Why did the White House Military Office insist that everyone informed about the flight of the Air Force One backup plane over New York on Monday keep it secret? The only answer that occurs to me is sheer stupidity: the idea that you can fly a 747 with a fighter jet trailing on a low altitude over New York City and no one will notice it is mind-boggingly idiotic.
Senator Charles Schumer hits the nail on the head. “To say that it should not be made public that it might scare people, it’s just confounding,” said Schumer to WCBS-TV, his grammar scrambled but his outrage showing. “It’s what gives Washington and government a bad name. It’s sheer stupidity.”
Yup. And should the White House Military Office be headed by someone who showed such sheer stupidity? Particularly when, as Bill Kristol has pointed out, that office in previous administrations of both parties has been held by an active duty military officer?
The current head, Louis Caldera, is a West Point graduate who served in the military as required, but then went into civilian life, where he served three terms as a California assemblyman and then was appointed Secretary of the Army in the Clinton administration. He looks very much like an affirmative action appointee. The affirmative action that should be taken now is to boot him out.
Anyone who thinks people in New York won’t notice a low-flying 747 is too stupid to hold any office of responsibility public or private.
