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Editorial: President blissfully unaware during alert

Monday, May 16, 2005 | 9:14 a.m.

Last week the nation's capital received quite a scare as the White House, the Capitol and other top government buildings were evacuated after a small plane errantly entered restricted air space over Washington, D.C. Initially, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. military didn't know what to make of the plane's intentions. Not only did two fighter jets fire two warning flares at the plane, but they also, taking no chances, escorted the plane to a nearby airfield. That the plane was considered a possible threat was evident when, during the alert, Vice President Dick Cheney was whisked away from the White House to the ubiquitous "secure location" as a precaution.

What was bizarre -- and downright alarming in a post-9/11 world -- was that nobody bothered to tell President Bush what was going on as federal workers were fleeing their offices in a frenzy. It wasn't until after it was determined that the plane posed no threat that the president was told what had happened. Granted, the president was out bike-riding, but if the threat of a terrorist attack isn't enough reason to interrupt his outing, then what is?

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