On page 11 of the 533 page Friday afternoon document drop from the White House, a quote from an e-mail referring to the disastrous Air Force One flyby of lower Manhattan: “3 million New Yorkers did not have a need to know.”

Page 22: “Will probably receive some local press, but WH (White House) shouldn’t catch any questions about it.”

Page 82: “The following press release will be offered when/if press inquiries are made.” Love that “if.” Apparently they thought it was possible no one in the press would ask about it.

Page 89: I think a gold star should go to USAF MajGen Brian P. Meenan, who wrote on April 25: “Odds could be remote but for your SA — NYC populace can be sensitive to airplanes that appear lower than normal or tracks not normally seen over the NYC area. Influenced by 9/11. Have seen one or two instances of civil aircraft cleared for visual arrivals that triggered inquiries to media and local officials concerning unusual flt activity from folks on the ground.”

A reassuring bit from an e-mail on page 156 of part 2, from a redacted sender: “Well, retracting from the press is one thing, but providing the representative numbers to Sen McCain is another. I think we ought to be telling him what we actually spent. What do you think?”

UPDATE: Page 159: Sender and recipient redacted. “Am continuing to read the blogs — still very ugly. Also the White House Press Secretary got asked about it during his daily brief and knew nothing. He caught crap for it as reporter indicated citizens of NYC were pretty upset.”

Page 196:, from USAF Maj. Susan Romano, Director of Public Affairs at the Headquarters of 1st Air Force (AFNORTH): “Nothing like having everyone point the finger at someone else so we ALL look like a big bunch of buffoons… can you say, Moe, Larry & Curly!??!?!”

Gee, why would any New Yorker find the above image disturbing?