Posted on 05/09/2009 4:30:54 AM PDT by Beckwith
A White House military aide who authorized an Air Force flyover of New York that caused panic among some people in the city resigned on Friday.
Louis Caldera said in a resignation letter to Obama that the controversy over the mission -- a photo shoot of a jumbo jet used as Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background -- made it impossible for him to lead the White House Military Office (WHMO).
White House officials said the flight was designed to update the official photo of the plane, known as Air Force One when the president is aboard.
The flight over lower Manhattan for a photo shoot scared some New Yorkers who remembered the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 involving hijacked airliners that destroyed the World Trade Center. Many people panicked and evacuated office buildings when the planes flew over -- as low as 150 feet.
Caldera had approved the mission. His resignation came on the same day Defense Secretary Robert Gates said in a letter to Senator John McCain that the photo shoot cost U.S. taxpayers as much as $357,000.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs (Gibbels) said Obama had accepted the resignation. Obama had been described as furious when the incident occurred on April 27 and demanded a review.
Isn't that tidy -- Louis Caldera is responsible -- but responsible for what?
Louis Caldera is responsible for "approving" the flight. No need to look any further. Caldera is responsible -- off with his head -- move on!
However, none of this answers the key question -- WHO REQUESTED THE FLIGHT?
Start with Caldera's boss. Who does Caldera work for -- and who does that guy work for -- and who does that guy work for. Somewhere up that food chain is the genius whose brainstorm is responsible for this clusterflop -- that person is the "Requestor" or "Initiator" -- that's the guy that is really responsible.
When the flight was a "Go," the WHMO Deputy Director sent an email to the Director, saying the flight would receive some "local press," but the White House shouldn't catch any questions about it. The email also suggested notifying Jim Messina and Robert Gibbels.
The flight then flew into history.
The White House (read Rhambo) investigated the flight and The White House Counsel's Office (Gregory Craig) produced a report, "Internal Review Concerning April 27, 2009 Air Force One Flight." (It's interesting this report uses the "Air Force One" designation, as the aircraft is only referred to in this way when POTUS is on board. Is Craig suggesting that Obama was on the flight?)
The report (I could access only the first 3 pages of the .pdf file for some reason) says that the Deputy Director of the WHMO "suggested that when the plan was finalized, the Director MAY want to inform White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Jim Messina (not the singer). The Deputy Director believed that Mr. Messina would want notice because the plan involved the use of the Presidential aircraft and because it was unusual."
Note, the focus of this report is on the WHMO, the initial flight planning and the subsequent processes and reviews that resulted in the flight. Nowhere in the "official" report is there any mention of the person or persons who initiated the request for the flight mission that was ultimately "approved" by Caldera.
And, it doesn't answer the secondary question -- WHO WAS ON BOARD? Any honest investigation would provide the flight and passenger manifests. Neither of these are addressed in the report (whitewash).
A Reuters news article said the report of the review, mentioned above, said ultimately Caldera did not notify relevant White House officials about the flyover in advance.
"When asked why he failed to do so, he did not offer a coherent explanation. He stated that it was not a conscious decision -- he did not intend not to notify them," it said. "Instead, he suggested that it may have been an oversight."
An oversight? I just find that statement to be unbelievable.
Caldera had previously apologized for the April 27 incident, saying, "Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision (approving the flight). 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."
And like a good little Obot, Caldera fell on his sword.
The White House Military Office (2,300 managers and staff) knew about the flight, and so did the Department of Defense, and Andrews Air Force Base, and the Air Mobility Command, and the Presidential Airlift Group, and the 89th Airlift Wing, and the Federal Aviation Administration and air traffic control representatives in the New York are, and "federal, state and local authorities."
It seems everyone in the government knew about the "secret flight" except Obama and his senior White House advisers. Sgt. Schultz ("I know nothing") would be proud.
Of course Obama was furious when the incident occurred. It hit the fan the day before his 100th day's celebration and victory speech, dramatically affecting the news.
But he knew nothing about it -- nor did any other "responsible" person in and around the White House -- just Caldera, even though the report contains several mentions of Jim Messina, whose boss is Rhambo -- and Rhambo's boss is Obama -- that's two degrees of separation.
Read the entire thread. “Red Tails” is the key to crack the code.
It’s the Red Tails. Once you have the key, you crack the code.
What is dangerous about flying 150 feet above the highest obstacle?
That was the absolute killer to any element of legitimacy since "kerning" simply wasn't possible on any sort of manual or electric typewriter available during his military career.
I recall identifying and going through nearly 30 reasons why the memos were fakes. Virtually every reason given could be 'splained. "Kerning" could not be 'splained!
A poster at the old Doonesberry website (one of the earliest chat areas) had earlier sought the assistance of another poster who ran a photocompositor for a living. The fellow who wanted the assistance went under the name "MIGALI" (my golly). He ended up married to an ol'gal who'd been an employee of the county prosecutor's office in Nashville TN. He, himself, was involved in Democrat party politics, as was his new wife. They were associates (if not friends) of Dan Rather, or someone close to Dan Rather's daughter. The fellow with the compositor is a union hairball in the Portland Oregon area. I believe MIGALI knew the old crazed Democrat who came up with the memo idea ~ maybe from the war ~ since MIGALI was a crewmen in the Air Force "way back when".
I'm sure Louis has a do nothing job paying 4x the salary waiting for him.
Dhooting gets. Under way soon ........check !!!
Luci Baines Johnson Turpin is the younger daughter former president Lyndon Johnson. Venus was her SS codename during her time in the White House.
Is she politically active?
And the reason for the sarcasm would be?
In NYC, the difference between 150 feet and 450 feet is not very significant. From the video I saw, that info is incorrect.
Another article indicated 150 feet above building height.
Good question. bttt
Sorry, only on my first cup of coffee
Since Karl Rove is being hounded by Conyers to testify about the AG firings, I thought it was beyond surreal, someone would think Congress would allow Karl Rove to investigate anything but his belly button lint.
That was my guess a week ago.
The 'photo ops' were mainly to get crowd reaction, not shots of the plane.
That is why the White House only released one (likely photoshopped) photo of it.
If, as suspected, this was for shooting footage as a favor for Lucas for his movie, and the flight was not paid for, then we will have a case of government equipment being used for private commercial gain. Somebody would stand a possibility of going to jail (or be impeached).
Follow the money (or absence thereof). This may be the reason for all the secrecy.
This seems to add another piece to the puzzle. Of course a new photo was needed to replace the photo of AF1 over Mt. Rushmore. Can’t have Obama associated with that group of racists.
There were no ‘passengers’ on the CV 25.
This was ‘used’ as a training exercise, to justify it ‘legally’.
The maneuvers the plane made were not the kind that ‘passengers’ would be comfortable with.
It was a ‘photo op’. Just not the kind obama wants you to believe.
The LE in NY were told not to inform the public. WHY?
Because crowd reaction is much better, if the crowd thinks it is real.
LOL
also the plane landed at Atlantic city to “practice instrument landings’ the White House claimed, come on now WHO DID THEY TAKE TO ATLATIC CITY?
and they claim there was only the crew and a photographer on board AF1, now why did the camera man need to be on AF1 for the picture of the statue of liberty?
you would not be able to tell the picture WAS TAKEN FROM AF1 you would only see the statue and the picture of the statue could have been taken FROM ANY PLANE!
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