White House aide Louis Caldera loses job over Manhattan flyover fiasco involving Air Force One
BY Thomas M. Defrank and Kenneth R. Bazinet
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated Saturday, May 9th 2009, 3:55 AM
WASHINGTON - The White House aide who okayed the $328,835 Air Force One photo-op flight around the Statue of Liberty last week was sacked Friday.
President Obama accepted the resignation of Louis Caldera, director of his military office, after an internal probe found Caldera disregarded recommendations the public be notified about the trip.
Initially, plans called for warning New Yorkers in advance a military aircraft would be in the air. Instead, the military office decided to react to media inquiries, not to make a prior announcement, according to the review by Jim Messina, White House deputy chief of staff.
"The FAA warned the military office that the media needed to be advised of the flight," said an administration source. "There were red flags."
Caldera's office insisted the flyover was a "classified" mission.
The review also discovered concerns about the plan in e-mails that Caldera said he did not open for days because he was taking pain medication for severe back spasms.
The low-flying aircraft scared some people on the ground and in buildings, fearing another 9/11 attack. An F-16 fighter jet, which took the photo, trailed Air Force One in the skies above New York and New Jersey, adding to the drama.
Caldera's ouster was first reported on nydailynews.com.
A prominent Republican official who specializes in damage control said: "This is a message from [chief of staff] Rahm Emanuel that you won't be fired for a mistake or a policy disagreement - but you will be fired for embarrassing the President. That's a good, strong message that needed to be sent."
Federal officials notified Mayor Bloomberg's office and NYPD officials in advance, but Bloomberg was not informed, infuriating the mayor.
"We deeply regret the anxiety and alarm that resulted from this mission," Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said in a letter to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
