Not of his character. He has shown us how he leads and that is hiding behind other. I would hope as it get tougher he realizes he alone shoulders the responsibility of the job. In my business we have a saying among the people running work and that is you need to have broad shoulders to run the jobs, the risk is all yours and that is just how it is. Win as a team and lose all alone. Remember in the real world you are only as good as the last job you did.viking1965 said:
Air Force One Buzzes Ground Zero
- Thread starter ig-88
- Start date
Who has he hidden behind????papasmerf said:
He has acknowledged from day one that it is he who must shoulder the burden.
The guy who screwed up, to his credit, stepped up and admitted his mistake, and apologized, of his own volition.
Obama then subsequently admitted that mistakes were made and that it wouldn't happen again, ostensibly before cutting this guys nuts off, in private.
Or would you have us believe that Obama forced the underling to "fall on his sword"?
Noviking1965 said:
I would have accepted Obama saying he is responsible for what his staffers do. And when this man "stepped up" Obama should have stepped up and told the man to sit down. That is what a leader does.
Here's what Obama said....I have added the words in parentheses but they can easily be inferred by any rational person.papasmerf said:
"(I admit that) Mistakes were made".
"(I will see to it that) They won't happen again"
He has taken responsibility for the act that occurred as well as any such acts that might occur in the future.
My understanding is that the underling made the apology of his own volition, before Obama would have had a chance to "tell him to sit down". Regardless, as I said earlier, a good leader lets his "lieutenants" live and die with their own autonomous decisions, publicly rewarding them for the good, and privately counseling (but not punishing) on the bad. Too many "bads", and out the door you go.
I don't recall Obama saying anything to the effect of, "My Secretary for Military Affairs is a fucktard! I don't know what he was thinking!" That would be "throwing somebody under the bus".
It would be a completely different story if Obama had known about the fly-by, permitted it to go on, and then blamed the underling for planning it.
This is not, however, what happened.
So you've ostensibly given up on the argument over whether he acted appropriately; but you are now accusing those actions/words of being insincere/dishonest, without any evidence of such.papasmerf said:
Thank you for playing.
White House Military Office Director Resigns
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/after-air-force-one-flyover-military-office-director-resigns/?hp
After Flyover of Air Force One Backup, Military Office Director Resigns
By Jeff Zeleny
The director of the White House Military Office submitted his resignation on Friday, less than two weeks after he authorized a flyover by an Air Force One backup of the Statue of Liberty that terrified thousands of people in New York City.
Louis Caldera, who served as the secretary of the Army in the Clinton administration, apologized for the “distraction” that approving the flyover caused. He said in a brief letter to President Obama on Friday that it “has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office.”
On April 27, a plane that usually serves as the president’s plane was flying low over the New York City skyline, trailed closely by two fighter jets. It was a photo opportunity – authorized by several government officials, including Mr. Caldera – that infuriated Mr. Obama.
Last week, Mr. Obama ordered a deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, to review the incident. And on Friday afternoon, a seven-page review of the matter was released, along with the photograph.
Mr. Messina, in his memorandum to the president, said that “structural and organizational ambiguities” in the White House Military Office led to a series of miscommunications and senior aides to the president were not advised of the flyover that had been in the planning stages since March.
“The breakdown was the lack of public notification,” the memorandum states, adding that Mr. Caldera believed others had been notified about the flight.
“If he had been aware that the flight would cause so much trouble or any embarrassment to the president or to the White House,” the report said, “he never would have allowed it to go forward.”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/after-air-force-one-flyover-military-office-director-resigns/?hp
After Flyover of Air Force One Backup, Military Office Director Resigns
By Jeff Zeleny
The director of the White House Military Office submitted his resignation on Friday, less than two weeks after he authorized a flyover by an Air Force One backup of the Statue of Liberty that terrified thousands of people in New York City.
Louis Caldera, who served as the secretary of the Army in the Clinton administration, apologized for the “distraction” that approving the flyover caused. He said in a brief letter to President Obama on Friday that it “has made it impossible for me to effectively lead the White House Military Office.”
On April 27, a plane that usually serves as the president’s plane was flying low over the New York City skyline, trailed closely by two fighter jets. It was a photo opportunity – authorized by several government officials, including Mr. Caldera – that infuriated Mr. Obama.
Last week, Mr. Obama ordered a deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, to review the incident. And on Friday afternoon, a seven-page review of the matter was released, along with the photograph.
Mr. Messina, in his memorandum to the president, said that “structural and organizational ambiguities” in the White House Military Office led to a series of miscommunications and senior aides to the president were not advised of the flyover that had been in the planning stages since March.
“The breakdown was the lack of public notification,” the memorandum states, adding that Mr. Caldera believed others had been notified about the flight.
“If he had been aware that the flight would cause so much trouble or any embarrassment to the president or to the White House,” the report said, “he never would have allowed it to go forward.”
Cost of Air Force One Flyover
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30643376/
... "Caldera's office approved the photo-op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts. The Air Force estimated the photo shoot cost taxpayers $328,835." ...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30643376/
... "Caldera's office approved the photo-op, which cost $35,000 in fuel alone for the plane and two jet fighter escorts. The Air Force estimated the photo shoot cost taxpayers $328,835." ...
Although, I can understand why there was the sort of mass hysteria that overtook people in New York. At the same time this episode goes to show what a lack of knowledge of the military many people have anymore since the end of both universal service and the tradition that many University graduates spend at least a few years in the military before launching out into civilian careers.
As I mentioned before (#2) that the aircraft which was painted in the quite distinctive manner of 89th Airlift Wing aircraft was quite visible in most photographs, and the F-16 was clearly in an escort rather than a pursuit position.
As I mentioned before (#2) that the aircraft which was painted in the quite distinctive manner of 89th Airlift Wing aircraft was quite visible in most photographs, and the F-16 was clearly in an escort rather than a pursuit position.
LOL!Aardvark154 said:
Seems clear to the sane amongst us.
However some remain utterly as befuddled as a Limbaugh lemming on an OxyContin high as they grasp at straws creating lil Rovian style 'turd blossoms' over this!....
