cheery guy.

Seriously, though, the need of certain people to pin this on Obama is just laughable. Is he really doing such a good job that you need to grasp at straws in this manner? If yes, why do you dislike him? If no, why can't you stick with attacking whatever real concerns you have with the guy?

PS: I assume 9/11 and the flooding of New Orleans were both automatically Bush's faults, since they happened on his watch?

The interesting thing, though, is why they'd try to keep something that obvious (hard to hide a 747 flying that low) a "secret" from the general public.

Failing to inform someone is not "keeping something secret". It'd be "keeping something secret" if the mayor was expressively forbidden to inform the public or some similar scenario. Simply failing to inform someone through sheer idiocy? Not even remotely the same thing.

[Totenkopf]

I get your knee-jerk need to run to BO's defense at the drop of a hat, but since you're quoting from my post, try not to misrepresent things. Whenever your underlings screw up like that, the blame ultimately goes to the top. It may seem unfair, but that's just life. Substitutue Bush into the chain, same result. The really stupid thing was the manner in which it was carried out. If you want to blame Bloomberg....that's fine by me too. Even BO got that it made him look bad. But fact is, the whole idea was wrong in the first place and makes you wonder what kind of decision makers this administration employs or the criteria they use to make that choice. Their vetting team has a pretty poor record as it is.

Funny, I believe there are many who blame Bush for 911 already. Can't do much about Katrina....that's a force of nature. Though I suppose some of the more screwy AGW people could try to pin that on Bush anyway, much like those w/the 911 conspiracy. As to the whole "secret" thing:

Originally Posted by WebRider

As the article says, the local police/government who's job it is to announce, were told to keep quiet

This is what was being commented on. Who would have placed such a demand? If that wasn't some kind of misquote or misprint, I'd say the idiot was the one who issued such an order. Hard to hide that kind of colossal mistake.

PS:a major messup is a form of monumental incompetence.

Watch the language, please quit using * in your spelling in an attempt to get around the filter. Thanks mimartin

[Dagobahn Eagle]

I get your knee-jerk need to run to BO's defense at the drop of a hat

Don't be silly, Tot. You attacked Obama for no reason. I simply responded to your post. If anyone knee-jerk reaction here, it's you.

Whenever your underlings screw up like that, the blame ultimately goes to the top. It may seem unfair, but that's just life.

Sorry, but you barge into a debate forum, make a statement that's false or unjust, and then go "that's life".

Funny, I believe there are many who blame Bush for 911 already.

You're dodging the point. Do you blame 9/11 and New Orleans on Bush, since both the terrorist attack and collosal failure of the US to respond to the disaster both happened on his watch? If yes, thank you for your consistency. If no, please explain why you don't think 9/11 is Bush's fault.

[John Galt]

The incompetence on the part of officials appointed by a President ultimately reflects back upon the man who made the appointments. Obama is as responsible for this as Bush was for the screwups surrounding 9/11 and Katrina, that is to say "yes, and no." Although neither Bush nor Obama could've forseen the exact circumstances, their appointees reacted in ways that did not reflect well upon the men who put them in office. The blame should be cast on the mid-level bureaucrats mostly, but it mustn't be forgotten that somebody put them in office.

[Totenkopf]

Originally Posted by Dagobahn Eagle

Don't be silly, Tot. You attacked Obama for no reason. I simply responded to your post. If anyone knee-jerk reaction here, it's you.

Naw, you're wrong, but you should be used to that by now.

Sorry, but you barge into a debate forum, make a statement that's false or unjust, and then go "that's life".

Slightly paranoid choice of words there, DE. Nobody barged into anything. You may not like how the system works, but that is your baggage, not mine.

You're dodging the point. Do you blame 9/11 and New Orleans on Bush, since both the terrorist attack and collosal failure of the US to respond to the disaster both happened on his watch? If yes, thank you for your consistency. If no, please explain why you don't think 9/11 is Bush's fault.

Seemed more like your usual vitriolic rhetoric.....guess I missed that you were actually asking anything.

[Jae Onasi]

Dagobahn Eagle and Totenkopf--keep it civil, or take it to PMs, please. Thanks.

[EnderWiggin]

Originally Posted by Totenkopf

Seemed more like your usual vitriolic rhetoric.....guess I missed that you were actually asking anything.

And yet you still dodge the question, even though you now acknowledge that it was one.... what do you think that tells us?

_EW_