Air Force One Fallout Continues

It's been over 24 hours since the-plane-sometimes-known-as-Air Force One buzzed past Lower Manhattan and sent New Yorkers into a panic. We have since learned that the plane was there for a photo-op in front of the Statue of Liberty, which is considered to be the quintessential American icon. (A total snub to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.)

President Obama has already apologized for the incident and has set off on the important task of finding someone to blame. Chairing the internal White House investigation will be Jim Messina, the president's deputy chief of staff.

Messina is a decent choice, and yet we would have preferred Kenny Loggins, who seems more qualified since he was the one who scored Top Gun. (Unless we're totally confused here, and it turns out that the White House deputy and the 1970s smooth rocker are not the same person. But we doubt it. After all, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter worked for the Pentagon.)

While Messina is investigating the flight, we have a question he might want to throw into his query:

Why the hell are we taking publicity photos of Air Force One when we're in the midst of the largest economic crisis in eight decades?? Who needs to be "sold" on the concept of a presidential jet? Is the government releasing an entry-level version of Air Force One to sell to wealthy egotists? And since they aren't, why not just set fire to a big pile of money instead? At least it wouldn't terrify the nation's largest city.

And then after Messina gets an answer to that, we'd like to hear "Watchin' the River Run."