Patterico's Pontifications

4/27/2009

Obama’s Folks Set Up Photo-Op Resembling 9/11, Terrorizing Manhattan

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:18 pm



Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

It’s Obama’s folks doing a photo op!

. . . without telling the public that a couple of planes were going to be flying low, past some Manhattan skyscrapers. Now what could possibly be the problem with that?

“Everybody panicked,” said Daisy Cooper, a Merrill Lynch worker in Jersey City, who lost a nephew on 9/11. “Everybody was screaming and we all ran downstairs. I’m devastated…Everybody was running, we didn’t know why we were running. We just knew it was a plane, there we go, 9/11 again.”…

Here’s some video:

Just by watching a video, it’s hard to tell how bad this looked from the ground, although the screaming and apparent panic of the onlookers certainly gives you some indication.

P.S. However, back me up on this, L.A. residents: how many times have you seen a jet circling downtown and been unsettled by how amazingly close the plane seemed to the skyscrapers? (Which is not to say that the folks in Manhattan were wrong to be worried. My guess is that the planes in Manhattan were much closer than the planes in L.A. get. It’s more to say that they let the planes in L.A. get waaaay too close to the skyscrapers.)

P. P.S. Recall that Tim Noah, the fact-challenged skeptic of the effectiveness of waterboarding KSM, assured us recently that

attacking buildings by flying planes into them didn’t remain a viable al-Qaida strategy even through Sept. 11, 2001. Thanks to cell phones, passengers on United Flight 93 were able to learn that al-Qaida was using planes as missiles and crashed the plane before it could hit its target. There was no way future passengers on any flight would let a terrorist who killed the pilot and took the controls fly wherever he pleased.

So tell me: why are the people in that video so panicked?

100 Responses to “Obama’s Folks Set Up Photo-Op Resembling 9/11, Terrorizing Manhattan”

  1. And this administration spends so much time congratulating each other how much smarter they are than the Bush administration …

    They are a bunch of clowns.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  2. It would be disconcerting in NYC not only because of the location of 9/11, but because since then no one would even dream of performing such an event, much less with a fighter aircraft escort. Additionally, people get used to airline traffic flying in certain corriders, and tend to greatly notice whenever they are outside those familiar paths – I’d imagine an aircraft seemingly wandering around would cause quite the stir there today – but I’m sure this administration will catch little public flak once the amen choir can get up to speed,

    thrill (4359de)

  3. How close do mthey look?

    Somebody with current facts back me up here, but I think they have to stay 500 feet above the buildings and 500 feet laterally from them.

    The 747 wing-span is about 200 feet (195’8″ — I looked it up) so they have to stay 2 and a half wingspans away.

    Landing at Linbergh Field has you coming through downtown (or used to) below the tops of the buildings. That looks pretty scary inside the plane.

    Larry Sheldon (86b2e1)

  4. That Øne has a prime time press conference on Wednesday [8 PM Eastern, 7 Central; check local listings for a non-Fox channel in your area]… Once they finish washing his balls, maybe the MSM can ask Obama if his teleprompter has any comments to make about this.

    Dave (d51df8)

  5. why are the people in that video so panicked? ah, because they’re not smart enough to know that they’re safer now with Obama in charge? and claims they were panicking is evil Republican disinformation, they were flooding the streets to get a better view of what they thought was Obama flying overhead.

    steve sturm (3811cf)

  6. If it weren’t for Bush, none of this would have happened to disturb the day of our wonderful new president. And what are those people on the ground doing, panicking and making things worse for him!

    What unbelievable selfishness.
    /sarc

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (0ea407)

  7. Contrary to the Hot Air link, Mayor Bloomberg claims not to have been informed of the flyover and was none too happy about it,

    A “furious” Mayor Bloomberg denounced the dunces who dreamed up the stunt – and the NYPD officials and bureaucrats who never told him about it.

    One difference to keep in mind is that Manhattan’s skyscrapers are taller and much more dense than the Los Angeles skyline. Aside from the obvious reason for panic, it must be that much worse taking into consideration the height and number of towering buildings.

    Dana (d08a3a)

  8. A training exercise without warning might have been excusable. A photo-op with adequate prior warning would have been excusable–if rather wasteful and pointless. A photo-op where the public was *intentionally* not warned should mean the careers of those responsible. I’m ready to believe that Obama didn’t know about this in advance. If he did, that Special Olympics joke will look more and more like an unintentional confession.

    M. Scott Eiland (5ccff0)

  9. I blame Bush.

    JD (1e04df)

  10. Even assuming half those people working downtown might be from the suburbs and might be Republicans, what this does show is that much of New York may have reverted to their normal liberal beliefs, but its more of just trying to repress the memories of Sept. 11 than any actual change in what their attitudes would be if another attack anywhere near in scope to eight years ago was carried out by al Qaida. What you see in those videos is a return of the fear of death, something strong enough to break even the magical wonders of that which is Barack Obama in all but the most loyal followers.

    That means for all the bluster and indignation today about Gitmo, waterboarding and viiolations of the rights of the terrorists, the fear shown by this false alarm today means that should a real attack occur, Obama would face the wrath of even angry liberal New Yorkers for his changes in U.S. foreign policy (and even as liberal as NYC might be, you can push even people there too far, as evidenced by the fact that David Dinkins couldn’t win a second term in his rematch for mayor with Rudy Giuliani).

    John (692c5c)

  11. “..So tell me: why are the people in that video so panicked?…”

    That’s easy. They are as smart and worldly as Mr. Noah.

    He and his friends know best.

    Eric Blair (33cc23)

  12. You silly paranoid New Yorkers!!!!

    God, it is soooo Bush’s fault.

    HeavenSent (637168)

  13. Oh, spit. “They are NOT as smart and worldly…”

    Sorry about that.

    Eric Blair (33cc23)

  14. I’m ready to believe that Obama didn’t know about this in advance. If he did, that Special Olympics joke will look more and more like an unintentional confession.

    Give him some slack. We at least can be confident that he, for example, didn’t in actuality bow before the king of Saudi Arabia. His spokesman said as much, and the images caught on video of the event are lies! lies, I tell you! (and seeing is not believing!, and Santa Claus is alive and well in the North Pole!).

    Mark (411533)

  15. When Obama said he was “furious,” did the technicians have to catch up the teleprompter scroll? I could see how all that fury could cause a man to get ahead of himself.

    Another Chris (a3bb8f)

  16. The plane came up the river, same as on 9/11. Of course they would be scared! I’m sure Obama will tell them it’s just a distraction, though, from our real problems.

    Patricia (2183bb)

  17. maybe the MSM can ask Obama if his teleprompter has any comments to make about this.

    Did anyone see the Obama scene today when his teleprompter malfunctioned ? Hannity and Goldberg were cracking up. Obama didn’t look amused after he introduced people at his science presser for the second time.

    The guy is a scream. I just don’t know if it’s humor or panic.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  18. First, I doubt very seriously that President Obama knew about this stupid maneuver.

    Second, can you imagine how the left would have reacted if this had happened under Bush’s watch? Olbermann would be cleaning both sides of his pants while laughing and having a stroke.

    Ag80 (b19e67)

  19. What – doesn’t Obama claim to have superior judgment? The man whose finger is on the button thought this was a good idea?

    Perfect Sense (0922fa)

  20. Ag – That very well may be the case, but I am hardly willing to give him a break over that. You are correct that Olbergasm and MadCow would have blown up from the overproduction of self-Lefteous outrage, and moral indignation, had Bush done this.

    Nice to know that Barcky views NY as merely a backdrop for his next campaign commercial.

    JD (1e04df)

  21. Oh my, I just saw that video from the press conference with the bad TelePrompter. That was … unfortunate.

    Obama’s TelePrompter vs. Ditka vs. Manny Pacquiau. Discuss.

    carlitos (23eb68)

  22. JD:

    Really, I think that something this stupid is probably above the President’s pay grade.

    Nonetheless, it was apparently approved by the White House, according to CNN (and no, I don’t trust them to get a Boy Scout’s name right):

    “Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision,” said Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office. “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.”

    Maybe he’s a holdover from the Bush administration. I don’t know.

    However, maybe, the almighty federal government, that is going to save us from depression, real estate hijinks, criminal bankers and the swine flu, could have made sure that the citizens of New York and New Jersey were informed of this debacle. Except, according to the honorable Mayor of New York, that didn’t happen.

    Or, it could be a Roveian plot.

    Ag80 (b19e67)

  23. I think Obama was going for the same thing as these post-9/11 incidents where Muslims have tried to scare passengers on airplanes by doing suspicious things. It’s part “strike terror into the heart of the infidel” and part making civilized society feel some shame for their panic so they will let their guard down for future attacks.

    But mostly, it’s a nod and a wink to the international jihadi community. How else would they take it?

    j curtis (6eb6fe)

  24. j curtis:

    With all due respect, I really believe this was a mistake of hubris, not intent.

    Ag80 (b19e67)

  25. Your average jet is not being chased by fighter planes.

    Cara (b11809)

  26. “Maybe he’s a holdover from the Bush administration.”

    Clinton administration, actually.

    Dave Surls (99be4d)

  27. I just have one question. How many d’oh moments are too many d’oh moments?

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  28. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: “I don’t always know every movement of Air Force One.” What an idiot. He makes Baghdad Bob look smart.

    carlitos (23eb68)

  29. Carlitos said:

    Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: “I don’t always know every movement of Air Force One.” What an idiot. He makes Baghdad Bob look smart.

    I know coming from you that this is accurate, but I sit slack-jawed at the statement.

    Heck, I need a job, maybe the President could hire me. That way he wouldn’t look so, what’s the right word, “uninformed.”

    Ag80 (b19e67)

  30. Ag80:

    Well, how do you think al qaeda interprets the incident? How much apparent buffoonery would Obama need to display before you might consider that it’s something else?

    What they are up to is called conditioning.

    j curtis (6eb6fe)

  31. Ag80 – gibbs’ presser here – not knowing movement of air force one about 1/3 of the way down. Surprisingly, the first reporter called upon was Jennifer Loven.

    Hearing Janet Napolitano speak does not give me confidence. Actually, it makes me want to put on some Indigo Girls albums.

    carlitos (23eb68)

  32. j curtis:

    I want to make this perfectly clear:

    I think Al-Qaeda would interpret this as nothing.

    I don’t like President Obama’s direction or his policies. But, I could be wrong, and I will accept that if proven wrong.

    However, he is the elected president of the United States. I may disagree with him, but I do not, and will not, tolerate the notion that he is somehow consorting with the enemies of our nation.

    And, for that reason, I believe you are a planted troll to elicit responses that will allow you and your fellow travelers to insult and expose those you disagree with as nothing more than idiots.

    If I am wrong about your intentions, I apologize.

    If you are sincere, you need to take a hard look at your beliefs.

    Ag80 (b19e67)

  33. I may disagree with him, but I do not, and will not, tolerate the notion that he is somehow consorting with the enemies of our nation.

    Start “tolerating the notion” because his friendship with Bill Ayers has already proved the notion. Unless you somehow believe that the Bill Ayers doing the “Old Glory Boogie” on the American Flag on 9/11/01 was someone different than the Bill Ayers who gave birth to President Obama.

    j curtis (6eb6fe)

  34. Ayers, Wright, Churchill, Soros are all enemies of this nation.

    John Hitchcock (fb941d)

  35. j curtis:

    Here was my response until I thought about it for a few minutes:

    Bill Ayers is a despicable human being. And, I am well aware of his association with President Obama.

    However, I have not — as much as I disagree with the President — seen him, as yet, to consort with sworn enemies of the United States.

    But, you know what? He has: Chavez, the Castro brothers, et al.

    I believe I owe you an apology.

    I want to believe in the President, as the elected leader of our nation. I hope he will improve.

    Ag80 (b19e67)

  36. Why are these people panicking?

    Cara at 9:35 is correct. A jumbo jet flying low over NYC seemingly pursued by a military fighter conjures up at least one terrifying thought to those on the ground in its flight path:

    If the pilot is given the order to go hot to prevent the collision of the airliner into another building, once the air to air missile takes off the engine and quite possibly the wing, will this 180,000 pound hunk of metal flying 400 knots out of control drive your head through your ass and two stories down into the subway tunnel, or merely shower you with flaming jet A?

    Apogee (e2dc9b)

  37. Because of this flyby, how many real 9-1-1 emergency calls were unanswered resulting in someone’s death?

    Perfect Sense (0922fa)

  38. Thanks to cell phones, passengers on United Flight 93 were able to learn that al-Qaida was using planes as missiles and crashed the plane before it could hit its target. There was no way future passengers on any flight would let a terrorist who killed the pilot and took the controls fly wherever he pleased.

    Doesn’t Noah know it was the Hijackers who crashed the plane into the ground? The brave passengers were trying to bash into the cockpit and the a-hole terrorists abandoned the Capitol crash plan because of it?

    What an idiot Noah is.

    Topsecretk9 (cb56d4)

  39. Quote of the Day as seen on Ace of Spades:

    “Isn’t it fabulous how Obama has reconciled with our enemies and put fear into the hearts of Americans? Does any image illustrate so neatly the wrongheadedness of the Obama administration than Americans scrambling in terror from Air Force One?”
    -Trantor-

    redc1c4 (8cad63)

  40. You are missing the real reason for all of this. They didn’t tell the public in advance because they were worried that millions of people would have gone outside to wave to the plane, tying up traffic and stopping work and causing John Boehner and Rush Limbaugh to issue a joint statement condemning the latest Obama crowd-pleasing stunt.

    You people must be tearing your hair out. Your teabagging turned into an obscene joke. The president summarily dispatched three pirates and put the fourth in jail. His popularity rating is 69%, and health care is going to get jammed through in reconciliation and no one is so much as raising a peep about it.

    Oh, how the mighty fall. Only 21% of the public dares call themselves Republican. Michelle Obama is the new Jackie Kennedy, with a popularity rating of 71%. All your wingnuts can do is make faces and puke. Do you realize what’s coming in 2010 and 2012?!

    Magic Dog (66858c)

  41. Just to be pedantic. . .

    It’s not Air Force One unless the President is on board.

    And aside from the sheer stupidity in the lack of communication, does anyone know exactly why the “photo op” is being staged, presumably on the taxpayer’s dime? If Obama really wants to make his budget cuts in the cabinet offices look anything more than cosmetic, he would order an end to this kind of malarkey.

    JVW (eabe68)

  42. If you live out by LAX, low flying planes are no big deal and LAX was a genuine target anyway. However, the responsibility for this boneheaded decision rests with a military mind: former Secretary of the Army and West Point graduate Louis Caldera, who now (or until he shows some guts and resigns) runs the White House Military Office.

    When a trained military mind makes stupid decisions like this, it reinforces the wisdom of civilian control over the military.

    White House Military Office director Louis Caldera issued a brief statement.

    “Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision,” he said. “While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, its clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.”…

    Now resign, stupid.

    I vividly recall being in London in the late 1960s when there was a one day aerial photo op announced during the making of a movie titled, “The Battle Of Britain.” The Metropolitan Police, the British government and the City of London along with the press were all notified of the event to publicize the filming so as not to alarm elderly pensioners and the general population when they saw a few German planes, Spitfires and Hurricanes battling in the skies over London once again for a few hours as an American B-25 filmed the mock combat. The entire photo op was handled well by all concerned and a brief, but memorable sight; some of which is in the finished film.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  43. #22- Maybe he’s a holdover from the Bush administration. I don’t know.

    Caldera was a Secretary of the Army and a graduate of West Point.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  44. People are clearly running away from Obama, not the plane. Obama, destroyer of the middle class (i.e.: savings) by hyperinflation.

    Roy Mustang (9deca0)

  45. Because of this flyby, how many real 9-1-1 emergency calls were unanswered resulting in someone’s death?

    Well, you obviously can’t tell the public ahead of time because somebody might try to shoot down the plane. In Obama’s mind, the photo-op was worth those lives.

    Roy Mustang (9deca0)

  46. “Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision,” he said.

    A jet plane trailed by fighter aircraft over Manhattan is supposed to be a photo-op for what message?

    Do you realize what’s coming in 2010 and 2012?!

    Sadly yes, terrorist attacks in the US. I’m lucky at least that I live and work outside of downtown Chicago, so I should be clear of a potential strike area.

    liontooth (c6d5a7)

  47. Comment by Magic Dog — 4/28/2009 @ 12:10 am

    Hi, pluck.

    I see you still haven’t figured out that reacting to Obama’s every stupid act by bringing up his “popularity rating” (whatever that is), is like someone in Hollywood saying their movie obviously doesn’t suck by pointing to the box office numbers.

    Mars vs Hollywood (788077)

  48. So the greenest of Presidents, instead of photoshopping Air Force One(s) to the National Monuments, wastes gazillions of precious jet fuel and adds how many tons of greenhouse gasses to the earth’s atmosphere and increases global warming just to ‘update file photos’? The lights are on but no one’s home.

    eaglewingz08 (5f118f)

  49. They didn’t tell the public in advance because they were worried that millions of people would have gone outside to wave to the plane….
    Comment by Magic Dog — 4/28/2009 @ 12:10 am

    *laughs* The fact that that’s what occurs to you as the reason, instead of the real one, is really a perfect illustration of the worldview of those on the far left. “Everyone adores Obama and would stop traffic for him” added to “threat of attack? Why, what in the world is that?”

    Nice to know that Barcky views NY as merely a backdrop for his next campaign commercial.

    Comment by JD — 4/27/2009 @ 9:13 pm

    Nail, meet head. The White House is staffed by children and narcissists. Personally I think Obama is both.

    no one you know (1ebbb1)

  50. You guys have elected yourselves a bunch of bozos it seems.

    I’d like to poke fun at you if it weren’t so serious, but it looks like we also have just elected a bunch of boneheads.

    Look out world – we’re going to hell in a handbasket.

    James from Melbourne OZ (373ec4)

  51. Comment by eaglewingz08 — 4/28/2009 @ 4:18 am

    Well, they should have used Photoshop but they do have to update the file photos. The ones there now aren’t “real” file photos anymore since they were taken when someone else was president.

    no one you know (1ebbb1)

  52. Oh Good Allah. Magic Dog showed up last week at another site I read. Mendacity ensued.
    Caldera was a hold-over from Clinton, IIRC. He is obviously being singled out as the fall guy for this, but it was not his idea, he signed off on it. Who brought this incredibly boneheaded idea to him?

    JD (0da435)

  53. Michelle Obama is the new Jackie Kennedy, with a popularity rating of 71%.

    I hear it’s 99.9% in the Klingon Empire.

    nk (343b4e)

  54. DCSCA sd:
    “it reinforces the wisdom of civilian control over the military”

    A typical comment from a idiot leftist. Caldera did graduate from West Point but immediately left the service to go to… wait for it…Harvard Law school. And then like his President, he floundered around in numerous short-term jobs for a decade before getting appointed to a political position in LA by leftist. He then was elected to the state senate as a Democrat for the district in the slums of LA.

    And here comes the wisdom of Leftist on display, he was nominated as SECRETARY OF THE NAVY by Bill Clinton? Why? He hadn’t spent any time in the military for over 20 years? Typical Leftist pick a lawyer with NO relevant experience but with an image of a West Point graduate and a minority.

    Qualifications be damn and now this wizard of leftist “brilliance” shows up again under Obama as a downgraded White House Military Communicator. Qualifications? None, but we sucked up to the right people sort of like our new President.

    LogicalSC (3dfff0)

  55. “A jet plane trailed by fighter aircraft over Manhattan is supposed to be a photo-op for what message?”

    A jet plane with the NY skyline in the background.

    imdw (568c85)

  56. I am not so worry or upset about the fact that they flew a plane so close to the buildings, as I am about the fact that they are wasting all that money on fuel to take a couple photos. What a waste, Obama is just trying to improve his image, as if it is possible to polish a turd.

    John (e2001a)

  57. #40 Magic Dog wrote: “They didn’t tell the public in advance because they were worried that millions of people would have gone outside to wave to the plane…”

    I’m still trying to decide whether this is meant to be taken seriously, because it’s about the most boneheaded thing I’ve read yet today. The reason no one in the general public was given advance notice is that no one is ever given advance notice of where AF1 is going to be flying. You know, surface to air missiles, RPG’s, and all that fun stuff? (Or in this case a .22 rifle might have sufficed).

    That aside, the mental picture of “millions” of busy New Yorkers milling about, waving at Dear Leader’s plane and jumping up and down like giddy schoolchildren, is almost too funny for words. “Attention, Wall Street. All trading will be suspended for the next ten minutes while we file outside in a safe and orderly manner to wave to the President…”

    danebramage (700c93)

  58. Dane – That was serious, at least for Magic Dog.

    Imdw just waterboarded another kitten.

    JD (0da435)

  59. PBO most definitely knew about this – remember, the photos were of Air Force One, to be given as gifts instead of DVDs and stuff from his garage. His only outrage is that he once again got caught being king instead of president. He is an out of touch, tone deaf, arrogant clown. I cannot wait for these 4 years to be over so I don’t have to hear him whistling every s and the steadily falling uhvalanche every time he’s off the prompter.

    Ted (d02b66)

  60. The White House is starting to look more like Delta House on Friday night.

    Dan F (87ef1e)

  61. Yes here in LA near LAX we do see low flying planes following a predictable path one after an other. Even John Wayne, Long Beach and Burbank they follow predictable paths and altitudes. Have that plane fly low over the downtown area near library tower and the reaction here would be a heck of a lot different

    airedale (dd3982)

  62. Just so I understand this thread….two commenters discussed whether the President of the United States is actively treasonous (at one hoped he would grow in office!).

    Another referred to a former United States Marine (Rev Wright) as un-American, despite those years of his life he gave defending America, because that person doesn’t like his politics.

    Yet another commenter thinks it’s wrong to attend to most prestigious law school in the country and then use that degree in public service. On that account, it seems he would prefer the graduates of half-wit clown colleges run the country, rather than smart people.

    And, everybody here apparently has stock in 3M, since they are all so mad at the President for using a teleprompter rather note cards. One wonders what the reaction to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address would have been: “[sniffs one conservative to another] Well, you know he wrote that down before he said it.”

    Lastly, there are 60 comments calling the President a moron and a traitor and noting the all-seeing eyes of Al Queda are watching (I didn’t know they got CCN America is the tribal regions of Pakistan)…all for an incident that none of you will remember in three weeks.

    The conclusion remains, you guys have to learn to manage your anger. To do that we can add, now we know the Republican is at 21% approval ratings. And, that the Dixie Chicks great sin was not saying the President is an idiot in a foreign country, it was saying your President is an idiot. You are fine saying demonstrably silly things about a President, things that would have sent you into the streets to burn CD’s before, but this war-time President is so beneath your contempt.

    PS Oh, the transcript of Flight 93’s cell phone calls show the passengers planned on crashing the airplane. None of them were pilots!

    Who was actually in control of the plane as it crashed is unknown (the black box recordings seem to reveal the terrorists were losing control of the cockpit and decided to crash the plane). Noah’s point is correct. Terrorists could not hijack an airplane full of Americans and expect those Americans to be led like sheep to the slaughter. The only reason the other three planes were not downed by the passengers is that the passengers believed they were hostages, not payload on a missile.

    timb (8f04c0)

  63. That was …. predictable. Did you see anyone agreeing with the treasonous comments, timmah? Do you think this was a brilliant idea?

    JD (0da435)

  64. Yeah, j curt made them and another poster said he wanted to apologize for disagreeing with them.

    Why are you still talking to me? Why aren’t standing outside the US Senate and complaining about their report that you think is all wrong? I mean, you’re such a voluminous reader that I bet you read the report!

    No? Well, I bet you read the news summary I linked to.

    No again? Well, I bet you retreated to that place in your mind where everybody agrees with you and ignored any evidence to the contrary.

    Meanwhile, speaking of predictability, look who’s here arguing arguing with someone who dissents from the collective? Why, it’s JD! What a surprising change from normal! Usually you’re posting witty, insightful and never repetitive bon mots. Here, you just show –ONCE AGAIN– a lack of reading comprehension.

    So, in light of my recent observation, is the one of times you’re stupid? Or willfully ignorant? You can think about it the rest of today (I have to go do important things), and try to come up with an answer that involves lots of venom and sputtering and incoherence. I’ll be back tomorrow to once again grade your C- work.

    timb (8f04c0)

  65. timb:
    “noting the all-seeing eyes of Al Queda are watching”

    Al Queda doesn’t need to carry out an operation they have the President of the US providing them with his own events which terrorize New Yorkers for them.

    Is the implication that those thousands of New Yorkers fleeing their buildings were NOT terrorized?

    I hate to break it to ya’ timb but Obama is a moron. How else do you explain an administration which is so clueless that it would never occur to them that having a large Jet being chased by fighter planes cirling around New York City would be inappropriate? Have you got a better explanation for this pack of imbeciles which your “mistake” has put in positions of decision-making.

    After lecturing us yet again about the “greedy” Americans polluting the world and causing “climate change”, your imbecile dispatches AFOne and two fighter jets on a photo op for himself. It was either for this 100 days media lovefest or for the 9-11 event.

    Stupid is as stupid does.

    LogicalSC (3dfff0)

  66. […] Some of my conservative friends are making a big deal over the alternate Air Force One poto-op over Manhattan. Me, I don’t see it as much of a much, other than to wonder about the supposed professionalism and competence President Obama was supposed to bring to the White House. How dumb was that stunt? Category: Politics  |  Comment (RSS)  |  Trackback […]

    Common Sense Political Thought » Blog Archive » Random thoughts for the morning (73d96f)

  67. So, timmah, do you think that this was a good idea or bad idea for Teh One? Why or why not? Simple questions. The rest of your drivel is typical “look, over there” behavior that you are so adept at.

    BTW – nice distortion above. Ag did not agree that Barcky is treasonous, he agreed that Barcky likes to cozy up to leaders of countries that despise us. Nuance is not your strong suit.

    Your abjective anger is puzzling since Teh One won and is curing all that ails the world.

    JD (0da435)

  68. I’m sorry but with todays technology, This can be done in a studio with a computer. And this administration says cutbacks are need??????????

    Ed (9f5fb2)

  69. “The differences on Iraq in this campaign are deep. Unlike Senator John McCain, I opposed the war in Iraq before it began, and would end it as president. I believed it was a grave mistake to allow ourselves to be distracted from the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban by invading a country that posed no imminent threat and had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Since then, more than 4,000 Americans have died and we have spent nearly $1 trillion. Our military is overstretched…”–The One

    Sure, Barry. It was a mistake to fight the Iraqis, even though the Democrats had been complaining for years that Iraq was a state sponsor of terrorism, and that Americans had been murdered by said terrorists (all of which is true), and even though the Iraqis had been shooting at American aircraft for years (no immediate threat there…not to Barry’s person, anyway). That’s certainly no reason to fight them (LOL), and it wastes valuable military resources, that should be used in Afghanistan.

    Only…once the buffoon is POTUS, we’re using our military assets for absurdly wasteful p.r. “missions”…and it doesn’t look like they’re doing squat in Afghanistan.

    So, Barry…when are you going to push up into the Hindu Kush, and why is our military being used to scare the hell out of people in New York instead of going after Al Qaida? Isn’t that a bit of a distraction?

    What an ass, this guy is.

    Dave Surls (f2f78d)

  70. looks like theres some obama haters out here that never give him the benefit of the doubt. Occurs to me you all so happy to blame Obama for what happens, where it happens and who makes it happen I wonder if you get any sleep… or do you sit with your fingers glued to the keys and your eyes to the news so you can be the first to spill your venom.

    Charlatine Duffing (f9e010)

  71. Charlatine Duffing – Please, defend this Barcky stunt for us then. Explain why this was a good idea.

    JD (0da435)

  72. Charlatine Duffing, you accuse us of behaving like the Democrats during the Bush administration? Oh, man, that stings.

    SPQR (72771e)

  73. “two commenters discussed whether the President of the United States is actively treasonous”

    What do you call a guy who spent years trying to undercut our commander-in-chief during a time of war, in order to secure public office?

    What do you call a guy, who once he becomes commander-in-chief, makes public the details of what our intelligence agencies are doing in the middle of a war?

    I know what I call him.

    Dave Surls (f2f78d)

  74. Occurs to me you all so happy to blame Obama for what happens, where it happens and who makes it happen I wonder if you get any sleep… or do you sit with your fingers glued to the keys and your eyes to the news so you can be the first to spill your venom.

    Welcome to politics in the Age of Howard Dean–except it’s not so nice when the guns are turned on your guy. Did you really think after 8 years of leftists blaming Bush for everything from the Iraq war to their milk spoiling that there would be no equal turnabout once a Democrat took office?

    Another Chris (2d8013)

  75. “looks like theres some obama haters out here”

    Very observant of you.

    Dave Surls (f2f78d)

  76. I have to go do important things

    “…which involve a jar of Jergen’s and my company’s office supply stock room.”

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  77. #62, timb wrote: “Another referred to a former United States Marine (Rev Wright) as un-American, despite those years of his life he gave defending America, because that person doesn’t like his politics.”

    Er, no…I think it’s because he doesn’t like Wright’s un-American politics. Lee Harvey Oswald was a Marine, too, you will perhaps remember, before becoming a Communist tool.

    “And, everybody here apparently has stock in 3M, since they are all so mad at the President for using a teleprompter rather note cards. One wonders what the reaction to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address would have been: ‘[sniffs one conservative to another] Well, you know he wrote that down before he said it.’”

    You’re claiming that every Obama speaking engagement or press conference is the equivalent of the Gettysburg Address? Are you serious?

    “…(I didn’t know they got CCN America is the tribal regions of Pakistan)…”

    Why? Because they’re all ignorant, backward imbeciles who’ve never heard of television? Really? How progressive and egalitarian of you. You’re a credit to your race.

    danebramage (700c93)

  78. ‘An FAA spokesman, Jim Peters, defended the event, calling it “a planned, pre-approved military flight over New York to take photos.” He said it was “pre-coordinated with everyone involved, including the city.”’

    ‘Except that an FAA memo specifically warned officials that if they released information about the flights to the public or the press, they’d be violating the law.’

    ‘It even cited a specific statute.’–NY Post

    LOL! It’s o.k. to release details of what our spies and counter-spies are doing, but the public and press can’t be told details about a p.r. stunt over the biggest city in the United States!!! That’s top secret info.

    Well, America, you elected these idiots. I reckon you deserve what you get.

    Dave Surls (f2f78d)

  79. timb: I apologize for that last crack. It was uncalled for.

    danebramage (700c93)

  80. timb: I apologize for that last crack. It was uncalled for.

    danebramage (700c93)

  81. “MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES”

    “SUBJECT: Transparency and Open Government”

    “My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.”

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/TransparencyandOpenGovernment/

    ROTFLMAO

    Dave Surls (f2f78d)

  82. Here is a comment from the WSJ blog. I think it might be satire, but it works either way.

    All you banksters are hilarious.

    Here’s what actually happened.

    Some of your bosses have been trying to play hardball with Obama.

    They — and you — just got a wakeup call: a friendly reminder who wears the pants around here, and who HOPES they can find a CHANGE of pants right about now.

    And you know what the best part is? No one will ever believe that’s all this was — a friendly reminder that all you guys have is money (if that — these days it’s all just 1s and 0s)…but power? Power’s being able to fly 2 fighter jets and air force one right past the executive offices of some of the most “powerful” offices in the land just to take some awesome photos of the masters of the universe gripped with mortal terror.

    And even if someone did believe this is what happened — the O man showing you who’s who and what’s what — you think anyone other than you cares? Can you think of any group of people more reviled and less sympathetic than the last banksters still standing?

    carlitos (23eb68)

  83. Our president sure seems to have no clue or idea about anything. First he wasted taxpayer money, scares enough people in NY to cause a panic, and all the pollution he put in the air..You think the N.Y. Times would have a decent artilce about it. But know a tiny column and worse yet they don’t have a clue as to why there losing market share while WSJ went up in readership from last quarter…The Libs just don’t get it and are brain dead…

    david (4e0dda)

  84. Obozo is proving every day just who and what he is. I can’t understand how he keeps slipping by. If President Bush had pulled an egotistical stunt like this flyover, he’d have been nailed to the cross. Congratulations to everyone who was taken in by Prez Empty Suit. Anyone naive enough to have wasted their vote on this demon deserves to suffer for it. Sadly, ALL of us are suffering for it.

    Nancy Tannenbaum (d3e813)

  85. They say, in theatre, to “fake it ’til you make it!”, but this isn’t even good faking.

    htom (412a17)

  86. The whole thing is thoughtless and inconsiderate. My question here is who paid for this photo op? Why do we need it? Why do we need pics of Air Force One in front of the Statue of Liberty? Who’s going to see the picture? WHO CARES about this. Yet, how much did this little shindig cost? Pilots? Fuel? Photogragher? Who the heck ordered this and how much money did the whole thing cost? They are planting gardens on the lawn of the White House- thumbs up…Gives the appearance of a normal family. Then somebody sends Jets up to New York to be photographed. Didn’t we see enough planes hovering over New York back in 2001? And wait, how about the plane landing on the Hudson? Enough with the planes flying too low over New York! Does anyone know where we can find out how much this pointless photo op cost….and how much of a “carbon footprint”? I am going to email Al Gore..he’d like to know the answer to that, I am sure

    Dawn (156d07)

  87. What a dumb move. This was done with the White House approval and cost the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars for a photo-op. Obama thinks he and his beloved Pelosi and Reid are rock stars and can do anything they like, stupid or not.

    Enid (183fed)

  88. They want to throw weird crap out there for everyone to talk about. Keeps us all bizzy. Obama is a narcissist, Soros is sick and rich. Both hate the US.

    Vermont Neighbor (539e49)

  89. I wish I could say with some certainty that this terrible man is an idiot, but I believe he is far from it. I believe his agenda will destroy our nation as we know it…he is more secure than any other president in history because no one would DARE impeach him. Imagine the chaos and anarchy that would erupt. The man walks with power and immunity never owned by any other president. And he knows it. Disheartening that so many were/are deceived.

    Nancy in Texas (d3e813)

  90. Another referred to a former United States Marine (Rev Wright) as un-American, despite those years of his life he gave defending America, because that person doesn’t like his politics.

    Comment by timb — 4/28/2009 @ 6:46 am

    There are like 3 veterans for whom liberals will come to their rescue by referring to their military service. John “Genghis” Kerry, John “Haditha” Murtha and Jeremiah “God Damn America” Wright.

    j curtis (03a38a)

  91. #54- Caldera, son of Mexican immigrants, Soledad and Benjamin Caldera,[1] was born on April 1, 1956 in El Paso, Texas.[3] His family left Texas for California when he was four, living briefly in public housing in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles before moving to the suburb of Whittier. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1978 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, then served on active duty from 1978 to 1983, mostly at Fort Dix, New Jersey. He went on to enroll at Harvard University and in 1987 earned both an MBA and a JD degree. On May 22, 1998, President Clinton announced Caldera as his selection for Secretary of the Army. On July 2, Caldera was sworn in as the 17th Secretary of the Army by Secretary of Defense William Cohen.

    You must be an aide to Caldera. Get your resume ready.

    DCSCA (9d1bb3)

  92. DggCrpp can cut and paste. Golly!

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  93. Caldera…just another Dem hack lining up at the public trough.
    There is not one distinguishing mark in his political career for him to be remembered for, until this!
    Another brilliant appointment by Duh-1, who surrounds himself in sub-mediocrity, so as not to be out-classed.

    AD - Restorethe Republic/Obama Sucks! (c7bf36)

  94. Confidential sources close to the White House have confirmed that President Obama was indeed on Air Force One today as it attempted to land in New York, but the flight was turned away three times by ground fire originating from Bank of America shareholders.

    from Confederate Yankee.

    SPQR (72771e)

  95. Something about this whole incident is weird. Here’s a report from the CBS station in, I assume, New York:

    A furious President Barack Obama ordered an internal review of Monday’s low-flying photo op over the Statue of Liberty.

    CBS 2 HD has discovered the feds will have plenty to question.

    Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.

    In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration’s James Johnston said the agency was aware of “the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes” in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor’s office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.

    Why was the secrecy so important? And why was this necessary when it it could have been done with the full cooperation of the public? Or, by PhotoShop, for that matter?

    I understand the secrecy in a sense, because you don’t want enemies to to take aim at one of the planes that serves as Air Force One. But what was the point of panicking the public?

    Also, the White House and the Secret Service have to know when one of the planes that serves the president is in use.

    How could the press secretary, much less the president himself, not know this was happening?

    Additionally, who was on the flight? I don’t think this would be a state secret.

    Ag80 (b19e67)

  96. I will go back to my standard question with these kind of events. How would the media have treated this if Bush had done it?

    JD (cb1063)

  97. timb: I apologize for that last crack. It was uncalled for.

    Comment by danebramage

    Don’t worry about that Dane, I’ve been called worse. Frankly, I hope you meant the human race and not the White Power way Surls would have meant it.

    PS Clearly, dane, I was referring to conservative having some weird fascination of whether the President uses note cards to whether he uses a teleprompter. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why these dead-enders are so enraged by the idea Presidents write stuff down before they say them. Notes are part of the public speaking game; the media in which they are kept seems immaterial.

    timb (8f04c0)

  98. Don’t I know it. This post alone will be forgotten in two weeks, yet the rage that accompanied it is palpable and real.

    Best part is, I love it. Their only hope next year is depress participation enough so that the 21% of people calling themselves Republicans can elect a new Congress. Barring that, they can’t win young’uns or any minority group, including the one which is at almost 43 million and growing. So, I come here to enjoy the dead-enders and read Karl’s stuff. Karl’s wrong a lot, but his analysis is interesting and only loosely based upon rage.

    timb (a83d56)

  99. I told my kid about this photo op. When he told the kids at school, they didn’t believe him, so he had to show them the youtube of the people screaming. 9/11/01 was a long time ago for teenagers.

    timb, Karl’s rage is real and palpable. 🙂

    carlitos (23eb68)


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