do go look at Fausta’s brilliant parody.
And pay attention to the numbers.
The president wants to find $100 Million dollars in wasteful spending?
He should, perhaps start with his travel budget.
UPDATE: So, the FAA knew they would be creating panic in NYC, but they didn’t care. For a photo-op! And they used to call the Bushies “arrogant!”
Who was on the plane? I thought I saw something yesterday about reporters wanting to see the flight manifest. I’ve had emails from people who suspect that the plane was full of campaign contributors being taken for a ride. Little Miss Attila thinks Barack Obama was on the plane:
The only potential justification for the media blackout (and FBI/law enforcement blackout) was that one of the passengers was a very high-value individual indeed. Like, the highest. . .If people in New York and New Jersey had been prepared, it could have been a mini airshow. But people weren’t informed, and in fact the Feds promised sanctions on anyone that let the secret out. It doesn’t make sense. Unless Obama was in the plane.
I don’t know if I completely agree. It’s not an unreasonable argument, but the thing is, Air Force One is a very expensive vehicle with a lot of secrets aboard it, even in its very design. It is entirely possible that the WH did not want the information about the photo-op out because even an empty AF-1 is a true target. And even if Obama was not aboard, and -perhaps- those campaign contributors were, we would not want to see it targeted.
And of course, if the thing had been announced, people like me would have loudly denounced the damn photo-op for its wastefulness. We’re broke. The president thinks he can maybe find $100 million in government waste, but we can afford this stunningly expensive, gaia-hurting (the carbon!) and useless “mission?”
It’s entirely possible that the president was on the plane, and we need to know that. We need to know who was on the plane. But there are lots of reasons to not announce the “mission” too far in advance, but New Yorkers should have been given a heads up -say 1/2 hour before AF-1 arrived- that they should not be concerned about what they would be seeing.
This was a stupid, stupid mission, stupidly managed. And yes, by all means, let’s find out who was on the plane. Why is it going to take two weeks to “investigate” this? Shouldn’t the POTUS be able to tell us about the use of his plane pretty quickly?
UPDATE II: And while you’re at it, go read this very surprising piece from HillBuzz. Anyone know who the HillBuzzers are?
April 29th, 2009 | 12:15 pm | #1
Elizabeth, you have asked it anyone knows about HillBuzz? Well, I have been following thier blog since last September. This does not make me an expert by any means, but I do know a few things about them. They are a group of Gay men from Chicago who started the blog when they perceived the nomination for President was being “stolen” from Hillary by nefarious means. I find their opinions to be quite refreshing, as they seem to be conservative fiscally, although social liberals mainly over the Gay community issues. I find their wakeup to reality quite endearing, and am looking forward to the day when they realize that their idol Hillary also has feet of clay. I especially find the comment section on their blog to be quite interesting as many of thier followers are disenchanted liberals as well. I am including an open comment from today to give you an idea of the kinds of posts that keep me coming back for more!
From open comment thread on HillBuzz April 29 in regards to AFI buzzing NYC:
“Rumor has it, here in NYC, that the reason for this photo op was to get pictures for a book that Bo the H2O Dog is “writing.”
NY1 has stopped reporting the flight as a “photo op”. Reports are now describing the flight as merely “standard operating procedures” and that the pilot needed “practice hours”.
Barky had to know about this flight. No one takes Air Force1 for a joyride.
As much as I hate to admit this…I have to say that I am having 9/11 flashbacks brought on by this stunt: the unique smell of burning airline fuel and human flesh, the gritty, greasy layer of pulverized WTC and 1,500 atomized human bodies thay coverd our apartment, which I cleaned up using a sponge and Bonami (Thanks for the clean-up advice, Christie Toad!), the gigantic rats that one would see in the Ground Zero subways, besides the memory of watching the towers collapse in front of me and my pug and out running that cloud.
In the past couple years, it has become very gauche here to talk about 9/11. People have tried to move on.
This flight was a cruel, hate-filled joke.
I think I need to look at some Meissen and go to the gym.”
April 29th, 2009 | 12:20 pm | #2
Looks like I was finally able to log in. I had to go away from my blogroll because it keeps showing the ad and that’s what was blocking me. This is just a test post, btw.
April 29th, 2009 | 12:24 pm | #3
YEAH! I am commenting on The Anchoress, again.
I was embedded with the PUMA’s (Party Unity My Assets) last summer, and HillBuzz was leading the charge in support of Hillary during the convention. While, as a conservative, I could not warmly embrace Hillary, I did come to respect her more after reading their funny and reality-based views (unlike the quasi-religious intonations of the Obamaniacs). I am glad you reminded me of them; they will be worth checking in with over the next 4 years.
April 29th, 2009 | 12:32 pm | #4
The HillBuzz guys are good guys. They are PUMAs and were working for Obama’s defeat in the general election. They’ve stuck up (and continue to stick up) for Sarah Palin. They wrote a very classy defense of Carrie Prejean.
And in the leadup to the November elections, they started working with the Young Republicans — and look where they’ve gone with it, in a post so classy it gives me goosebumps:
…we’re certain we’re not the only ones who now have the Special Olympics on our radar because of Trig Palin and his absolutely awesome mom and dad. We’re teaming up with the Chicago Young Republicans to do a Special Olympics Bowl-a-thon fundraiser here in Chicago on May 13th — and that’s inspired by the Palins.
April 29th, 2009 | 12:36 pm | #5
I don’t know who HillBuzz is or are, but I like the article you referenced. Seems a lot of people are missing the old Bush Administration with Cheney and the president working around the clock to make sure we were as safe as possible.
Maybe Biden is the official ice cream taster for Obama? I saw them on the news today congratulating themselves and Specter for his party switch. Funny how I never saw political plays coming from Bush when he was president. He may have been inwardly happy but never had an official welcoming message for any who moved one way or the other.
It’s all campaign all the time with Obama. With the help he’s given other candidates maybe Toomey will win after all.
April 29th, 2009 | 2:49 pm | #6
Thank you for letting me in Anchoress.
I have been reading the Hillbuzz blog since before the election and have to agree with Marcia, above here: “I find their wakeup to reality quite endearing, and am looking forward to the day when they realize that their idol Hillary also has feet of clay.”
I have noticed that they skim over any negative news about her, but have to wonder if they ARE starting to see the light…
April 29th, 2009 | 4:20 pm | #7
I followed the Hillbuzz guys a little bit through the election. They did great work in exposing some of the true agenda of Obama, and his underhanded dealings within the Democratic Party. This article is one of the best things I have read in a long time. Of course Cheney is mean. That’s what makes him so cool.
I too think there is a lot more to this Air Force One story than meets the eye. But will reporters have the guts to follow the story, wherever it leads? Or will they be cowed by the thuggery of the Obama administration? I do not use the word ‘thuggery’ casually. I am from the Chicagoland area and I have witnessed this Mafia-type gang for years.
April 29th, 2009 | 5:00 pm | #8
This was definitely handled incredibly poorly; however, there was very likely valid training performed on the flight (not the photo, but on the to-and-from New York portions), for the periodic qualifications that the crew requires. There are also requirements to fly aircrafr periodically, otherwise they will be grounded for maintenance inspections. So I don’t think that the cost aspect is valid criticism.
April 29th, 2009 | 5:10 pm | #9
Regarding the President being on the joy-ride–probably not.
There is a site (I don’t have a pointer at hand) where you can listen to the tapes of air control radio transmissions. The call sign “Air Force One” is only used when the President is actually aboard (a lot of security protocol depends on that being accurate).
Had he been aboard you would hear “Air Force 1 Heavy” being used (“Heavy” means planes–all planes above a certain weight–I forget what. 747’s, L1011’s, DC10’s and such).
The aircraft used the call sign “Venus 1 Heavy”.
April 29th, 2009 | 5:11 pm | #10
I for one think it is another thing like the Clinton’s renting out bedrooms in the White House.
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