April 28, 2009

Low-Flying Plane An Inexcusable Farce

Harry Smith: Never Mind The 9/11 Trauma Stunt Caused, Does The Government Know We're In A Recession?

  • Play CBS Video Video Fakes On A Plane

    An unannounced White House photo-op of a Boeing 747 fly-by near lower Manhattan reminds New Yorkers of 9/11, reports Claire Leka.

  •  (AP Photo/Jason McLane)

  • In The Spotlight Harry Smith Reporting

    The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith offers commentary for CBSNews.com.

(CBS)  The great disconnect.

There is anger a-plenty about flying a 747 Air Force One-like plane around lower Manahttan with a jet fighter escort.

And with good reason.

Mayor Bloomberg is mad. President Obama is mad. People who saw it flipped out. 9/11 flash backs were common. But, beyond the boneheaded idea to OK it, there's more for which to be concerned. We hear this was all for a photo-op. Someone wanted a picture of the plane with the Statue of Liberty in the frame.

How does the buck not stop with the initial request?

Every time you roll an airplane out of hangar it costs serious money. A 747 and a fighter jet? Even more. Where is the person with even the tiniest bit of horse sense to say, 'Uh … maybe you’ve heard there's a recession going on.'

Apparently no one inside the beltway bubble. So we’re outraged and somehow not surprised.


By Harry Smith
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Add a Comment
by dhminnick April 28, 2009 3:38 PM EDT
Why don't you tell the full story, it was Air Force One, and how would Obama NOT know about his own plane doing this, Oh come on. Quit reporting your version. I quit watching the Today show because I don't want "opinion" I want the news. I don't care about your so called outrage...try living in the real world and being outraged because the news will not report the truth. Only what they pick and choose based on their political beliefs. You just lost yet another viewer. Want to report something based on our economy and wasteful spending, why don't you do a story on Nancy Pelosi and how many times she flies her 757 back and forth from LA-DC with only her on it wasting gas and burning emissions. Why doesn't she buy a ticket on a passenger airline and GO GREEN.
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