C-20 twin-engine aircraft
Posted on 02/16/2007 8:27:53 PM PST by Iam1ru1-2
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is proving once again that the Democrat label of “party of the people” is simply that: a label. Now, the San Francisco liberal is complaining about the size of the House speaker’s jet and requesting one much larger than Republican Dennis Hastert was provided.
As noted in a FOX News story, following the attacks of September 11, 2001, “the Pentagon 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.”
C-20 twin-engine aircraft
Republican Dennis Hastert was the first speaker of the House to be provided with this service, and he used a commuter-style jet to get him back to his home in Illinois. The jet at his disposal was a C-20 twin-engine aircraft. House Speaker Pelosi has requested the use of a C-32 aircraft, which is the military equivalent of a Boeing 757.
According to a story in the Washington Times, that Pelosi’s staff “was pressing the Department of Defense for an Air Force aircraft large enough to fly nonstop to San Francisco. She also has pressed to be able to include other members of the California congressional delegation, her family members and her staff on the plane.”
Republicans have accused Pelosi of “extravagance” and of wanting a plane where she could reward friends and associates. The Washington Times reports that “the Pentagon denied a request by Mrs. Pelosi to fly on a military aircraft to last weekend’s Democratic retreat in Williamsburg, a two-hour drive from Washington.”
In order to counter the criticism from Republicans and to turn the story around, Pelosi is now blaming administration officials for twisting the story:
These “misrepresentations could be coming from the administration,” she told reporters yesterday.
“One would only have to wonder why,” she said, though adding that she did not suspect President Bush “because he has impressed upon me over and over again the need for me to have the security that I need.”
C-32 Military Aircraft
The Pentagon said yesterday that Pelosi would not be provided with the C-32 which is estimated to cost in excess of $22,000 per hour to operate. In a letter to the speaker, the Pentagon’s ruling “essentially limits her to the commuter plane used by former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, which requires refueling to travel from Washington to Mrs. Pelosi’s San Francisco district. A second source, in the Bush administration, confirmed the contents of the letter.”
According to the Times, “the letter stipulates that the Air Force will only fly her between Washington and her San Francisco district and places limits on who can travel with her. ”
If there is one thing the voters made clear in November, it is that they are tired of politicians putting themselves over their constituents. They are elected to serve, not to be served. Pelosi has a long way to go to learn that lesson.
If the Troops can't have what they need to ACCOMPLISH the MISSION then this !#$%^ can't have anything either!
What a selfish bitch.
sure any of those will do.
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