Why would Louis Caldera, a member of the White House military office, okay a plan to have the 747 that's used as Air Force One, the president’s plane (the president was not on board), fly low over New York’s skyline on April 27, followed by a fighter jet, considering New Yorkers’ experiences with 9/11? Because image is important.

For half an hour the planes swooped near Manhattan as panicked New Yorkers streamed out of office buildings, fearing a replay of the September 11 attacks. But there wasn’t an attack. The 747 and its fighter accompaniment (and a third plane carrying a military photographer) were merely doing laps past the Statue of Liberty so that some publicity photos could be taken. Though New York cops were forewarned about the flyover, they were not allowed to inform the public about the photo shoot. Even the mayor didn’t know (his office was contacted, but apparently a staffer didn’t inform him).

When asked about the incident, President Obama said, according to AP: “It was a mistake. It was something we found out about along with all of you. And it will not happen again.” But why would Obama functionaries allow it to happen in the first place, especially since President Obama promotes himself as the “green” president and a 747 burns approximately a gallon of fuel per second (An F-16 uses somewhere around one-third that much)? Again the answer is, “Because image is important.”

The president’s subordinate was just following Obama’s lead. On Earth Day, president Obama flew to Des Moines, Iowa, to give a speech about green energy. White House correspondent Mark Knoller did the fuel-math. To give a speech about making the United States more energy efficient, Obama’s plane and helicopter burned approximately 9,116 gallons of fuel. That’s not including the fuel burned in the planes carrying reporters to cover the event.

It has been said that actions speak louder than words. I know what these actions tell me. What do they tell you?

Photo: AP Images

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (5)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Twilight said:

hypocrisy This just shows Obama's true thinking, do what I say, not what I do. I doubt he did not know about it, he had to have authorized it. It's a very insensitive, selfish and arrogant act. After all the people of NYC have been through they did not have to be subjected to this photo op session. Unbelievable.

April 29, 2009 | url

Flu-Bird said:

Obama the annoying one So whats obama and his bunch of wackos trying to prove anyway i mean is he trying to create a national incedent or trying to think he is a messiah liberal idiots think he is suppost to be

April 29, 2009

dontbearepublicratfool said:

Watchcarefully There are so many things wrong with the excuse of a "photo op". Why the F-16 escorts? Why not do this on a Saturday or Sunday when most paper pushers are at home to minimize the public panic? Why do a photo on a filthy looking morning with the sky a brownish grey, instead of a nice clean blue sky after a storm just moved through? Why does MSNBC refer to the 747 as a "lookalike" presidential plane, was it actually a retired commercial 747 painted to look like AF1? www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30434584 Gee, and I thought the president IS the Commander-in-Chief! Wouldn't our president be briefed that AF1 would be unavailable for the morning of the 27th of April? "When told of the flight, President Obama was furious, a White House official said on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations." ---huh,huh I'm anonymous! http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news13/1240891545162850.xml&coll=1&thispage=2 If the objective was to get our Statue of Liberty in the photo, it would not require the aircraft to fly directly over Manhattan. I ain't buyin' it!

April 29, 2009

carl smith said:

... americans need to be reminded every so often about the "war on terror" even if they're not calling it that anymore. i don't believe this was an oversight or mistake. the government needs for us to be afraid. obama hasn't backed off this, he's merely changed the game plan in a few ways.

April 29, 2009

Robert Heiney said:

USA - The Axis of Evil Why would Louis Caldera, a member of the White House military office, okay a plan to have the 747 that's used as Air Force One, fly low over New York’s skyline on April 27? Because he can. That's why. The American Federal Government has reached an unprecedented level of arrogance and power that our Founding Fathers clearly warned about. With a government school system that teaches children nothing about politics, economics, and history, you have a population that is lobotomized to everything except their six pack of beer and their SUV. Our government reminds me very much of the government in North Korea. Same group of scum. Just a different country.

April 29, 2009 | url