The Presidential Helicopter and the I-35 Bridge

[Ferd_Burfel]

@Tuckerfan

[li]The exact specs of the vehicle are classified, so even though you know that Limo One is a Caddilac limo, you’ve got no idea of what’s under the hood. This complicates things for a would-be assassin.[/li]

No, but I know who built it.

That said, I don’t think the guy can catch a break. People get upset when they think he’s not showing a full interest (Katrina) and now they’re upset when he is.

[Spavined_Gelding]

@buttonjockey308

I’m sure they do and they have Bike One. The 10-speed (though it could be a mountain bike by now) with the kevlar inlaid wheels to pull over the package.

The short list of stuff…

1. Generally speaking, everything goes everywhere. Always has, no matter who the president is.

2. Not only does the C-5 Globemaster(s) that carry 1 or 2 of like, 5 of the Sea Kings that may be used as Marine One (hoo boy does that piss off the Air Force) go everywhere, but if there’s going to be ground transport, so then goes the advance team which consists of;

              a. A black ford van loaded with a HUGE amount of high-speed comm equipment.
   
              b. Two (very heavily armed) war wagon suv's, the Presi limo, a decoy and a license plate for every state in the union.
   
              c. A c-130 to carry other assorted stuff, on occasion.
   

3. An advance team of anywhere between 25 and 50 people (not including local LE) and a ground team (if there is to be a personal appearance) of uniformed SS agents, plain clothes SS agents, snipers and crowd dummies.

and

4. Two fighters (they’re probably using F22’s by now, I don’t know) and 2 KC135 stratotankers (one for AF1 and one for the fighters).

All this stuff went with Clinton, and probably goes with Bush too. That and probably more will go with the next President.

Marine one is specially equipped (can’t say how) and is, as someone pointed out, pre-checked for all manner of badstuff.

Facts are that the Big Dog needs to have all of that stuff and more at his disposal, y’know…just in case.

Surely no one expects the president of the United States to RENT a vehicle, do they?

Nah…

Good Lord, with all that stuff trailing around a guy could get the idea that he’s omnipotent. Where is the guy who whispers in the presidential ear, “Remember that thou art mortal.”

[Bill_Door]

@Ferd Burfel

No, but I know who built it.

That said, I don’t think the guy can catch a break. People get upset when they think he’s not showing a full interest (Katrina) and now they’re upset when he is.

I’m not upset about his interest, I’m upset because his showing up and wandering around the site at great expense does nothing for the victims or the survivors. I wasn’t upset because he didn’t show up in New Orleans the day after the hurricane, I was upset because the National Guard didn’t show up for four days.

To the best of my knowlege he has no rescue, medical, body recovery, construction, or engineering training. He could provide no information or services of any value. Back when Ivan hit one of our facilities near Pensacola was damaged pretty extensively. Did the CEO show up to survey the damage? You bet your ass he didn’t, he sent people who knew what they were doing to assess the damage, estimate repair costs, and plan and schedule the restarting of the facility. All he would have been is a distraction, and he knew it as well as those of us who were there did.

We were promised a CEO style president. Hire the right people, get out of their way, and let them do their jobs. Flying over in a helicopter going “Uh huh, that’s some pretty bad damage there” is only interfering with the real operation.

[LouisB]

@John Mace

Yeah, that’s really intelligent. Did you think of that all yourself?

No, I tapped into your consciousness and found it on the dark side.

[Bill_Door]

@buttonjockey308

I’m sure they do and they have Bike One. The 10-speed (though it could be a mountain bike by now) with the kevlar inlaid wheels to pull over the package.

The short list of stuff…

1. Generally speaking, everything goes everywhere. Always has, no matter who the president is.

2. Not only does the C-5 Globemaster(s) that carry 1 or 2 of like, 5 of the Sea Kings that may be used as Marine One (hoo boy does that piss off the Air Force) go everywhere, but if there’s going to be ground transport, so then goes the advance team which consists of;

              a. A black ford van loaded with a HUGE amount of high-speed comm equipment.
   
              b. Two (very heavily armed) war wagon suv's, the Presi limo, a decoy and a license plate for every state in the union.
   
              c. A c-130 to carry other assorted stuff, on occasion.
   

3. An advance team of anywhere between 25 and 50 people (not including local LE) and a ground team (if there is to be a personal appearance) of uniformed SS agents, plain clothes SS agents, snipers and crowd dummies.

and

4. Two fighters (they’re probably using F22’s by now, I don’t know) and 2 KC135 stratotankers (one for AF1 and one for the fighters).

All this stuff went with Clinton, and probably goes with Bush too. That and probably more will go with the next President.

Marine one is specially equipped (can’t say how) and is, as someone pointed out, pre-checked for all manner of badstuff.

Facts are that the Big Dog needs to have all of that stuff and more at his disposal, y’know…just in case.

Surely no one expects the president of the United States to RENT a vehicle, do they?

Nah…

What, no ninjas?

[E-Sabbath]

Hey, my bike has kevlar inlaid tires. Never had a flat since I switched to using them.

[buttonjockey308]

Friend, with the Snipers (notice the capital S) the secret squirrels have, the ninjas would just end up polishing the war wagons.

Squirrel Snipers…band name!

I’m sure by now things are a LITTLE different generally speaking than the way they were and from time to time he travels a BIT lighter, but if the president puts his Johnston and Murphy’s on the tarmac for 24 hours or more. that stuff is there. Consider also that the Crew of AF1 is close to 10 or 11 (not just anybody is gonna fuel and maintain that bird), and that extended public visits (i.e. rallies, dinners and the like) require a pre-vetting of the venue the area around the venue, and likely attendees.

Takes a lot to take the president.

[buttonjockey308]

@E-Sabbath

Hey, my bike has kevlar inlaid tires. Never had a flat since I switched to using them.

Shoulda said kevlar inlaid wheels but the kevlar tires are awesome, I’m sure.

[Kozmik]

@Spavined Gelding

If the President is going to be flying around for a couple hours I suppose he might need all the bells and whistles on Marine One, but for a ten minute fly around do we really need to drag the Official Presidential Helicopter all the way out to the Upper Mississippi Valley for what amounts to a photo op?

Yep, definitely a photo op.

[Boyo_Jim]

@buttonjockey308

Shoulda said kevlar inlaid wheels but the kevlar tires are awesome, I’m sure.

Kevlar bike tires are fairly common. I had a set. They push them for puncture resistance.

[Klaatu]

buttonjockey308 is spot on. At the Air Force base I work at, this is standard for any President during a visit to the city.

Slight nitpick: The C-5 is the Galaxy, C-17 is the Globemaster.

[Squink]

@Kozmik

Yep, definitely a photo op.

Is that Asphalt One the president is standing on there? It’s funny looking stuff.

[Shagnasty]

This is the lamest and most ignorant thread this week by far. Bush didn’t decide he was so special that he wants his personal toys with him. All of this stuff comes from the Secret Service presidential protection protocols and it is in the entire world’s interest (literally) that they are followed down to the letter every single second of every single day.

Whoever is the president of the U.S. these days is the most powerful person in the world with direct and instantaneous command of the most powerful military and associated weapons systems the world has ever seen. The president is always accompanied with the most elite Secret Service members that have pledged to literally take a bullet and possibly die for whatever yahoo the American public puts into the position. The president is also accompanied by a senior military officer 100% of the time with that day’s procedures for civilization nuclear war that is always assumed by default to be just a few minutes away at any time based on the procedures.

Regardless of how good or bad the president is, it is worth almost any cost to protect his or her life at all times. We all still see footage of Kennedy getting blown away and that was 44 years ago. We still see Reagan getting shot as well and how the Secret Service failed in both of these incidents. Allowing a U.S. president to less than the best security could result in an incident that could do anything from collapse financial markets around the world to starting a large-scale global conflict (see Archduke Francis Ferdinand for a smaller little historical example).

There are numerous reasons why the POTUS needs his own vehicles at all times and the cost is fairly little on a national scale especially considering the alternatives if something happens.

[Cartooniverse]

@buttonjockey308

extended public visits (i.e. rallies, dinners and the like) require a pre-vetting of the venue the area around the venue, and likely attendees.

Takes a lot to take the president.

Absolutely. I have been within 10 feet of the POTUS ( with no barriers or walls separating us) 3 different times. Twice in “public” and once at the White House. Both public events involved intense sweeping. I was required to leave all equipment and be escorted outside so that it could be examined by human and canine sweepers.

In the case of the first event, it was a small pharmacy in upstate Connecticut. Sweeping and locking down was a basic routine. ( Not for me. I was quite amazed, but it was the first go for me ). The second event was the Opening Ceremonies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

What a fucking mess. Where to start? Remember, this was pre-9/11. Nobody working that job had ever seen such exhaustive security measures. All gear was shipped in and vetted before the first day of prep on site. All vehicles entering were examined inside and underneath by US Army personnel at check points. All of us were physically checked.

If call time was 2pm, we had best be around the gates by 12:00 noon.

I’m no fan of Bush and even I appreciate the extreme measures that are taken to move him around the globe. It makes my molars hurt to say this, but he’s not a figurehead. He’s a working head of state. One is extremely cautious about exposing a head of state in public for the obvious reasons.

–shrug-- Whomever wins next year will be due the exact same level of protection.

And yes, the stories are true. It takes a hell of a lot to get a Secret Service Agent to smile. Or talk.

Upon Edit: What Shagnasty said !!

Cartooniverse

[zamboniracer]

@Northern Piper

Two years ago, Bush caught a fair bit of flak for not doing an inspection of New Orleans after Katrina, contenting himself with a high-level fly-over in Air Force One. He’s obviously picked up the political lesson that the Prez has to come in person to inspect catastrophes, even if he won’t be any more or less effective in dealing with it.

Bush got flack for his screwed up FEMA. His flyby, followed by the Potemkin village photo up where they had the square all lit up just for him, just made him look like the craven opportunist he is.

[vibrotronica]

The real issue here is why treis hates small business so much.

[dnooman]

Heh. this reminds me of a question I had a while ago about presidential evacuations. Never did get a solid link out of it.

Did a US president ever really do this?

[Tim_T-Bonham.net]

@Shagnasty

the president of the U.S. these days is the most powerful person in the world with direct and instantaneous command of the most powerful military and associated weapons systems the world has ever seen.

Yeah? So why can’t we win the war in Iraq?

[dnooman]

@t-bonham@scc.net

Yeah? So why can’t we win the war in Iraq?

Call me retarded if you must, but I’ve outlined my take on the situation here.

[Muad_Dib]

@Czarcasm

While The Usual Suspects was a damn fine movie, I find it to be a cheap shot when used in this context. It adds absolutely nothing to the conversation, and it looks like you are parroting the last bumper sticker you passed on the freeway.

I belive that his unstated message is that this is not a conversation worth adding to.