Get over yourself.
Sincerely,
Queen Elizabeth II
Posted on 02/08/2007 10:58:40 AM PST by presidio9
Addressing a swarm of reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to the controversy over her desire to fly in an Air Force transport plane by saying that she would have no problem flying commercially if a secure military plane is not offered.
"I have told them that I will travel cross-country, non-stop commercially as I have done and always done probably — how many times — a thousand times since I've been in Congress, so this will be nothing new to me," Pelosi said.
The White House defended the Democratic leader of the House 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.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Defense Department 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.
Republicans are taking issue with the size of the plane Pelosi would need to fly in to reach her hometown across the country in California without refueling. There are three Air Force airplanes that have the fuel capacity to make the trip nonstop, with the largest being a C-32 plane, a military version of the Boeing 757-200.
In an interview with Fox News television Thursday, Pelosi speculated that Department of Defense officials were distorting the story as retribution for her stance against the war and former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.
"There are probably those in the Department of Defense who are not happy with my criticism of Secretary Rumsfeld, the war in Iraq, other waste, fraud and abuse in the Defense Department, and I guess this is their way of making their voices heard," she said.
The Pentagon this week informed Pelosi's staff that she would be provided with a plane but that its size would be based on availability and that it could not guarantee nonstop service.
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, a Republican from the Midwest, flew in a small commuter-sized Air Force jet.
Pelosi said she would be happy to fly on commercial airliners but said the House sergeant-at-arms office urged her to continue Hastert's practice of using Air Force transport. She said she was informed on her first trip home that her plane would not make it across the country.
"I said well, that's fine, I'm going commercial," she told Fox News. "I'm not asking to go on that plane. If you need to take me there for security purposes, you're going to have to get a plane that goes across the country, because I'm going home to my family" in San Francisco.
Rep. Adam Putnam, the No. 3 Republican leader, called Pelosi's desire for a large transport plane "an extravagance of power that the taxpayers won't swallow."
"It's important we see what the specific request was," Putnam said.
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.
Actually, Tony Snow said the story was "silly" and Pelosi was being treated unfairly.
FOX headline says Bush backs Pelosis' request.
But he denied pressuring the Pentagon. "I don't need to pressure them. I just tell them what they need to do,'' Murtha said.
This is not about non-stop range or security, it is about Pelosi's desire to drag alone a larger entourage of sycophants and hangers-on.
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And having all the perks (bed, conference room, etc.) that the new queen thinks she deserves.
Be careful what you say. I understand there's a fairly large coven in Northeast Massachusetts who are looking into suing for defamation of character over using images like this to describe "Queen Nancy".
I think it's unfair to the witch.
Can we find an image of a Botox-ravaged witch?
"Uh, Ms. Pelosi, ma'am, what's this extra pocket here fo-, Oh, GROSS!!!"
Exactly.
"I have told them that I will travel cross-country, non-stop commercially as I have done and always done probably — how many times — a thousand times since I've been in Congress, so this will be nothing new to me," Pelosi said.
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Commercial $2K X 1,000 is bad enough.
Her new plan is $250K round trip X 1,000 times. She's nuts!
It's the cost STUPID.
Republicans in the House are debating this right now.....Dems using Tony Snows statement to throw it back in the Republicans face.
I remember then-POTUS Nixon flying commerical. Yes, a publicity stunt, but it was a nice gesture during the oil embargo, in what, 1973?
There ya go your highness. Spend your money instead of mine!
If she flies commercial we pay anyway.
The tuna may start to get more ripe if there's a fueling stop, and [insert NASA diaper joke]...
Any member of Congress who's served more than a couple of terms doesn't fly coach. They have enough miles to get the upgrade every time.
I supported Gingridge when he complained about having to go the back door on Air Force one which really was silly. He went on and on about it for weeks. Anyway, Nancy is third in line from the President so I think that SOME accomodations should be made and I can't imagine that the military was going to make her go below first class so she really should not have complained!
I'm sure he'll be take care of, but I'll never trust him any more.
If she was flying on the Air Force jet that Hastert used, that fuel stop would be more like 30 minutes at an Air Force base. This whole issue is bogus - nothing more than her ego out of control.
"There are probably those in the Department of Defense who are not happy with my criticism of Secretary Rumsfeld, the war in Iraq, other waste, fraud and abuse in the Defense Department, and I guess this is their way of making their voices heard," she said.
Like there is not waste, fraud, and abuse in Congress, Nancy????? Can you say $2,900,000,000,000? You have absolutely no idea how much money that is. And you have no desire to control the w, f, and a that money will see. So quit yer cryin'!
Yes, she should. Why should she be any different than anyone else in America....you want to fly, take a commercial plane and pay the price....
The President's Cabinet are the only ones that deserve private jets.....
What a moron. Of course her plane would make it across the country.
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