And the Director resigns, thankfully, after scaring the crap out of New Yorkers. (Click image to embiggen.) From the NYT:The director of the White House Military Office submitted his resignation on Friday, less than two weeks after he authorized a flyover by an Air Force One backup of the Statue of Liberty that terrified thousands of people in New York City.
Louis Caldera, who served as the secretary of the Army in the Clinton administration, apologized for the “distraction” that approving the flyover caused. He said in a brief letter to President Obama on Friday that it “has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office.”
On April 27, a plane that usually serves as the president’s plane was flying low over the New York City skyline, trailed closely by two fighter jets.
This incident not only cost the guy his job, but also reportedly cost us, the taxpayers, over 350 thousand dollars.
Now taking a good look at the picture you may want your money back. Notice the background is not New York City, but the flat lands of New Jersey. Not a very flattering view of Miss Leberty, either. Hell, Ellis Island isn't even visible. Why didn't they just use Photoshop and a stock image of Manhattan? That would have been a whole lot cheaper, IMHO.
The rest of the story is HERE.
UPDATE: As if in answer to my suggestion to use Photoshop, here is what I found over at JMG.
More later.
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I have no doubt that some local authorities, including law enforcement, were notified of the "flyover." But, as is always the case with bureauracy and law enforcement, knowledge is power so they probably kept the flyover a secret. Of course they all missed the BIG PICTURE. Flying a BIG PLANE over New York that is being chased by a fighter jet is going to scare the crap out of the Great Unwashed on the ground! What is so hard to understand about that simple fact? It will happen again. Never underestimate the stupidity of bureaucracy.
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