Washington, D.C. – During today’s White House press briefing, Press Secretary Jay Carney was clueless when a reporter asked about the President’s scheduled arrival to Mansfield Lahm Airport tomorrow, which is home to the 179^th Air National Guard Wing.  The President has proposed mothballing the unit’s brand new aircraft and shutting down the unit.

When asked about the President’s proposed plan to end the mission of the over 800 Guardsmen and women at the base, Carney said “I’m not aware of the policy implications.”

In a Mansfield News Journal article that ran earlier today, Senator Portman criticized the President’s attempts to do away with the mission, stating, “If President Obama has his way, his Air Force One arrival would be one of the final flights into Mansfield Lahm Airport. Despite numerous reports highlighting the value of the 179th, and the critical capability they and their C-27J aircraft provide to our deployed soldiers, President Obama wants to do away with the mission for the 800 Guardsmen and women at the base. Time and again, these Ohioans have answered the call to serve. They must be pretty frustrated to see the president drop into town, ignore their award-winning work, and fail to give them a straight answer about his plans to end their important mission.”