The Imperial Speakership
Air Pelosi
By California Yankee Posted in Democrats — Comments (14) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants "routine access to military aircraft for domestic flights, such as trips back to her San Francisco district:"
The sources, who include those in Congress and in the administration, said the Democrat is seeking regular military flights not only for herself and her staff, but also for relatives and for other members of the California delegation. A knowledgeable source called the request "carte blanche for an aircraft any time."
Generally restricted to official trips abroad, or for domestic flights to military bases or events to which the Pentagon invited the lawmaker, Pelosi's request to grandly expand Congressional access to military aircraft is imperial in scope:
U.S. Air Force travel for VIPs such as members of Congress is first-rate. The planes are staffed with stewards who serve meals and tend an open bar. Communications suites allow members to conduct business while traveling.
Read on.
Pelosi's request goes far beyond the unusual access received by former Speaker Dennis Hastert after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. Speaker Hastert started using U.S. Air Force planes for domestic travel to and from his district for security reasons, after the horrific attacks against New York and Washington. According to the Times, Hastert did not use military planes for political trips or regularly transport his family.
Perhaps Speaker Pelosi went too far with ethics reforms that require lawmakers to pay the market cost of flying on a corporate jet. Maybe that makes all those junkets and campaign trips too expensive. Nevertheless, trying to turn the U.S. Air Force into the Speaker's official airline is a bit much.
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The Imperial Speakership 14 Comments (0 topical, 14 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Imperial speaker is correct, I believe that Pelosi, believes she was elected queen last november. She was serious when she said she was the most powerful woman in the world. Look at the recent bills she introduced and then past by the dems, not including the huge new Half trillion dollar spending bill. Those are bills give the go ahead by pelosi and with no debate or study put on the floor for a vote. She does believe she is royalty, but of course its for the good of the little people.
...and their wives and daughters were all in the habit of referring to military personnel as "trained pigs"? Now we know why America's Mother-in-Law thinks we have an Air Force in the first place.
The level of bad judgement manifested in this will lead her to make many many other mistakes.
to let the lobbyists pay for private transport? Democrats won't necessarily be influenced by these junkets, as I doubt if Pelosi and Murtha were really listening to their military hosts in Iraq last week.
"friends and family" plan regarding military transport for members of Congress. The post 9/11 modifications included covering some domestic travel for designated members of the chain-of-command. She qualifies as far as being covered, however the service is supposed to be based on threat levels and is not intended to be a means of routine commuting.
She's a multi-millionaire and can afford a commercial tickets for her staff and family like the rest of America.
Just think of her carbon foot print... the horror. Where's Al?
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
Perhaps she should take a new public name I think Agripina is available again.
Veritas magna est et praevalet.
Hastert initiated this process and had the same access as she is asking for. So lets not get to excited on this.
It should be stopped but looks like it started with Hastert.
Did not include friends and family, other members of his state delegation, staffers, etc. And frankly if you want to crucify Hastert over this, have at it.
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If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"...
Senior Writer
Agreed. This practice should be stopped entirely, but if it can't be, then at the least these flights should not include Pelosi's family and friends. Once begun, this stuff never seems to stop, though. Taxpayers get it in the neck again.
Interestingly, I remember seeing Robert Rubin, when he was Treasury Secretary, on the DC-NYC shuttle. He had aides with him, etc. but he was on a regular plane like the rest of us.
Given that if you had read the whole post all the way through you'd have noted that Hastert's own practices were already referenced and the differences between what he did and what Pelosi's doing was already noted.
So, can we all be more careful about this in the future? Much obliged.
Moe Lane
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
As long as its on a C130 or C141....
http://www.sarahandted.com/Photos/Pole04/plane/pages/knee%20to%20knee%20...
something tells me that will put an end to her request.
"Took the nickname Troll long before BlogTrolls existed..."
I don't care if Hastert started it, I am not keen on her finishing it, and frankly I didn't care for Hastert, and I don't think he needs military flights.
No matter what friends, family, and staffers don't need the plane.
But multi millionaires really don't need the taxpayer to foot the bill for their flights.
as long as they throw her out at Angels 30.
Senior Writer
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If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"...