From the Wall Street Journal:
A plane circling Lower Manhattan escorted by two fighter jets is part of a “photo op,” said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters. The event caused some evacuations of office buildings in Lower Manhattan and Jersey City, N.J., on Monday morning.
Their update said from Reuters said:
One of President Barack Obama's official planes flanked by an Air Force fighter jet flew low over the Statue of Liberty on Monday for a photo opportunity that reminded startled New Yorkers of the September 11 attacks....
...The U.S. Air Force said the "aerial photo mission" involved an F-16 fighter jet escort and one of the Boeing 747s designated as Air Force One when the president is aboard, which he was not. Police and the Federal Aviation Administration said three aircraft were approved for the mission.
The New York Post had reported:
...Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, later said he approved the mission.
"I take responsibility for that decision. 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," he said. "I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.
Note: the White House director of the Military Office said he approved of the mission. He did not say that he planned it.
Why is this important? Well, because unnamed"White House aides" tell us that Obama was furious when he heard about the report.
How many people think that the president doesn't know where his plane is from day to day?
John Stewart got the controversy right:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | M - Th 11p / 10c | |||
| Mistakes on a Plane | ||||
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