Written by: Jeff Crouere
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
Source:http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/US/Politics/President_Obama_Flying_Low_Over_New_York_Incident__8755.asp