Gato_Solo
Out-freaking-standing OTC member
or more political BS...you be the judge.
See this is what happens to some adults (using the word loosely) when
they don't have the right discipline as children.
They throw tantrums.
Is this the first time this has been a problem for a Speaker of the House?
I'm guessing yes. Why?
Mudslinging 101 - raise something that wasn't an issue before, make it an issue and blind-side someone with it. Works beautifully, cause the press just eat it up.![]()
What you end up with is a mostly empty plane flying back and forth. Still costs $22k/hour to fly whether it's got just her and he staff in it or if it happens to have a few 'friends' as well.
It's extravagant, but it's not her decision.
Isn't she just using the same plane that her predecessor had?
There was a bit in the article about the plane not needing refueling in transit which was 'safer'.
If she could make due with a Lear jet...give her one of those to use when needed.
WASHINGTON — The White House on Thursday came to the defense of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, describing as "silly" reports about her use of a large Air Force transport plane to travel back and forth from her West Coast district.
"This is a silly story and I think it's been unfair to the speaker," White House spokesman Tony Snow said at a morning briefing with reporters.
"We think it's important that the speaker of the House enjoy the same kind of security that we arranged for Speaker Hastert in the wake of September 11th. And like I said, I think that there's been a lot of over-hyped reporting on this," Snow said.
a jumbo jet that costs $22,000 an hour to operate
Cost cutting could start there.
Because of 9/11, somebody had an idea that the Speaker needs government transportation. That does not mean that the Speaker & their family & entouage need government transportation. This woman, her husband & her main secretary can all fit aboard a Piper.
She & her ilk wants the military to be meals on wheels & a private taxi service instead of a lean mean fighting machine.
Same kind of security. Good.
She doesn't need a 747 or a retrofitted C-130. Her predecessor had a 727. That's sufficient.
Her ilk-all the rest of the do-gooder.....
Cost cutting could start there.
Because of 9/11, somebody had an idea that the Speaker needs government transportation. That does not mean that the Speaker & their family & entouage need government transportation. This woman, her husband & her main secretary can all fit aboard a Piper.
She & her ilk wants the military to be meals on wheels & a private taxi service instead of a lean mean fighting machine.
Thats what the article says, but the next statement is...if it was good enough for her predecessor, then why isn't it good enough for her?
BTW...the current aircraft is a Boeing 737, which has a range of 3,365 nautical miles (6,230 km). This aircraft also serves as Air Force 2, and is used by the Vice President when he flies...
WASHINGTON - The Air Force transport plane decried by Republicans as an extravagance for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was requested by the House sergeant-at-arms as a matter of security, he said Thursday.“I regret that an issue that is exclusively considered and decided in a security context has evolved into a political issue,” Bill Livingood said in a news release. He said because Pelosi lives in California he was compelled “to request an aircraft that is capable of making non-stop flights for security purposes, unless such an aircraft is unavailable. This will ensure communications capabilities and also enhance security.”
But Snow on Thursday said the negotiations over Pelosi’s transport have been conducted solely by the House sergeant-at-arms and the Pentagon, with no direct involvement by the speaker or her office — or the White House.
Because of 9/11, somebody had an idea that the Speaker needs government transportation. That does not mean that the Speaker & their family & entouage need government transportation. This woman, her husband & her main secretary can all fit aboard a Piper.
The guidelines provided by the Pentagon say Pelosi could be accompanied by family members, provided they pay the government coach fare. The plane could not be used for travel to political events. Members of Congress could accompany her on the plane if the travel is cleared by the House ethics committee.