Caldera Resigns Over Air Force One Photo Op Mishap

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products weightloss of 11:08PM July 02, 2010

Why not just digitally impose the plane's over a background shot of the area? I can do that for less than a buck!
Heck, give me the $325,000 and I will even make a true life video with 3D!

wowlfie of CO 8:25AM May 14, 2009

Can anyone spell "SCAPEGOAT?" I believe the ONLY time when the plane is referred to as "Air Force One" is when the president is actually ON it...How does that change one's thoughts on this matter?

terry of RI 8:07AM May 12, 2009

Just shows what happens during a slow press month. For one, the Air Force requested this photo because some general wanted to highlight the Air Force's connection to the White House because of the popularity surge of the presidency. It was an oversight for sure, but way hyped up including the price of the operation, $329,000. Who cares?
Sure 329k is a significant amount of money, but pales in comparison to the billions/trillions of dollars that we spend on unnecessary pork barrel defense systems like the F-22 Raptor or SDI. What shocks me about this so called fiasco aka lazy reporting by US media is that the plane that flew over NYC was the president's spare Air Force One jet. Yes, there are two. Why are we paying for 2 planes for the President when he/she can only use one at time?! If it costs $329k for one photo op, then one can only imagine what it costs to maintain this unnecessary extravagance. Sorry Dick Cheney, but the VP should have to fly 1st class commercial or private jet. There's simply no reason to have two identical Jumbo Jets for the president. When Bush visited Iraq a few years ago, the Secret Service sent an empty Air Force One as a distraction while the President flew in a Gulf Stream. The relatively small Gulf Stream Jet was beautiful and provided the president all of the amenities that he required including an office to fly across the world. I'm sorry Air Force One, but both Jumbo Jets should be retired and a much more efficient and eco-friendly American made Gulf Steam should be the new Air Force One. Then the American people might be able to afford a spare plan for the president.
Worse yet, the U.S. taxpayers are spending 10's of billions of dollars to develop a new helicopter (Marine One) to transport the president from the White House to Air Force One. I know that the we all want the President to look good, but we Americans should remind ourselves that the presidency is not royalty and only will be serving 4-8 years. If we cut the defense budget down to systems that we really need for defense rather than offense, and cut back ridiculous expenditures for the U.S. president's travel, then maybe we could provide universal health care and vitalize our urban areas without raising taxes.
If you're still not sold on my arguments, then I dare you to research how much spending has increased on the US presidents vehicles and travel since the days of Ronald Reagan (who authorized but never used the current jumbo jets). If you draw a graph on the spending for transportation from JFK until now, then project it out 20-30 years, you will see that something has got to give. Before any of you right wing opportunists jump on Obama about this issue, the blame is evenly spread to both parties.
We Americans literally spent trillions to win the cold war with the USSR and China. It's about time that we all started receiving our peace dividend.

Darwin Sinclair of NC 11:47AM May 11, 2009

Just shows what happens during a slow press month. For one, the Air Force requested this photo because some general wanted to highlight the Air Force's connection to the White House because of the popularity surge of the presidency. It was an oversight for sure, but way hyped up including the price of the operation, $329,000. Who cares?
Sure 329k is a significant amount of money, but pales in comparison to the billions/trillions of dollars that we spend on unnecessary pork barrel defense systems like the F-22 Raptor or SDI. What shocks me about this so called fiasco aka lazy reporting by US media is that the plane that flew over NYC was the president's spare Air Force One jet. Yes, there are two. Why are we paying for 2 planes for the President when he/she can only use one at time?! If it costs $329k for one photo op, then one can only imagine what it costs to maintain this unnecessary extravagance. Sorry Dick Cheney, but the VP should have to fly 1st class commercial or private jet. There's simply no reason to have two identical Jumbo Jets for the president. When Bush visited Iraq a few years ago, the Secret Service sent an empty Air Force One as a distraction while the President flew in a Gulf Stream. The relatively small Gulf Stream Jet was beautiful and provided the president all of the amenities that he required including an office to fly across the world. I'm sorry Air Force One, but both Jumbo Jets should be retired and a much more efficient and eco-friendly American made Gulf Steam should be the new Air Force One. Then the American people might be able to afford a spare plan for the president.
Worse yet, the U.S. taxpayers are spending 10's of billions of dollars to develop a new helicopter (Marine One) to transport the president from the White House to Air Force One. I know that the we all want the President to look good, but we Americans should remind ourselves that the presidency is not royalty and only will be serving 4-8 years. If we cut the defense budget down to systems that we really need for defense rather than offense, and cut back ridiculous expenditures for the U.S. president's travel, then maybe we could provide universal health care and vitalize our urban areas without raising taxes.
If you're still not sold on my arguments, then I dare you to research how much spending has increased on the US presidents vehicles and travel since the days of Ronald Reagan (who authorized but never used the current jumbo jets). If you draw a graph on the spending for transportation from JFK until now, then project it out 20-30 years, you will see that something has got to give. Before any of you right wing opportunists jump on Obama about this issue, the blame is evenly spread to both parties.
We Americans literally spent trillions to win the cold war with the USSR and China. It's about time that we all started receiving our peace dividend.

f of NC 11:46AM May 11, 2009

Caldera indicates the controversy is the reason he cannot "effectively lead the White House Military Office" instead of his incredible lack of judgement. This clown still doesn't get it.

TAJ of LA 11:34AM May 10, 2009

This whole thing is a PR campaign that blew up in the administrations face & the best PR photo op would probably include Obama in the photos. Thats what we're not hearing.

Tom W of WA 10:10AM May 09, 2009

Typical of Obama's leadership; typical of his thought process. Have a good day.

S Alton of NC 9:30PM May 08, 2009

The man should have been fired for such a thoughtless action. Where's our leadership?

Chris Petty of GA 9:04PM May 08, 2009

Why on earth would the "Military Office" be updating the file photos of Air Force One anyway? This whole thing speaks of more than just bad judgment or inattention.

Muser of NM 8:15PM May 08, 2009