this morning's ap reports that the grafitti tagging of the president's plane, as seen in this
underground video was indeed
an elaborate prank:
It was all a hoax. No one actually sprayed the slogan "Still Free" on the cowling of Air Force One.
this was not just any prank by a bunch of skate-punks:
The pranksters responsible for the grainy, two-minute Web video -- employed by a New York fashion company -- revealed Friday how they pulled it off: a rented 747 in California painted to look almost exactly like Air Force One.
... Ecko acknowledged Friday that his company had rented a 747 cargo jet at San Bernardino's airport and covertly painted one side to look like Air Force One. Employees signed secrecy agreements and worked inside a giant hangar until the night the video was made. Ecko declined to say how much the stunt cost.
"It's not cheap," he said. "You have to be rich."
ecko even had the air force fooled:
the Air Force wasn't immediately certain whether the plane had been targeted. ... After the video began circulating on the Web on Tuesday, the Air Force checked to see whether the plane had been vandalized.
"We're looking at it, too," said Lt. Col. Bruce Alexander, a spokesman for the Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing, which operates Air Force One. "It looks very real."
... as well as a number of dkos diarists, despite the lengthy disclaimer posted on stillfree's site:
Please read the language set forth herein carefully as it may affect, inhibit, modify or otherwise influence the interests or perceptions of any end user (hereinafter "you" or "end user") viewing the preceeding video (also referred to herein and hereas as "The Still Free Video"). You, the viewer of the preceeding are hereby advised that the video does not depict a real event. It is intended for the sole, limited and express purpose of entertainment and to induce you, the viewer of the video, to think critically about freedom of expression and speech and the government's responses to the same. Therefore, and by reason of the foregoing, the producers, creators and distributors of this video hereby verily certify that the foregoing fictionalization and dramatization was not real. Furthermore, and without limitation now, since the beginning of time and without perpituity, the producers, creators and distributors of this video and anyone else who was involved in the making of this video assume no risks or liabilities stemming from or related to your ("the end user's") viewing of same and assume no liability for any damages that result directly or indirectly from mistakes, omissions, interruptions, deletions of files, viruses, errors, defects or any failures of performance, communications failures, theft, destruction or unauthorized access. Copying, duplication and distribution of this video is encouraged.
but it's easy to see why so many fell for it; its statement was both ultimately defiant — especially in the face of the current administration — imaginative and inspirational. "if a buncha kids could do that to bush's ride ..."