Obama on Air Force One debacle: Mistake, won't happen again

President Obama couldn't avoid a question on the Air Force One jet involved in a photo op yesterday that caused mass panic in New York City.

The president traveled to FBI headquarters this morning and allowed the press one question at the start of his meeting with FBI director Robert Mueller. According to the pool report, the president was asked for his reaction regarding the incident.

"It was a mistake, as was stated ... and it will not happen again," Obama said.

McCain

His former rival, Senator John McCain is apparently zeroing in on the incident as well sending out a Tweet earlier today wondering, "Air Force One flight over NYC, how much $ did it cost the taxpayers?"

"Stay tuned..." he said.

Costs

ABC News White House correspondent Jake Tapper produced a March 2006 document detailing the costs of "Presidential Political Travel". That report showed "flight operating costs are $56,518 per hour for Air Force One."

Whatever it cost, the director of the White House Military Office -- who approved the mission -- isn't qualified to remain in his job said President George W. Bush's former Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend.

"It was crass insensitivity," Townsend said on CNN. "I'd call this felony stupidity. This is probably not the right job for Mr. Caldera to be in if he didn't understand the likely reaction of New Yorkers, of the mayor."

Bush

Speaking of the former president, many on the conservative side of the web are saying what if....

"If this had happened during the Bush administration, one could have expected universal mockery and condemnation of yet another act of incompetence," writes American Spectator's Philip Klein.

Blame

That's what the guys at Newsbusters -- a conservative media watchdog group -- think too. The media isn't being harsh enough on President Obama opines Neil Sheppard after examining transcripts of how the story was reported last night by Katie Couric and Brian Williams.

"Is this how the coverage would have went if this incident happened while Bush was in power? Would a totally unknown official in the White House military office been allowed to apologize, and the president get a pass because he was furious?"
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