Posted on 02/09/2007 9:17:55 AM PST by Jean S
I thought this woman was supposed to be a shrewd political operative. Sure isn't looking that way lately. How could a super-political like Nancy Pelosi let this kafuffle over how she gets back and forth to her home district get so out of control?
The story is really a bit pathetic, and it just won't go away! Nancy Pelosi wants the Pentagon to fly her back and forth between Washington and San Francisco. Fine, that' s fair. Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert had access to a Pentagon Gulfstream III to fly him back and forth to Illinois. Good enough for him, good enough for her.
But wait! Evidently that isn't good enough for her? Princess Nancy wants a bigger plane! She wants a 757! Something, I think, about being able to fly non-stop to San Francisco. Well, the G-III is fully capable of that mission ... if, that is, the airplane isn't loaded down with an entourage. But evidently that is what Pelosi wants! She wants friends, family members and other members of the California delegation to be able to fly with her! More people, less fuel. Less fuel, less range. Oops! Now she needs a 757? And don't forget her wealthy friends in the tuna industry! They might want a ride too!
She even delivered a backhanded suggestion that she was being discriminated against because she's a woman. Then she suggested that Don Rumsfeld may be behind the Pentagon's turn-down of the 757 request.
Now Pelosi says she is even said willing to fly commercial, as long as it was a direct (I think she means non-stop) flight. Here's an idea...why not take her up on that? Wait! I think I see the problem here. There are no non-stop flights between Washington-Reagan and San Francisco. That means Nancy might have to go to Dulles airport. Well ... there is one flight from Dulles to San Francisco that I could find, but then any self-respecting congressman just flat-out doesn't want to have to go to Dulles to catch a flight. Andrews Air Force Base is MUCH closer.
And then .. in the middle of this whole mess .. we have John Murtha spouting off! You remember Murtha, don't you? He's the man who has been slamming our troops in Iraq .. accusing them of killing Iraqi civilians "in cold blood." Well now this Democrat hero is dropping dark hints that funding for the Pentagon may suffer if they don't cave and hand Nancy her 757! Come on, folks. Can you believe this? We have a Democrat congressman ... a congressman that was being considered for the position of House Majority Leader ... virtually threatening the our military with a loss of funding if they don't give his benefactor, Nancy Pelosi, a nice plush 757 to fly back and forth from DC to San Francisco!
Imagine how much fun this is all going to be when they increase their control of the Congress and get The Hildabeast in the White House!
Is this what she said? If so, how could she have such a tin political ear? Newt with the book deal is a political genius in comparison.
Better ramp up production of 757's. Looks like we're gonna need a bigger boat!
"Dennis Hastert had access to a Pentagon Gulfstream III"
I don't see why a couple of extra fuel tanks couldn't be mounted to extend the range of Hasterts old plane. The military does this all the time on just about any aircraft they use.
Pelosi is just full of herself.....I suppose that if she gets a big plane she'll want to call it Air Force III, and have it painted to resemble AF-I and AF-II, the Prez and Veeps planes.
I hope Nancy keeps defending herself. She is doing a terrible job.
Nancy Pelosi, Ted Stevens, Condi Rice, Henry Paulson, Robert Gates, Alberto Gonzales, Dirk Kempthorne, Mike Johanns, Carlos Gutierrez, Elaine Chao, Mike Leavitt, Alphonso Jackson, Mary Peters, Samuel Bodman, Margaret Spellings, Jim Nicholson, and Michael Chertoff.
Did I miss anyone?
It only costs about 22,000 dollars an hour.
They can run the printing press a very short time to cover this bill!
I have taken flights from Dulles to San Fran many times. It's a cakewalk.
Pelosi Galore could get to Dulles in a wink because of her security detail.
From http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=237
"G-III - Max cruising speed 928km/h (500kt), economical cruising speed 818km/h (442kt). Initial rate of climb 3800ft/min. Max operating ceiling 45,000ft. Range with eight passengers and reserves 7600km (4100nm)."
Sounds good enough. 4,100 nautical miles = 4,718.19574 miles.
What I was really hoping for was for her to do the politically espedient thing and "accept" the GIII with refueling stops. And then when the jet lands to refuel it suddenly develop "mechanical" problems-requiring some service and attention-about 6 hours worth-every freakin' trip. I'm sure that the speaker wouldn't mind rubbing elbows with our military 10 or 12 hours every weekend-while the "muffler bearings" or "disgronafactor" got repaired.
Unless that would cause the plane to exceed its maximum takeoff weight.
If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.
There is no good reason for taxpayers to foot the bill for private, catered flights for any members of Congress. These people should fly on the same commercial flights the rest of us use at their own expense - never mind the lame rationales about the House Speaker's position in the line of succession if anything happens to the president. Members of Congress are elected representatives of the people, not US aristocracy.
Pelosi Galore and her Flying Circus..
Let it be clear that there is no evidence that when Nancy talks about "commercial", she does NOT mean COACH!
Isn't Nancypants worried about her carbon footprint?
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