Pelosi: this plane isnt big enough for me!
miller8966
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Pentagon limits Pelosi jet size
By Charles Hurt and Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 8, 2007
The Department of Defense yesterday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that puts limits on the size of the plane she may use to travel across the country and restricts the guests she can bring, The Washington Times has learned.
A congressional source who read the letter signed by Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Wilkie said it essentially limits her to the commuter plane used by former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, which requires refueling to travel from Washington to Mrs. Pelosi's San Francisco district. A second source, in the Bush administration, confirmed the contents of the letter.
The Washington Times first reported last week that Mrs. Pelosi's staff was pressing the Department of Defense for an Air Force aircraft large enough to fly nonstop to San Francisco. She also has pressed to be able to include other members of the California congressional delegation, her family members and her staff on the plane.
"It's not a question of size. It's a question of distance," Mrs. Pelosi told reporters yesterday. "We want an aircraft that can reach California."
Earlier, Mrs. Pelosi did not comment on the matter but yesterday began a counteroffensive accusing the Bush administration of twisting the story.
These "misrepresentations could be coming from the administration," she told reporters yesterday.
"One would only have to wonder why," she said, though adding that she did not suspect President Bush "because he has impressed upon me over and over again the need for me to have the security that I need."
The letter from the Pentagon yesterday cites specific U.S. Code that government policy does not include the routine use of military aircraft for the speaker of the House.
"Nonstop service is not guaranteed, meaning she's getting Hastert's plane and nothing bigger," the congressional source said, referring to the commuter jet Mr. Hastert began using for security reasons after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
But the administration official said Mrs. Pelosi "wanted to be able to fly between Washington and the West Coast nonstop."
The letter leaves open the possibility that Mrs. Pelosi may get a larger plane that does not require refueling if one happens to be available in the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base. But, generally, the larger military passenger jets are in high demand, especially due to the Iraq war.
In addition, the letter stipulates that the Air Force will only fly her between Washington and her San Francisco district and places limits on who can travel with her.
By Charles Hurt and Rowan Scarborough
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 8, 2007
The Department of Defense yesterday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that puts limits on the size of the plane she may use to travel across the country and restricts the guests she can bring, The Washington Times has learned.
A congressional source who read the letter signed by Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Wilkie said it essentially limits her to the commuter plane used by former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, which requires refueling to travel from Washington to Mrs. Pelosi's San Francisco district. A second source, in the Bush administration, confirmed the contents of the letter.
The Washington Times first reported last week that Mrs. Pelosi's staff was pressing the Department of Defense for an Air Force aircraft large enough to fly nonstop to San Francisco. She also has pressed to be able to include other members of the California congressional delegation, her family members and her staff on the plane.
"It's not a question of size. It's a question of distance," Mrs. Pelosi told reporters yesterday. "We want an aircraft that can reach California."
Earlier, Mrs. Pelosi did not comment on the matter but yesterday began a counteroffensive accusing the Bush administration of twisting the story.
These "misrepresentations could be coming from the administration," she told reporters yesterday.
"One would only have to wonder why," she said, though adding that she did not suspect President Bush "because he has impressed upon me over and over again the need for me to have the security that I need."
The letter from the Pentagon yesterday cites specific U.S. Code that government policy does not include the routine use of military aircraft for the speaker of the House.
"Nonstop service is not guaranteed, meaning she's getting Hastert's plane and nothing bigger," the congressional source said, referring to the commuter jet Mr. Hastert began using for security reasons after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
But the administration official said Mrs. Pelosi "wanted to be able to fly between Washington and the West Coast nonstop."
The letter leaves open the possibility that Mrs. Pelosi may get a larger plane that does not require refueling if one happens to be available in the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base. But, generally, the larger military passenger jets are in high demand, especially due to the Iraq war.
In addition, the letter stipulates that the Air Force will only fly her between Washington and her San Francisco district and places limits on who can travel with her.
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As for who can travel on that plane, it needs to be spelled out specifically and for what purpose. It's our money they are traveling on.
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Here's the thing...does it save the taxpayer for her to have a plane versus flying commercial? My bet is yes.
What is she (and other politicans) using the planes for? Taxpayers are flipping the bill so we should know and it shoul dbe very limited to necessary trips. My guess is that it is abused by most.
at a cost of 300 grand? What's wrong with flying commercial? Like the rest of us taxpayers. I fly coach hell.
I'll even grant her a first class ticket as a concession.
No one needs to travel with thier entire family entire staff and entire entourage all the time on the tax payers dime.. Yes that includes the campaigning president too. The presidents private jet has been over used for years.
This is exactly the type of wasteful government spending she said she wanted to get rid of.
Not saying that she isn't a hypocrite, but it wasn't her choice to fly on a military plane. The Bush administration (or homeland security, same thing) decided that post 9/11 the speaker of the house should fly in a military jet instead of flying commercial for security reasons (since that position is 3rd in the presidential succession).
I do find it funny that after 9/11 the gov't kept telling people to fly, and how safe it was, but then they make this decision.
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
she should have them recind that then. Hastert should never have been issued a plane. It's just another in the long line of wasteful Bush administration policies.
Hasterts plane was a lot smaller however.
i'm reading obama's audacity of hope and he mentions that he used to use a private jet, which is so much more convenient when you have to be in 4 cities in two days, etc. when you have to fly so much, traffic and missed connections and other airport messes impact you so much more. however, he didn't use the private jet for long and sticks with commerical.
i think pelosi is in a different position with security and being speaker. and if i can fly from nyc to portland, or nonstop, why can't she?
cross the river to the eastside
She can. It just shouldn't cost us 300K when she does it. Rather $300 for a first class ticket and then we'll get her a blackberry so she can talk to her family and communicate with her staff. Absolutely no reason to foot the bill for that whole crowd.
No meeting she might have is that important even as speaker of the house. If it were she'd already be on some special government flight that we wouldn't hear about.
Commercial flights and thier problems are good enough for us poor taxpaying bastards so it should be good enough for the politicians too.
Politicians on military jets for essentially private purposes is ridiculous and 95-99% of all government matters can be taken care of commercially.
hey if it's good enough for barack obama, it's good enough for me!
seriously though, i can see the benefits of private jet travel for them and i think that if denny got to do that, she should too. however, this could be a good opportunity for her to call out the excesses of the administration and kick off a trend of not using private jets like that. i agree with you.
cross the river to the eastside
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
does anybody know if Pelosi is the only one who flies around on our dime...? I'm guessing "no"...
I think it's bullshit that we pay for any and all members of gov't travel...it's their job, and I feel they should pay their own travel expenses, just like you and me...
that's what i was thinking. if it's business travel, then it wouldn't be unreasonable for taxpayers to pay for travel since we pay their salary.
cross the river to the eastside
to and from work...?
Hey if the higher ups decided not to fly commercial just before Sept. 11/01. Why should they start now when the threat is that much more real. Real according to some.
After seeing Miller post this I thought that Pelosi would have had her hair stylist, make-up artist, personal groomer for her and any pets that would be flying, etc.
ok, I must be missing something...
ingore me...:)
A non-stop flight isnt too much of a request.
When the President (Bush or Clinton) flies to a campaign stop using AFone he re-pays the government. The leader of the free world can't just charter a jet. The President should be protected and ferried about in a manner that is most secure. That is AFone.
Do they REALLY pay it back, or do they make a Preidential visit to a state and just so happen to have a fundraiser to attend in the same state
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
I can even make a case for them using non commercial small G4's and Citations etc. and the like for that kind of thing. It's still a hell of a lot more expensive than a ticket on a nonstop commercial flight but not unreasonable. There are tons of private air services that they can use that don't cost 300K per flight. That are fast first class and and non stop. They don't have the commercial safety record and are more dangerous but if they have to have it I'm not opposed.
www.myspace.com/jensvad
what a horrible thing to say
http://www.reverbnation.com/brianzilm
Speaker says politics behind whispers she wants a bigger plane
MSNBC staff and news service reports
Updated: 12:05 p.m. ET Feb 8, 2007
WASHINGTON - Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., hinted her opposition to the war in Iraq is behind the storm over her desire to fly non-stop from Washington to her home in San Francisco.
The speaker insisted she has not requested a plane of any size, but rather asked about the option to fly non-stop. "That's really the issue," Pelosi said, "If they can have a plane that goes cross-country, then I'll take that plane. If they don't, I will go commercial."
Republicans on Wednesday assailed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request for access to an Air Force transport plane as an extravagance, though former Speaker Dennis Hastert flew in a military jet as well.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Pentagon agreed to provide the House speaker, who is second in the line of presidential succession, with a military plane for added security during trips back home.
Hastert, an Illinois Republican, flew in a small commuter-sized jet. Pelosi and her aides say that because her congressional district is in California, her security would require a larger plane that can fly coast to coast without refueling.
"It's not a question of size, it's a question of distance," Pelosi said Wednesday. "We want an aircraft that can reach California."
"I have told them," Pelosi said, "I would travel cross-country, nonstop, commercially, as I have done and always done, probably... how many times? A thousand times since I've been in Congress. This would be nothing new for me."
Republicans are taking issue with the size of the plane. Pelosi and the Defense Department are discussing letting her fly in a C-32 plane, a military version of the Boeing 757-200. Neither the Speaker's office nor administration sources has ever specifically said that Pelosi has requested the modified 757.
"This is really something that is very strange," Pelosi said, "The Department of Defense - the Pentagon - which I have been a constant critic of [on] the war in Iraq - and where I understand Mr. Rumsfeld still has a desk, even though he is no longer the secretary - has decided that they would go public about a conversation - I mean issue - that applied to the previous speaker."
NBC News reports the Department of Defense sent Pelosi a letter Wednesday night saying it will offer her the same plane offered to Dennis Hastert when he was Speaker of the House. That plane is said to only be capable of reaching San Francisco nonstop under optimal wind conditions.
Speaker Pelosi's office reacted to the offer Thursday morning, saying, "We appreciate the Defense Department's continuing concern for the Speaker's security. We are reviewing their letter"
Pelosi also took a stand on the issue as the first female speaker explaining, "I don't want any less opportunity than the male speakers have had when they have served here."
Rep. Adam Putnam of Florida, the No. 3 Republican leader, said he supported the tradition of House speakers having access to secure airplanes with secure communications in the post-9/11 era, because of their spot in the presidential line of succession. But he called a desire for a large transport "an extravagance of power that the taxpayers won't swallow."
Some Republicans have argued that Pelosi could use a larger plane to offer trips to top political donors as a reward for their contributions.
"It's important we see what the specific request was," Putnam said.
Asked about the flap, White House spokesman Tony Snow on Wednesday noted that after the 2001 suicide hijackings the Pentagon, with White House consent, agreed to provide military transport to the speaker of the House.
"What is going on is that the Department of Defense is going through its rules and regulations and having conversations with the speaker about it," he said. "So, Speaker Hastert had access to military aircraft, and Speaker Pelosi will, too."
Pelosi is aware of President Bush's support on the matter, and said, "Whatever the source of this misrepresentation - mischaracterization - I know for certain that its not coming from the President of the United States. If anything, he's encouraged me to have the security that I need."
But, she added, looking at the whole issue, "I don't even like having the security. I'd rather travel with my friends on the plane to California and get some work done then to get engaged in this."
© 2007 MSNBC Interactive
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17035721/
was like a picture
of a sunny day
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
― Abraham Lincoln
There are a lot of legislators doing this right now.
yeah and we all know what it means to "work from home."
cross the river to the eastside
What a horrible woman. Nuff said.
www.myspace.com/jensvad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070208/ap_on_go_co/pelosi_plane;_ylt=AuiCxo.6t1zIr4W2cqJPA_Ws0NUE
The White House on Thursday defended House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record) against Republican criticism that her desire to fly in an Air Force transport plane is an extravagance.
"This is a silly story and I think it's been unfair to the speaker," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
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.