I'm looking for info about Bush's landing on the USS Lincoln.

[brainshrub]

I need the specific info: "How far away was the USS Lincoln from the coast when Bush landed on the deck?"

[Tab]

1. About 30 miles

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A22502-2003May6?language=printer

[MADem]

2. Close enough to see people waving from shore

In today's Globe, Anne Kornblut reports a peculiar aspect of the May Day photo op: "White House officials originally said that Bush was making the dramatic jet trip because the ship was too far out to sea to be reached by helicopter. Bush was trained in ejection procedures and water survival in case of a crash. But the carrier was just 30 miles from shore by the time he arrived, and officials said it had slowed down so that Bush could spend the night on board before the USS Abraham Lincoln docks today, extending by one day the sailors' almost 10-month deployment at sea, the longest by a carrier in 30 years." http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2003/05/02/topgun/

Krugman quoted at this site:
Mind you, it was funny. At first the White House claimed the dramatic tail-hook landing was necessary because the carrier was too far out to use a helicopter. In fact, the ship was so close to shore that, according to The Associated Press, administration officials "acknowledged positioning the massive ship to provide the best TV angle for Bush's speech, with the sea as his background instead of the San Diego coastline." http://www.topdog08.com/000153.html

[lpbk2713]

4. Most of the crew was pissed IIRC.

Their arrival home to see their loved ones was delayed a day or more by Smirky's photo-op and they didn't like it.

[MADem]

6. They were, and every additional day at sea costs the taxpayers money

What with sea pay, family separation allowance, and so forth. The only ones who got to see their families on time were the airwing pilots, who flew off before the monkey arrived, and the lucky bastards who were able to worm their way onto the COD or a helo going ashore.

Everyone else was trapped, some even able to see their homes as the ship steamed close to shore--it was actually closer in for a time than the 30 miles everyone notes--they did a big loop to get back out far enough to give monkey his precious photo op.

The only good thing about that whole mess is that is spawned some of the funniest photoshops in political history:



If you can't laugh, you'll cry!!!

[lumpy]

3. Bush didn't pilot the plane

and sure as hell didn't land the plane. The whole scenario was just another Bushfarce.

[brainshrub]

5. Thanks everyone. Here's the essay I wrote with the research:

www.brainshrub.com/republican-stunt