My-Pet-Goat-all-over-again. Press Learns, Later in Day: President Not Told of D.C. Threat Until It Was Over
Bush was bicycling in nearby Maryland at the time but with his usual security detail and communications system. The incident touched off speculation about who would have ordered the shooting down of the plane and how closely Bush was monitoring the situation.
Later it turned out: He didn’t know about the threat as it transpired. In fact, he didn’t know about it until 40 minutes after the threat expired.
AWOL Bush part 23487!
in an “addendum,” McClellan released the following: “The President’s detail was informed when the decision was made to raise the threat level at the White House to yellow. A determination was made that the threat posed no danger to the President since he was at an off-site location, and protocols were in place to protect people in the area of the threat. Those protocols did not require any presidential authority. Given such circumstances and the fact that the plane turned away from the White House, the decision was made to inform the President upon conclusion of his bike ride.”
He also said: “The president has great trust in his security detail. He was never in any danger, and the protocols that were in place were followed.”
OK, so he wasn’t ever in any danger, but shouldn’t he be told about the fact that thousands of people who work in the White House and in the Capitol Building were running out of those buildings in what the media has billed as the “biggest terrorist scare since 9/11”?
Or who knows? Maybe he was told and he continued on his bike ride anyway. Kinda like how he was told about 9/11, but chose to read My Pet Goat anyway.
“Strong” leader, my ass.
