Wow, people are making a hell of a lot about a little cessna that drifted into restricted airspace. You'd think it was carrying 1,000 lbs of anthrax.
Apparently you don't recall the reagan style of management- it's pretty much the same as bush. Handle the important things, delegate the minor things, and if something comes up, tell me right away if I need to know right away.
That's an effective style of leadership. Expecting him to be told every time a cessna violates DC airspace - especially if he's not at the capitol - is a little ridiculous.
'drifted'into restricted airspace. You think terrorists weren't watching?
ridiculous? personally, I think your comments are ridiculous, but that's just me., imo
There was no known guarantee that that little plane wasn't capable of causing damage or casualties on the ground.
"Handle the important things, delegate the minor things."
Agreed. But better get it on record that you provided info to the pres. on an event.
Case in point: Back in 1990 when I was a lowly LTjg, my 600 ft ship was docked in Port Said, Egypt, bow faced inward on the channel. The general navigation plan was to use tugs to spin the ship and head out to the Med. I was the officer of the deck for the sea and anchor detail. And noticed a little strange thing. The length of the ship was greater than the width of the channel. Nobody was saying anything, not the OPSO, not the Navigation officer, not the Captain who was hanging out on the bridgewing. We were to get underway in 5 minutes. The pressure is there not to say anything, especially with a volatile CO. I mentioned it to an LDO (limited duty officer) whose seasoned judgement everyone seems to trust and said I needed to tell the captain. Yes, it would delay everything, and I better have an alternative plan. I did tell the Captain, he exploded at everyone, as guessed, and wanted to know what the h*ll were we going to do now? Back out of the channel for 6-8 miles?? I suggested on going further up the channel to a widened lake area, and yes, it would add an hour to our departure. He relented, and things went well, and he forgot about it one hour later. We got lucky or all of the bridge watch and Captain might have been helo'd off the ship by the area commander, after we grounded.
The president needs good info. Let him develop among his immediate staffers what is important and not important. I did my grad thesis on the U.S. presidential chief of staff since Lincoln and stopped at Clinton. so I have a little insight on too much protection, too much delegation, and lack of info flow. Carter was the worst. Much depends on the personality of who is in the office.