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!
Which is oh so much horse pucky it's laughable. The Pentagon has given the Speaker a plane since 9-11 "for security reasons" - they hadn't stopped the practice. My feeling is that since Nancy and the Dems don't feel there's a security risk anymore, let's discontinue the plane.
And really - she'd refuel at an Air Force Base for cryin' out loud - doesn't she think THAT would be secure enough?
Does that take into account flying against the jet stream??? Going west you'd be up against head winds, going east you can pick up quite a boost.
Assume a 100 NMPH headwind and a four hour flight. That would reduce the range to 3700 NM. SFO is about 2400 NM from Warshington.
Alright, Nancy Pelosi. STFU. You're NOT getting a big jet, you're NOT going to be flying out of Andrews "just because" and you are going to be hearing from more Americans than you think there are on the planet if you keep this crap up.
You're JUST a congresswoman. You're NOT royalty. So... get off the planet, or act like a human being. You eat, sleep and yes, even EXCRETE just like the rest of us, and when you run out of toilet paper... you do what everyone else in a public rest room does... you ask the person in the next stall it they would be so kind as to hand you a few sheets too.
Good God people... this is a woman just like anyone else. And if she and Murtha are threatening the Pentagon (they are) then they need to be RECALLED OUT OF OFFICE ASAP.
Start such a stir US-Wide that they have NO other option but to shut up and go away, or QUIT.
Nutcase Nancy, boo-hoo, the big bad Pentagon is hitting a `lil girl.
What mentally ill drivel!
You may very well be on to something, dude or dudette!
I for one do not have a problem with using our Military or Secret Service to protect selected key leaders. However, why does it have to be for free? Why not charge the normal first class air fare for any leader who uses this option? That rate would also apply to anyone that flies on the plane (except crew and body guards). The same would apply to anyone who flies on AF-1 except for the President, his staff and his immediate family.
That charge would probably not cover all costs, but it would damn well limit the free loaders.
Also the number of people on board would reduce the range of the aircraft. Pelosi is asking for a plane with a capacity for 55 people. The smaller plane, no doubt would be full.
That seems a little too linear. I'm no pilot though. I thought the faster you went, as you approached the speed of sound that the drag increased in an accelerated slope and then there was a plateau. I could be entirely wrong though.
No, it would be linear. The airspeed would not change, only the groundspeed. The aircraft is aloft in a fluid. It would be cruising at its designed airspeed whatever direction the wind was.
I was thinking about fuel consumption. The main limiting factor in range.
But that makes sense now.
As You have noted, Aeronaut is precisely correct. pelosi is having delusions of grandeur that only 149,000 voters in her looney left brained district gave her in her last election. I doubt her senatorial Collegues from CA think she deserves even the Gulfstream, let her fly Commercial, pigeon class personnally sounds about right.
Considering the C-32's are much plusher than the Gulfstreams, why not charge rates comparable to international first class or even private chartered jets?
Lets start working for 2008!!! Two years of this anri-American, morally corrupt Democrat control of The House amd Senate is disgusting and the Pubs that stayed home and didn't vote should hang their heads ln shame.
Details here: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-089-DFRC.html
Long and short: Range 3,400 Nautical Miles fully loaded or 4,000 Stature Miles in the air with 12 passengers plus crew.
Washington, DC to San Francisco via air 2,017 Nautical Miles or 2,394 Statute Miles.
Other than the Bedroom Suite, Hot Tub, room for all her family, staff, contributors, etc., what's the problem?
If a Gulfstream III could haul Denny to Illinois, it oughta be able to carry Nancy, her extended family, and half the lobbyists in D.C. in San Fran with fuel to spare.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.