“We’ll clean up the mess and change everything, just don’t touch my mess.” Same ol’ same ol’. As for the 5-day work week, just more time for politicians on both sides to screw things up more.
‘Air Pelosi’: Payback for 5-Day Week?
One of the lesser-known aspects of the “Air Pelosi” controversy is the degree to which the fuss is payback for the House speaker’s decision to hold legislators to a five-day workweek instead of the three- or four-day schedule adopted by the Republicans in the past.
Nancy Pelosi has been struggling to explain her need for a big Air Force jet to fly nonstop to her home district in San Francisco. She says she is only following the policy of her predecessor, Republican Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who flew home regularly on government aircraft for security reasons. Pelosi says she needs a bigger government jet than Hastert did because she has a lot farther to go, and, besides, the security requirement was imposed by the House sergeant at arms. Otherwise, she says, she’d fly commercial.
But Pelosi has been attacked by GOP legislators for extravagance and hypocrisy, since she has criticized Republicans for taking too many perks when they controlled Capitol Hill.
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow has sided with Pelosi. But GOP insiders say the issue has a lot to do with Pelosi’s work-week requirements, which many legislators consider a PR stunt that imposes a real burden on them getting home to be with their families and constituents.
That said, the aircraft fuss has become “an irresistible target” for the GOP legislators, says a Republican insider.
Just think how she’d be if President!
This article and the whole premise is bull. Pelosi never asked for the jet. It was the Congressional Sargent at Arms, who is responsible for security, who contacted the Pentagon. It was the Sargent at Arms who wanted an airplane that could make a nonstop trip. All the secondary crap has come from neo-con and conservative elements.
The previous speaker, Dennis Hastert regularly flew on a military version of a Gulfstream V with a range of over 6,000 miles.
http://tinyurl.com/28r3ww
All the secondary crap has come from neo-con and conservative elements.
Seems to me the White House defended Speaker Pelosi on this issue. Isn’t the President a neo con, as you like to say.
The premise is incorrect, and the conclusions are incorrect.
Get your facts right on the claims you make. This certainly isn’t journalism, and if you’re a blogger, you’be become a shill for the propaganda machine of the RNC.
Think twice before you mislead the public like this. You do them a disservice by printing the lies and contrivances of the disinformation generators.
Add all the previous comments to the fact that there has yet to be a 5 day work week, despite the promises of the new house leadership.
#4: Wow! I’ve gone from being a left wingnut with my constant attacks on Bush & the right to being a “shill for the propaganda machine of the RNC.” Who could have imagined that? Guess it’s time to post a pro Scientology story and another tin foil hat post to really balance things off!
This whole security thing is blown way out of proportion. Is there any reason why Nancy Pelosi can’t fly with a secret service agent or sky marshal in first class? The cost savings would be tremendous. There are plenty of regularly scheduled flights between D.C. and the west coast to accommodate her schedule. Wouldn’t it be preferable for members of congress to have closer contact with the people they serve rather than being further isolated from them?
#2 How did Dennis Hastert regularly fit into a military version of a Gulfstream V? Doesn’t he exceed its gross maximum take-off weight?
JT, LOL, ok, before I could rebut your #8, you come out with #9. Good one
but seriously folks,…
We could save even more money if Bush didn’t fly to Texas almost every weekend. Shoot, the guy does as little as it is. It costs something like $400,000 / hour for Air Force One. Cheney does even less, why does he need the comparable Air Force Two.
Now how does that fit that the person one heartbeat and one pacemaker from the Presidency has to fly commercial when her predecessor regularly was flown on military airplanes?
Uncle Dave,
Read #4’s comment again. He/she is right.
Whatever you do in other situations, if you post lies from right-wing sources, then you are their tool.
Perhaps you’ve been wrong in other situations and been called a left-wing-nut. That’s irrelevant.
In this situation, your post is part of a right-wing misinformation campaign, whether you aware of it or not. However, it is your responsibility to correct your errors when they have been brought to your attention and not claim that as long as you post lies in favor of one side, all you have to do is post more lies in favor of the other.
On big cheeses and commercial flying:
I’d have to agree that not only Pelosi, but also Bush and Cheney could and should all fly commercial…
Aren’t they the same people who have locked down the airports so thoroughly that no weapons can get through? If we’re safe from terrorist weapons on these aircraft, then surely we’re safe from domestic weapons, as well?
Yah.
“Now how does that fit that the person one heartbeat and one pacemaker from the Presidency has to fly commercial when her predecessor regularly was flown on military airplanes.”
You definitely have a point, but wouldnt it be nice if she set an example for the future? Instead of same ole’ behaviour. And hell, if its good (safe) enough thanks to Homeland Security for us commoners, it should be good enough for her.
And who the fuck gets a 3 day work week anyway. So you want to see your family? I bet those soldiers in Iraq would like to take a break too.
I love the spin the moonbats are putting out, that she never asked for the larger plane. You’re all liars and you damn well know she asked for it. The Sergeant-At-Arms would never presume to upgrade her for no reason – he responded to a request and you know it. It’s not even that outrageous a request but you still feel the need to lie about it. Amazing.
She wanted something that would take her non-stop that also had hardened communications. She wasn’t aware that the current military version of the Gulfstream III will go nonstop from DC to San Francisco. She also wasn’t aware that only her and her immediate staff are allowed free flights. I can’t stand Pelosi, but her requests and her acceptance of the same Gulfstream that Hastert used prove this non-story is spin from both sides of the idiot aisle.
Stop lying, moonbats. You lose the moral high ground when you respond to a trumped-up right-wing blogstorm with blatant stupidity and lies.
Fusion, just so you have all the facts, Dennis Hastert flew a military version of the Gulfstream III regularly, which has a range of 4100 miles. He rarely flew the V as the extra space and range were useless to him.
Pelosi could fly either and still make a non-stop flight in safety and with full access to secure communications. And she seems perfectly content with that scenario.
Much ado about nothing, this is.
That’s…hmm, how to say this without breaking the rules…
That’s not very well thought out. The comment is also lacking in depth of consideration and smacks of snark without being substantial in any way.
#3, gq, next time, try engaging your brain before putting your thoughts down.
This has been promoted by the neo-con media (Washington Times, Fox Spews, Comedian Rush Limbaugh) and politicians (Republican Representatives Dan Burton, Ginny Brown-Waite, Eric Cantor, Roy Blunt, Adam Putnam, ). Just because the White House didn’t weigh in on something their Homeland Security and Defense Department has been doing for five years now doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
#3, don’t you love it? You bring up that the President took Pelosi’s side and the goalposts shift yet again.
Amazing.
[[All the secondary crap has come from neo-con and conservative elements.]]
[Seems to me the White House defended Speaker Pelosi on this issue. Isn’t the President a neo con, as you like to say.]
All the members of “Barenaked Ladies” are Canadian.
But Avril Lavigne is not in “Barenaked Ladies”, isn’t she Canadian, as you like to say?
#1 – Just think how she’d be if President!
Yeah, not sending American soldiers to die for Exxon’s record profits!
How HORRIBLE!
Please point us to where we can find evidence that Exxon is taking oil out of Iraq and turning a profit on it. Surely if you make a statement like that you have adequate proof that it’s true, right?
#22, malren. Please refer to my suggestion to #3 and engage brain before putting your mouth in operation.
Two ways.
First and foremost, Exxon is the world’s largest oil company. It sells oil in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Australia. And a bunch of island outposts too. The less Exxon can get the oil for and the more it can sell it for the more profit they make. And it doesn’t matter where they sell it.
Second, being so large they can use every little issue as an excuse to raise fuel prices and extract even more profits. They, along with other oil companies, can withhold crude, close a refinery, divert product refining, re-route a tanker, etc.
Now, can you provide some links for your diatribe in #14. You called everyone a liar yet offer no proof. If you want evidence about Exxon, then please provide something for your accusations. HINT: Comedian Rush Limbaugh, the Washington Times, and Fox Spews are not considered news sources.
>>Just think how she’d be if President!
Hmmm. Let me think.
Me thinks she would spend more time working and less time bicycling and playing air guitar during national emergencies!