In response to a second day of irate questions about the flight of an Air Force One look-alike over Lower Manhattan, which sparked memories of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Obama administration moved to quell concerns about the White House’s role in the botched photo opportunity.“It was a mistake,” President Barack Obama told reporters during his Tuesday visit to FBI headquarters, “and it will not happen again.”
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced in his daily briefing that deputy chief of staff Jim Messina was conducting a review of Monday’s flight, in which a government plane, trailed by two fighter jets, flew low over the New York City skyline and triggered fears of another terrorist attack.
“I have firsthand knowledge that the president was furious,” Gibbs said.
Asked if the president believed if it was a good use of public money to send a Boeing 747 on a camera-friendly flight for government photographers to snap publicity pictures, Gibbs pointedly replied: “No.”
On Monday, the White House released a statement from Louis Caldera, the former Army secretary who heads up the White House Military Office, taking blame for the incident. On Tuesday, Gibbs reiterated that Caldera “took responsibility” for the event.
Former White House homeland security adviser Frances Townsend called the incident “felony stupidity” and suggested Caldera should leave his post.
“This is probably not the right job for Mr. Caldera to be in if he didn’t understand the likely reaction of New Yorkers,” the former Bush administration official told CNN.
Networks continued to replay video of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg trashing federal authorities for allowing the panic-inducing flight to take place, as well as New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer’s response to the event.
“There was no need to scare thousands of New Yorkers who still have the vivid memory of 9/11,” Schumer said Monday.
From 'Politico' here.White House press secretary Robert Gibbs announced in his daily briefing that deputy chief of staff Jim Messina was conducting a review of Monday’s flight, in which a government plane, trailed by two fighter jets, flew low over the New York City skyline and triggered fears of another terrorist attack.
“I have firsthand knowledge that the president was furious,” Gibbs said.
Asked if the president believed if it was a good use of public money to send a Boeing 747 on a camera-friendly flight for government photographers to snap publicity pictures, Gibbs pointedly replied: “No.”
On Monday, the White House released a statement from Louis Caldera, the former Army secretary who heads up the White House Military Office, taking blame for the incident. On Tuesday, Gibbs reiterated that Caldera “took responsibility” for the event.
Former White House homeland security adviser Frances Townsend called the incident “felony stupidity” and suggested Caldera should leave his post.
“This is probably not the right job for Mr. Caldera to be in if he didn’t understand the likely reaction of New Yorkers,” the former Bush administration official told CNN.
Networks continued to replay video of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg trashing federal authorities for allowing the panic-inducing flight to take place, as well as New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer’s response to the event.
“There was no need to scare thousands of New Yorkers who still have the vivid memory of 9/11,” Schumer said Monday.
