Hope and Fail

Official responsible for scaring the pants off Manhattan gets the boot

Air Force One flies over the Statue of Liberty in New York during a $328,000 photo op April 27. (White House photo)

Louis Caldera, head of the White House Military Office, resigned today because he’s the apparent fall guy for the Obama administration’s April 27 stunt that scared folks in Manhattan.

As you’ll recall, the White House sent one of the president’s 747s (Air Force One when he’s on board) on a low-flying mission over lower Manhattan so it could be photographed with the Statue of Liberty in the background. With an F-16 in two, the $328,000 photo op sent chills of terror through those living and working near the World Trade Center site, as the low-flying jumbo jet brought back memories of Sept. 11.

Caldera had cooridinated the event, instructing officials and agencies involved to keep it a secret. Today he resigned. According to the Associated Press:

The White House official who authorized a $328,835 photo-op of Air Force One soaring above New York City resigned Friday just weeks after the flyover sparked panicked workers to rush into the streets and flashbacks to Sept. 11.

Louis Caldera said the controversy had “made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office,” which is responsible for presidential aircraft. “Moreover, it has become a distraction in the important work you are doing as president,” Caldera wrote in his resignation letter to President Barack Obama.

An internal White House investigation found missed messages and portrayed an out-of-the-loop Caldera, clearly the administration’s fall guy.

The White House also released one of the photos from the flyover. Just one. And it said it’s not even going to use it.

Now, that’s a heavy price to pay for a picture you’re not even going to use.

Also, how’s the Hispanic community, which has complained that Obama hasn’t included enough of them among his appointments, going to react to Caldera taking the fall for this flap?

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