9/11 Pilot's Brother Runs For Congress

Lt. Col. James Ogonowski's Brother John Was Killed Aboard American Airlines Flight 11

(AP)  The brother of a pilot whose hijacked airplane was flown into the World Trade Center in 2001 announced Tuesday that he is running for Congress.

Air Force Lt. Col. James Ogonowski is the first Republican to announce his intention to run for the seat of Democrat Rep. Martin Meehan, who is leaving Congress to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

Ogonowski's brother, John, was one of 92 people killed aboard American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles on Sept. 11, 2001.

He said his brother's death played a "significant part" in his decision to run for Congress.

"We lost our innocence that day," he said. "It's something we should never allow to happen again."

Ogonowski, 49, plans to retire from the Air Force next month after a 28-year career. He announced his candidacy at a memorial dedicated to his brother near the house where they grew up in Dracut, in northeast Massachusetts.

Ogonowski describes himself as a fiscal conservative and social moderate.

Two other Republicans are considering a run for Meehan's seat: former NFL defensive lineman Fred Smerlas and Lawrence Mayor Michael Sullivan.

Six Democrats have announced their candidacy, including Niki Tsongas, wife of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas; Lowell City Councilor Eileen M. Donoghue; and state Rep. Barry Finegold.

[realpatriot1]

jebby_one,

I may very well be grasping at straws,as may you.
I don't know what level of involvement you had with protecting POTUS and I don't really think that's totally relevant to answering what I consider to be logical questions and you think is grasping at straws.

You brought up JFK and RR. I'm sure there were agents downstream but there were also agents at their sides as well. That was not the case on Sept.11.

Whether the missle was guided or unguided and whether there was visual contact or not, do you think he was safer remaining stationary? If anything within 1000 feet was a risk, that's a good reason to get him 1000 feet away. That was not the most secure location to fortify. If there was athreat from within,wouldn't it be better to move him and then ask the questions?

Your memory of that time seems to involve Marty Meehan. My memory is of the White House being evacuated with Cheney and the Cabinet officals escorted to bunkers and other staff being quickly evacuated to Pennsylvania Ave. and away from the White House which was expected to be a target.

Of course the President would not be sent to the street even if there were no bunker-he would most likely be rushed to Air Force One where he could gain information and command a response. If he had to be kept there,why was he not seeking information and taking action?

I only wish that Bin Laden's people in Afghanistan and Pakastan would keep him statioary while seeking information and thickening the core.

[jebby_one]

Don't you think that the Secret Service "thicken the core" and broaden the perimeter already?

No ... the SS personnel were probably positioned well downstream in anticipation of a routine exit from the school. They do a leap-frog type thing always staying ahead of the President. remember though, that's the most vunerable situation, when being moved. Remember JFK?

-----

" They certainly weren't waiting around to thicken the core when they evacuated the White House!'

-----

The Whitehouse has safe and protected exit routes and they probably also have bunkers to go to. They also probably practice such evacuations much like some places have practice fire drills. The two do not compare.

Again, you are grabbing at straws.

[jebby_one]

" jebby_one,

How do you establish a safe perimeter from an incoming missle by maintaining the President as a stationary target? "

------------------------------

Moving him would not have protected him from a missile. If someone had a guided missile they would have been able to track him more precisely if they had visual contact. If they had a non-guided missile then nothing within 1,000 feet would have been safe. The initial objective has to be to seek the most secure location with limited access and fortify it. They were already there. Considering the possibility of a threat from within everyone had to be accounted for and apprised for their potential as a threat.

Many years ago I had involvements with protecting the president. You are grabbing at straws.

[realpatriot1]

calmo7,

Well said.

[calmo70]

OK, most of the comments posted are nothing more than bias BS, left or right leaning. I am a 28 year Air Force vet and served in both Vietnam and Desert Storm. But, just because I am an Air Force vet doesn't mean I would vote for the guy. What's his views are on a whole bunch of issues are what matters and they aren't apparent in this article. I know nothing about this guy except what is in the story. So, how am I suppose to either bash him or praise him.

As far as being a Republican, so what. Are all Republicans war mongers, corrupt, etc?

All these comments are exactly what's wrong with America. Put a label on a person before you even know their views and then just bash them to death.

Who was worse Kennedy and LBJ who got us into Vietnam or Nixon, who got us out?

[realpatriot1]

jebby_one,

How do you establish a safe perimeter from an incoming missle by maintaining the President as a stationary target?

His arrival at the school was pre-announced, not an exit route.

Don't you think that the Secret Service "thicken the core" and broaden the perimeter already? They certainly weren't waiting around to thicken the core when they evacuated the White House!

I didn't compare it to Reagan's shooting or say that it was the same thing. I want more information, you apparently don't.

[jebby_one]

We all remember Martin Meehan making a fool of himself in the wake of 9/11.

[jebby_one]

" ...A few more unanswered questions. When told about the attack,why did Bush sit in that classroom for 7 minutes and why did the secret service let him?"

----------------------

I would imagine that in the interest of maintaining the safety of the president he was held in position while a safe perimiter was verified and broadened. To follow a pre-announced exit path would have been too risky, so a new and previously unchecked exit strategy had to be worked out and checked. This probably required more personnel than were immediately available so they had to wait while the SS was withdrawn from the previously plan routes to help thicken the core security perimiter and/or redispatched to sevcure the new exit routes.

The movement of the president normally involves extensive planning and positioning of the security personnel. 7 minutes does not seem like an excessive interval for all that had to be done.

We all remember the video of Regan being pulled away and taken immediately to the hospital. Regan had been shot and was still in the crossfire, and there was a immeiate need for medical attention. Bush wasn't in a similar situation.

[condumism]

"9/11 brother of pilot who's plane slammed into the World Trade Center runs for US Congress as a Republicon." This GOP Cult member has zero chance of being elected to Congress. Perhaps he should move to the epicenter of the GOP Cult down in the capital of hypocrisy, the Confederate Southern States?

[realpatriot1]

karmlimhoff,

A few more unanswered questions. When told about the attack,why did Bush sit in that classroom for 7 minutes and why did the secret service let him? His travel schedule for that day had been in the paper,shouldn't they have gotten him out of their under standard procedures?

Here's a question, especially for those who say Clinton could've gotten Bin Laden from Syria. Why did the Bush Administration gather up his entire family in the U.S.(they knew exactly where they were) and escort them out of the country with out asking them any questions? Why didn't they put them into protective custody until they could be questioned? Why didn't the 911 Commision investigate this?

[karlimhof]

"We lost our innocence that day," he said. "It's something we should never allow to happen again."
Ogonowski


"never allow to happen again" ?

That is still an important question. Who "allowed" 911 to happen? Cheney was in his bunker directing personally the war exercises. All our fighters were far off the eastern seaboard that day. We were defenseless that day. And that was the day they planned their strike. Was it just a coincidence? Too many questions are still unanswered.

[randalds]

Posted by BIGDADPATRIO at 07:54 PM : Apr 24, 2007

Hey fatdaddy, don't take it out on me because you missed the troll circle jerk in the other part of the site (Democrats dilemma) earlier today. I'm the one who said you trolls should have better communication. You know, like a tree house where you can meet or something and circle jerk in piece.

BTW, when does your fat as*....er...I mean when do you leave to serve in the war you love so much? Soon I hope as you seem soooooo eager! Best of luck not getting your nuts shot off.

[realpatriot1]

overthehill5,

Thanks for being a rational voice among the angry left and angry right.

I'm a highly partison Democrat and proud of it. I believe in the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of ignorance. We don't need to outlaw the Republican Party, we need to bring the fascists currently running it to justice.

We also need to return to some level of civility and sense of common purpose as Americans. Personally, I would like to work within the Democratic Party to make sure that the left wing idiots here don't do to our party what the Bushies have done to Republicans.

[djermano1]

He should stay on the farm. His brother couldn't stop a box cutter. I would hate to see how he plans to make America better. Loser! AF brat!

[bigdadpatrio]

RandalBS, speaking of "brainless"...."troll"s, you PROVE yourself just that (except you're a LEFT wing brainless troll) EVERY time you post a response. Your postings make you out like a mindless idiot, spewing the left wing diatribes, goose-stepping to the left wing cause, each time you respond or make a comment. You should try having an original thought evry once in a while. I really don't believe, by the way, that you could really be so full of hate and be so vile in your speech. I hope that it's just an act. If not, please seek psychiatric help and anger management help as soon as possible. I pray for you each day, especially after I've read your name calling and accusatory posts. And, please, don't respond that I'M the one calling names, etc., as your posts are full of that each and every day......

[randalds]

Posted by Superpatr898 at 06:28 PM : Apr 24, 2007

Wow! That's impressive! I don't think I've ever seen so many lies, half-truths, misleading statements and just complete bullsh*it packed into 1500 words or less! You've been practicing! Whatever the RNC is paying you to post here, well I would say that it's not enough, except for the fact that everything you post is such total garbage.

Still a high achievement for a brainless right wing troll such as yourself.

[toldyouso21]

He's
motivated to try to make America better. I
think that's the American way. We should all
think along those terms...instead of Repubs
and Dems. Posted by overthehill5 at 05:38 PM : Apr 24, 2007


Perhaps we would all see it that way if we had our heads stuffed up our nether orifices. The fact is, the Republicans have no intention of making America better, they just want to milk it for them and their cronies until it is dry and be able to persecute, jail and torture all who oppose them. We have seen enough with the yellowcake, wiretapping, Foley, DeLay, Abramoff, DOJ. Tillan lies, illegal war, removal of our signatures from the Geneva conventions, Cunningham, Jessica Lynch lies, Valerie Plame outing, Dubai Port deal, Halliburton scams and sell out, ignoring Bin Laden, Rendon group, surges, purges, splurges, and **** urges, missing emails, lies, lies, lies and did I mention lies?--to know we do not need these sickos in power any longer. They have shown that they cannot check or police their own and that given power--they will abuse it and ignore the missteps of Bush or anyone else in power.

[toldyouso21]

see it a different way. The guy see's a brother fall at the hand of terrorism. He's
motivated to try to make America better. I
think that's the American way. We should all
think along those terms...instead of Repubs
and Dems. Imagine what we could do as Americans
if there was no jockeying for first place...
Posted by overthehill5 at 05:38 PM : Apr 24, 2007

I agree with Superdem, the Republican party should be outlawed. They have done nothing to our country except foment racism and idealogical hatreds, lied and used 9/11 as an excuse to an illegal war and they gave us Rove, Cheney, Gonzales and Bush. That last thing alone is why it should take another 20 to 40 years (after everyone who remembers "now" is dead or senile) before we ever give them another stab at power. Republicans are locusts--forced to hibernate for about 20 to 40 years then crawling back to the surface--trying once more in their heyday--to devour the earth. They have to wait until all people are dead and gone because only the naive and the gullible fall for their bs. republicans are not true Americans--their goal is domination and their weapon is corruption. "Lost all the emails from the illegally used RNC Laptops " indeed.

[superdem]

So his brother was a hijacked pilot forced to crash his plane on 9/11. That makes him qualified to serve in Congress ? He's still a Republican - and we all know what every Republican has to offer - NOTHING. I'm sure he'll wrap himself up in the flag and work his brother's death for all it's worth. But that doesn't make voting for him a good idea, any more than 9/11 made invading Iraq a good idea. Wake up, people ! We need truth - not emotional knee jerks. Three cheers for the Tillman family, forcing the Congress to investigate the military coverup of their son's death. No more Republicans, no more war.