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Speaker (Pelosi) pursues military flights
WashTimes ^ | 1 Feb 2007 | Rowan Scarborough

Posted on 02/01/2007 4:52:01 AM PST by radar101

The office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pressing the Bush administration for routine access to military aircraft for domestic flights, such as trips back to her San Francisco district, according to sources familiar with the discussions. 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." "They are pressing the point of her succession and that the [Department of Defense] needs to play ball with the speaker's needs," one source said. The request originally went to the Pentagon, which then asked the White House to weigh in. Mrs. Pelosi's request is not new for a speaker, who is second-in-line in presidential succession. A defense source said the speaker's regular access to a military plane began after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Rep. J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican, who was speaker at the time, started using U.S. Air Force planes for domestic travel to and from his district for security reasons. A former Hastert aide said the congressman did not use military planes for political trips or regularly transport his family. The defense source said Mr. Hastert requested a plane with good communications so he could conduct legislative business. The military flights increased to the point the speaker used a military plane for many, if not all, flights to his Illinois district, the former aide said. Sources said Mrs. Pelosi's request goes beyond what Mr. Hastert received. The speaker's legal counsel is spearheading the talks.

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: perks
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1 posted on 02/01/2007 4:52:03 AM PST by radar101
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To: radar101

The Queen must be served. She must think she received a scepter instead of a gavel.


2 posted on 02/01/2007 4:54:40 AM PST by kittymyrib
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To: radar101

What happened? Did her broom throw a rod?


3 posted on 02/01/2007 4:54:48 AM PST by Anti-Bubba182
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To: radar101

she wants a military plane? OK, put on a MAC flight. She can ride in the back with the rest of the cargo (provided there is room)


4 posted on 02/01/2007 4:55:46 AM PST by joe fonebone (Either grow a pair, or vacate your chair...)
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To: radar101

Botox Pelosi can go shove it.


5 posted on 02/01/2007 4:56:07 AM PST by chessplayer
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To: radar101

Just what kind of service does the Queen of Market Street think she is going to get on a military aircraft?


6 posted on 02/01/2007 4:56:44 AM PST by kerryusama04 (Isa 8:20, Eze 22:26)
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To: Anti-Bubba182

nah, just getting close to it's last straw.


7 posted on 02/01/2007 4:58:22 AM PST by lrb111 (Minutemen - Doing jobs the White House won't do.)
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To: radar101

She can fly commerical (AND pay for it herself) just like most people in this country!


8 posted on 02/01/2007 4:58:55 AM PST by proudofthesouth (Mao said that power comes at the point of a rifle; I say FREEDOM does.)
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To: radar101
What is wrong with your broom Nancy?



9 posted on 02/01/2007 4:58:59 AM PST by tiredoflaundry (Where did I park my car????? Oh no!)
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To: radar101

I guess she does'nt have enough money to fly Southwest? She may have to wait for her next pay raise that Congress will pass for themselves.


10 posted on 02/01/2007 4:59:02 AM PST by Bringbackthedraft (I want my next President to have Balls!)
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To: radar101

This is an abuse of military aircraft and Pelosi knows it. Typically, because these aircraft were purchased to serve specific, military-oriented flight profiles, the cost of these flights is thousands of dollars over the price of a regularly scheduled commercial flight.

Perhaps Madam Speaker is afraid to rub shoulders with the very people she claims to represent!?


11 posted on 02/01/2007 4:59:26 AM PST by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
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To: Mo1; Txsleuth; Bahbah

Pop beads *PING*


12 posted on 02/01/2007 5:00:13 AM PST by tiredoflaundry (Where did I park my car????? Oh no!)
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To: radar101

Heck, flying 'Space-A' is its own 'reward'.


13 posted on 02/01/2007 5:02:24 AM PST by Grut
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To: radar101

I'm picturing one of those in-flight refueling operations, but the cargo is botox...


14 posted on 02/01/2007 5:02:48 AM PST by Made In The USA (Bacon is infidelicious)
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To: radar101

Well, the Smithsonian does have the Wright Brothers airplane just hanging around...don't know how they could fit in first class, though.


15 posted on 02/01/2007 5:04:47 AM PST by crazyhorse691 (The faithful will keep their heads down, their powder dry and hammer at the enemies flanks.)
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To: radar101
Whether or not Hastert used military planes to the extent Pelosi is demanding, granting Hastert that privilege set a bad precedent.

Republicans did it to themselves. I predict she'll get what she wants.
16 posted on 02/01/2007 5:08:10 AM PST by ryan71 (You can hear it on the coconut telegraph...)
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To: radar101
I have no trouble with it...provided it's a fully-loaded troop carrier heading for Iraq. I would, however, advise her not to take a nap.
17 posted on 02/01/2007 5:12:17 AM PST by econjack
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To: radar101

[A defense source said the speaker's regular access to a military plane began after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Rep. J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican, who was speaker at the time, started using U.S. Air Force planes for domestic travel to and from his district for security reasons]

If she is using 'security' as the reason she needs free flights, who does she want security from? The way the socialists are hammering away at Bush for his national security measures, you would think we don't need to fear a threat anymore.


18 posted on 02/01/2007 5:12:21 AM PST by RetSignman (DEMSM: "If you tell a big enough lie, frequently enough, it becomes the truth")
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To: radar101

Pelosi's staff and family should not get these flights unless they are small in number, and accompanying Pelosi, but I think it is reasonable that the Speaker get a nonpublic (e.g., military) flight home, provided she pays at least what she would on an airline. It is certainly no more inappropriate than the military officers who take the little "military" business jets when traveling around the country. Remember that even as far back as the Lincoln assassination, we had a conspiracy to kill the whole top line of succession, from the losing side in the Civil War. The Islamo-fascists are motivated and capable of repeating this effort, and of figuring out Pelosi's quite regular flights home. We have to make it as difficult as possible for our enemies to target more than one such leader at a given time. Given the very public schedules of politicians, especially Bush and Cheney, it is helpful if their travel be secured from the public. This should not be a partisan issue. (But again, we should not be providing Pelosi with larger planes at taxpayer cost, so she can bring along others who are not in the succession.)


19 posted on 02/01/2007 5:12:26 AM PST by DWPittelli
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To: joe fonebone

Limit it to C-130s! After all, their nickname is "trash hauler"! :-)


20 posted on 02/01/2007 5:14:03 AM PST by Redleg Duke (Heaven is home...I am just TDY here!)
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