Posted on 02/07/2007 5:42:02 PM PST by Hadean
A source close to the controversy over the request made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for use of a military plane that can fly to and from her home district in San Francisco, Calif., without having to stop to refuel, tells ABC News that the Pentagon has rebuffed Pelosi's request.
The source says that Pentagon officials and the Bush administration have instead offered Pelosi use of the same plane made available to former Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois: a C-20, which seats about 12 passengers and five crew members.
A C-20 can make the 700-mile flight to Hastert's Aurora, Ill., district easily but would generally have to stop to refuel to complete the 2,800-mile trip from Washington D.C. to the San Francisco Bay Area, depending on the headwinds.
Pelosi has expressed concern about having to stop and refuel, primarily for security reasons, her office says. Since 9/11, the Speaker of the House second in line behind the Vice President in the line of presidential succession has been able to use a military plane for travel, for security reasons.
In response to the Pentagon offer, Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly tells ABC News, "We appreciate the Defense Department's continuing concern for the Speaker's security. We are reviewing their letter."
"I'm seldom wrong on these kinds of predictions," he said.
I am sure that your constituents are proud of you, John.
'Stay in Washington and do some work, dammit'
I think they should all stay in their home states and teleconference like the rest of the world, with face-to-face meetings at agreed upon intervals.
Of course,I also think that there should be a limit on how far ahead of an election, campaigning can begin. I think 3-6 months for POTUS is long enough for anyone to get his/her points across, and the remaining time they can actually be doing the people's work, should they be in elected positions anyway.
If not they can continue with their day jobs, and then campaign and debate like crazy for a limited time.
This whole business of announcing 18 months before an election is nuts.
A C-20, like Hastert used, has a range of well over 4,000 miles. DC to SF is 2650 miles
If she wanted something with range, the C-37A has more range than the big plane she asked for. But it only seats 12, so that's unacceptable.
The real issue is that Pelosi wants to flay a huge entourage around in her own 757 (which is what she's asking for)
The C-20 has all the range she needs. For longer range, they could offer the C-37A (but which has the same 12 seats as the C-20 she rejected)
Pelosi never makes direct requests. She delegates that to her servants
And as I noted earlier in this thread, the C-20 has more than enough range to go DC-SF
: )
I would prefer she take the canoe, I am sure it is plenty secure for the witch.
"This whole business of announcing 18 months before an election is nuts."
Even the announcements are becoming a joke. Now the media comes out in advance and says, "XXX will announce tomorrow" which makes the announcement irrelevant.
Oh-Oh wait for the tantrum to begin!
LOL!
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