Reporter's Note: President Obama says Americans should send ideas to him on how to help the country. With a letter a day to the White House, I am step-by-step proving that I don’t have a clue.
Tom Foreman | Bio
AC360° Correspondent
Dear Mr. President,
I was so envious of you and Biden scarfing down those burgers over in Alexandria! Do you know how long it’s been since a reporter in this town could sit down for a nice bite like that? Ever since you came to town with all your “change,” and “hope,” and “not business as usual,” we’ve been jumping around like crickets in a bait shop.
So you can imagine my frustration that this story about Air Force One zipping over Manhattan just won’t go away. (And yes, I know it is officially called Air Force One only when you are on board…) You’ve made it clear that you thought this little excursion to snare some publicity shots was a terrible idea, and you understand how it alarmed New Yorkers who still remember 9-11 all too clearly. In fairness, it seems like that ought to be enough said, and presumably everyone could/should move on.
But now comes the next chapter in the saga: You’re not releasing the photos? If I understand it correctly, this photo op flight cost a pretty penny; more than 300-thousand dollars. Enough that you’d think we’d at least get a couple of 5-by-7’s. Instead, your press office has reignited the whole controversy by suggesting taxpayers won’t get as much as a commemorative keychain.
I know this affair is not something you are proud of and everyone makes mistakes. I suspect too the minute those images are released your opponents will start cranking out the casual wear that says “My President’s plane flew over New York and all I got was this stupid t-shirt.” But I think you still have to let the pictures go.
Nothing excites a feeding frenzy in DC quite like a coverup; no matter how small, no matter how petty. You ran on a platform of openness, and you’ve repeatedly said you favor more transparency. Releasing only those things that make you look good is not so much transparency, as it is public relations. If you want transparency, you have to release things that might make you look bad.
Having the courage to do that, I suspect, will make you look even better in the long run.
So hey, next time give me a call when you go burger hopping. I’ll even buy! And did you check out the Caps’ latest: up 2-0 on the Penguins! You have got to get to a game.
Regards,
Tom
Find more of the Foreman Letters here.
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God. Those burgers seemed like heaven on earth for me. Phase one of South Beach Diet prevents me from having such foods. I have tortured myself by taking my kids to Five Guys. Have you been there? You've gotta go...time permitting. Soft buns, cheese, jalapenos and bacon. BACON! Everybody loves bacon. ~ L.C.
As someone who voted for Mr. Obama, I am hoping that he actually didn't know about the flyover and is taking the heat like he should since he's number 1 but.........having said that, I don't believe it's possible for people who were not there on 9/11 to imagine what it felt like being stuck on an island we thought was about the explode or what it feels like to see a repeat of that day fly overhead. When the Federal building in Oklahome occured, I felt bad but was certainly disconnected from their reality of sadness and fear. As a survivor of 9/11 I resent the disrespect shown when any plane decides NYC is a good place to fly over for whatever reason. I hope the pilot and whoever else is responsible are made to pay in some way for their careless, inconsiderate choice. Thanks for letting me vent.
Regards,
Gladys
Mr. President,
I hope you and your gang are having fun, spending money like there is no tomorrow. While we are figting to keep our jobs, our houses, and save for retirements, you are spending $300,000.00+ on taking pictures? You also flew out to California to give a speech to the Nation that cost well over $300,000.00 dollars. You could have sat in the oval office and broadcasted your speech. Think of the carbon footprint Airforce One leaves. But hey, you don't worry about that. Why? Because we, the citizens of the United States pay the bills, so you in Washington can throw it away!
What about all of the airline planes coming and leaving from New York? New Yorkers must all be at their "wits-end"-24/7. But because it was Air Force One--well that makes a difference? Didn't a plane recently land in the Hudson RIver? Give me a break with this.
Mr Preident, President Bush kept us save for over 7 years, maybe you should analyze how he did it and do the same. Call waterboarding what you want, but it did save lives.
Mr President, When are you going to release the photo's that we paid $330,000 for??? You said that you were going to have a transparent
administration, but you have anything BUT A TRANSPARENT administration. I have noticed that you almost aways do the exact opposite of what you say you are going to do. I know that most people only pay attention to what you say you are going to do, so consequently, do not realize that you do just the opposite. Someday we all will catch on though.
Love the letter... made me think about the photos and why they arent being released... kudos Tom!
I think people need to simply chill out and the white house should have just shredded the suckers without saying anything more. People wouldn't have even noticed.
AIG Bonuses Please report on that one too!!!
This article reads as if the President's transparency promise is in danger of holding true, because he won't release photos of this fly-by. A photo of something, everyone knows happened, and an event he's express his feelings on, shouldn't hurt his promise.
Tom...your blind love for President Obama has been apparent in your columns before but wow does this one take the cake. You sound like a lovesick school boy in the first two paragraphs. Take a little pride in yourself man. If you're going to be a journalist then act like one and try to be objective.
Tom, I completely agree with you that these photos need to be released. And they won't make BO look that bad either. He was unaware that this op was taking place until long after it happened. $@%^, the people in NYC knew this op was taking place before BO did. The photos being released won't make him look bad, at least not that bad. But at the cost of $300k to do another photo op elsewhere, we need to release these.
President Obama, don"t volunteer any photos, or information that may make you look bad. There are enough people out there looking for fault in you and your Presidency without assisting them.
They'll throw the "Transparency" quote at you. But if they had their way, they would want reporters sitting in at every meeting.
Continue to do a great job, stay with the people, and never get trapped in the plastic bubble like Bush.
Hey, get over it forks, life goes on