Seems our President has stirred up a little controversy again. A lot of people (including republicans) are questioning Bush's latest stunt of the tailhook jet landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln. Not only was it deemed "risky", but it seems it potentionally delayed the arrival of the aircraft carrier, and cost a whole bunch of extra money.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-05-07-bush-landing_x.htm

Now I have no problem with the President visiting troops and congratulating them on the great job they did, but one has to wonder about this blatant photo op. What was especially troublesome was the initial cover up for this publicity stunt:

"The White House initially said the carrier was too far out at sea to use a helicopter. Tuesday, Fleischer acknowledged that the ship was close enough."

:rolleyes:

Those are great rumors, but I've heard that it didn't delay them, and it only cost a few dollars extra.

Which set of lies do you wish to believe?

None of those are true. Just got done talking/chatting with 4 different people from that ship. It may have been a great photo op, but come on now......

Well according to staffers on the House Appropriations Committee, this marked showmanship cost over 1 million dollars. The only "lie" I've read about this so far is the White House saying the aircraft carrier was too far out for a helicopter landing.

Those sailors looked pretty damn happy to have him there. I didnt see Byrd squauking when Clinton went to Bosnia. I thought it was fitting. The President is a pilot. He actually flew the thing himself for a bit. When I saw him in the flightsuit I was proud as can be. Just more political enemies of the President going on about anything they can find. They are coming up woefully short.

What part of this thread did you not fully understand. The point is not about a President visiting troops, it's about a risky photo op that cost tax payers, and an initial cover up from the White House. Funny, I don't Remember Clinton making a tailhook landing on an aircraft carrier...

:rolleyes:

Looks as if he was suspended from flying because he refused to take a drug test.

Read

Lets see... I seem to recall that there were something like 10,000 plus sorties flown off the deck of that carrier in the 10 months they were at sea without a single incident. It seems to me that safety was a non-issue. A million dollars is like $5.50 in government speak. I wonder how much it wouldve cost for Marine 1 to make the same trip. My guess is not much less. :rolleyes:

-White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said though the ship was making unexpected good time to port Thursday, it would have remained offshore until its scheduled arrival Friday — even without Bush's overnight visit.

Navy Rear Adm. Stephen Pietropaoli said it's procedure for ships to arrive as scheduled out of courtesy for the waiting families: "They do a lot of planning, and you don't surprise them and show up (early) before moms and children get there."-

Your point? Does it change the fact he took the controls for a bit? Does it change the fact he knows what he is doing?

Don't you think a tailhook landing on an aircraft carrier is more risky than a helicopter landing? Did you notice that Bush LEFT in a helicopter? Why couldn't Bush have waited until the aircraft carrier was docked?

I missed the part where he was suspended from flying because he refused to take a drug test...

What I read; He was suspended for failure to accomplish annual medical examination. There was also a Major Bath who was suspended for the same thing. Was he getting high too??

Sure I do Sean, and yes I noticed. Was it a good photo-op? Sure. Was it politically motivated? Damn right it was. But I honestly believe that it was also designed to be a testament to the skill and ability of the men and women that serve aboard the Abraham Lincoln. He was trying to say that these men and women do thier jobs so well that even the President should feel safe enough to put his life in the hands of these sailors. Anything to make them feel great about what they do is ok by me. Plus he probably assured himself of some more military votes.

That's some pretty good flag waving there, but like it or not, the stunt was risky. Bush could have thanked the troops just as well with the ship docked.

You guys are looking at this all wrong. If I was President of the free world. You are damn right I want to land on an aircraft carrier. That would be pretty damn cool.
THis was all a moral booster for OUR troops. To me if I was on that ship it would of been a great honor to meet the president and be apart of that history.
So the rest of you winney bitches that can not think a single positive thought about moral over $$$ then go fuck yourself.

If I remember correctly once a commander reach a certain rank they lost flight status. I could be wrong but I remember an Admiral that got repremended for taking hops due to his rank.

That is pure speculation.

And others would argue that this was a risky and selfish stunt from a President campaigning early for re-election. How would have this "moral booster" as you call it have looked if the jet crashed? You can't equate the risk factor of an aircraft carrier landing to the landing made on an airport runway.

Safety is NEVER a non-issue on an aircraft carrier, especially when you've got the President coming in. I'm curious as to whether the Secret Service raised any objections.

Regardless, I don't see what the big deal is. I think the crew of the Lincoln deserved it. They were heading home and got sent back out in December (November/January?). They were stuck out there a lot longer than they originally had planned. Those sailors deserve some sort of thanks/recognition for doing that.

My brother in law was on the Lincoln and I asked him about the risk factor months ago about landing on a moving aircraft carrier.
He explained it this way. "I would rather land on an aircraft carrier then have some airbus land at an airport". He explained that the pilots that land on these ships have don hundred of touch and go's and even more successful landings.
I would think the helicopter the Prez flys in has a greater risk in crashing.

Clinton was loathed by the military. The military loves George Bush.

Clinton was too busy slashing the military and reducing our naval strength by over 200 ships.

Clinton was too busy selling plots in Arlington National Cemetery to leftist anti-war activists like Larry Lawrence who fabricated a military service record all while Bubba was banging his trophy wife.

The traitor Clinton was too busy transferring Pentagon missile technology to Communist China for campaign cash so now every American city is targeted by Chinese ICBM's equivalent to ours.

Clinton was too busy selling the Lincoln bedroom to his lefty hollywood friends and running 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as a whorehouse.

Let's face it... Clinton was too busy selling out America.

Everyday in Iraq they are discovering mass graves and evidence of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi's tortured and killed by Saddam. Everyday evidence of EU and UN corruption involving the Saddam regime is uncovered. This is what you lefty cry baby bitches are worried about?

If you want to complain about the administration wasting money how come I don't hear any of you liberals bitching about the $15 billion dollars Bush is wasting on the African AIDS campaign? We might as well put that in a pile and light a match. I guess as long as there might be sex or abortions or deviants involved, you liberal bastards think no amount of money is enough.

Your traitorous poster boy Clinton told an audience in Mexico last week that the US will not be the world's greatest power in a few years. Like the son of a whore that he is, he did everything in his power while in office to make sure that could be a possibility.

You liberals are nothing but whining, sniveling pussies. Whether you realize it or not complaining about this is making the Democrats look very bad and will turn more of the public away from them.

Henry Waxman is a little bitch just like you and they have never made an aviator helmet that could fit over Robert Byrd’s KKK white hat.

I think you and the Democrats are going to have a hard time convincing the vast majority of the American people that this visit to honor the troops was anything but that. It costs tens of thousands of dollars everytime the Prez takes off in Air Force One, but Clinton broke all Presidential records for jetting around in AF1. And as far as this "stunt" costing a cool million bucks, I've heard such honest politicians as Maxine Waters :rolleyes: quote the same figure in this manner. "Some analysts say that this stunt may have cost the taxpayers up to one million dollars." The Defense department, (who would have a much better grasp on the costs) says it was far less than that. And it really doesn't matter to a huge majority of Americans who thought that it was very appropriate for the President to honor the brave men and women of our armed forces.

I guess you anti-Bush types have no substantive arguments left so you have to resort to this kind of petty bullshit? Bush has got the Dems in a panic. He has outSMARTED the Dems at every turn. YES, he outsmarted the very people who claim he's a dolt. What does that tell you?

As far as it being risky, I'd agree that the helicopter ride is far more dangerous. As far as thanking the troops dockside, Yeah... Instead of focusing on your families and friends, I want you to focus on ME, the president. Hmmm, sounds like something Clinton would have done.

I knew it wouldn't be long before you'd pipe in with your conserative propaganda bullshit, and not even good propaganda at that. Focus now Madman, F-O-C-U-S...and wipe the foam from your mouth. This thread is about a risky shameless photo op on Bush's part, not about your hatered of Clinton.

republicans were slashing the military budget and closing bases BEFORE Clinton took office.

And Bush jr. was selling rooms at the governers mansion in Texas.

Yes, Iraqi's killed by technology (chemical weapons) sold to Sadaam by a republican administration.

Why am I not suprised by your xenophobic and racist remarks? What's wrong with trying to save the millions of people in Africa? Should we just sit back and watch the Pope just tell them to abstain? Actually, I'm suprised Bush is even attempting this, definitly something you don't hear about coming from republican's.

:rolleyes:

Just for the record there is a scheduled BRAC for 05....That is a Base Realignment and Closure.

I understand. I should rephrase that, I didnt mean it to say that there is no danger or that it was easy in any way. I meant it in the context that by % it is probably safer than driving in this case.

Plus I'll bet that these sailors would rather it have been out at sea then at the docks where they want to see thier families and could care less about this Politician keeping them from it. Ill bet that was a factor in the decision as well.

Plus I'll bet that these sailors would rather it have been out at sea then at the docks where they want to see thier families and could care less about this Politician keeping them from it. Ill bet that was a factor in the decision as well.[/QB][/QUOTE]

That is hitting the nail on the head. There is a saying that was very previlent when I was in and it is scratched on every head wall on my 2 ships it is.......FTN