AIR FARCE ONE

I'm trying to stay out of politics but this has nothing to really do with political issues, just politicians! It seems the Obama Administration has once again proven just how much they really care for our great Americans. Yesterday they thought it would be a great photo op for Air Force One to be circling around the sky-line of New York City and the Statue of Liberty. Yes that's right a huge 747 jetliner flying low around the city...gee I wonder what it might remind people of? 911? NO WAY!?! Thousands evacuated buildings and flooded onto the streets in panic as they watched a air force fighter jet tailing Air Force One. I'm posting one of the stories from the New York Daily Post so you can read all about Mayor Bloomberg's outrage and the frustration of the citizens. Regardless of what you think about the president, good or bad, one must admit this was just STUPID, thoughtless and insensitive to an already shaken and on-the-edge city...by the way I read that neither NBC or CNN covered this event...go figure...Here's the article...

OBAMA PLANE PHOTO OP STARTLES NEW YORKERS
By DAVID SEIFMAN, MURRAY WEISS and JEREMY OLSHAN

Air Force One photographed over Staten Island.Last updated: 10:45 pm
April 27, 2009
Posted: 3:33 pm
April 27, 2009

A jumbo jet being chased by a F-16 fighter jets buzzed Lower Manhattan this morning, panicking New Yorkers, many of whom were forced to evacuate their office buildings.

Have Photos of the Stunt? E-mail them to photo@nypost.com or Upload Them Here.

It was not a terrorist attack, however, but a photo opportunity for Air Force One, sources told the Post.

President Obama was in Washington at the time, but the low-flying 747 circling the Statue of Liberty was one of the planes used as Air Force One, sources said.

The NYPD and the city were notified of the planned flight, but did not share that information with Mayor Bloomberg and other New Yorkers, many of whom said they were terrified.

MORE: White House Apologizes For Air Force One Photo Op

Hours after the incident, a furious Bloomberg called the photo-op "insensitive."

"First thing is I'm annoyed - furious is a better word - that I wasn't told," he said. "Why the Defense Department wanted to do a photo op right around the site of the World Trade Center catastrophe defies imagination. Poor judgment would be a nice ways to phrase."

Bloomberg said federal officials notified the NYPD and another city official, whom he declined to identify, of the flight plan.

"Had I known about it I would have called them right away and asked them not to," he said. "The good news is it was nothing more than an ill considered, badly conceived, insensitive photo op - with the taxpayers' money."

Dominick Caglioti, who works at the Mercantile Exchange, thought the worst as he saw the jets hurtle toward his window just after 10:30 a.m. After learning it was all a photo op, he was furious.

"It's so stupid because they tell you about every fire drill, but they didn't tell us about this," he said.

The planes flew over the Verrazano Bridge, buzzed the left ear Lady Liberty and then continued up the Hudson past Jersey City and then circling back toward Staten Island, federal sources told the Post.

Thousands flooded the streets downtown as buildings called evacuations.

"There is situation outside. We don't have any further information," went one announcement at the Embassy Suites downtown.

After hearing it was all planned, many of those in the streets complained New Yorkers should have been warned.

"You don't do this to people down here after all we have been to," said Jillian Pizzarello, who also works at the Mercantile Exchange.

According to the Department of Defense, that Presidential Airlift Group began its aerial photography mission at Andrews Airforce Base.

"This mission, involving the VC-25 and an F-16, was conducted in conjunction with normally scheduled continuation training for assigned aircrew members," officials said. [END OF ARTICLE]

RON RETURNS...I found this from the White House...
The director of the White House military office, Louis Caldera, took the blame a few hours later. One of the planes was a 747 that is called Air Force One when used by the president. "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision," Caldera said. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused."

THe only other thing I wish to say is that if Bush had of done something so insanely STUPID the press and the world would have called for his head on a platter...Obama gets a pass, as usual, and the world will turn her collective head and pretend that the great one really is as great as they wish to believe.

Ron