Posted on 11/24/2007 1:32:49 AM PST by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON -- After Congress recessed for Thanksgiving with urgent unfinished business that included facilitating income tax refunds and providing veterans benefits, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid left on an eight-day government-financed trip through Latin America.
Reid was scheduled to leave the Sunday after Thanksgiving and return the following Sunday. His itinerary included Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Paraguay. His staff told this column Reid made the trip because of "stagnant" U.S. policy in Latin America under the Bush administration.
Although congressional recesses supposedly are "home work periods" enabling lawmakers to deal with constituents, many travel abroad on "codels" (congressional delegations). Reid's office described his post-Thanksgiving codel as "bipartisan." He is accompanied by Republican Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mike Crapo of Idaho, plus Democratic Sens. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Robert Menendez of New Jersey.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
It’s amazing that Venezuela is not on his itinerary.
Or Cuba.
another chapter in the caligulazation of the senate...
At that time, Reid's trip was covered mainly in the context of "disrespect for not being at President Fords funeral". His purpose was to warn Latin America in general and Peru, Columbia, and Panama in particular that the pending FTAs would have to be re-negotiated.
It is a year later and those FTAs have not been approved by the democratic Congress.
Did this trip use military aircraft or personnel???
Yes.
The junket is described in the article as a "CODEL" (congressional delegation). I used to fly DV airlift for some of them.
It’s not the Senate, it’s the American House of Lords.
A few years ago when I was flying in Germany, we got a last minute order right before Christmas to fly Senator Arlen Spector around for a European vacation. We had three different types of aircraft for this: a large executive C-9, a Gulfstream IV, and a Learjet 35. I was qualified in the Lear.
I had previously had the priviledge of flying old "Mr. Squash Racket" Spector around before. We called him that because he is obsessed with squash. He has to play it 3 times a day.
He was also such a jerk on previous occasions that the Air Force had to send a full bird Colonel to babysit him and be his butt boy for the whole trip. I am not joking. A full 0-6 to hold his hand was necessary because Spector was such high maintenance.
Anyway, I was about to be placed on the crew, but a friend of mine got the duty instead. So, I stayed home for Christmas, and he got the shaft. Spector had this aircraft fly him all over Europe - for no particular reason other than he wanted a free vacation.
Both pilots had very small kids too. Thanks Arlen.
Anyone who votes for an incumbent, any incumbent, is saying by default that this sort of behavior is acceptable. There are only two ways to bring about change, one is by voting the bastards out of office, and their successors too if they behave the same way, or by armed revolution. It will come to one or the other or our country will simply fade into oblivion and join the other formerly great nations in the dust bin of history.
I have lost absolutely all faith in our ability to impose the self discipline needed to do our favorite congress critters what it will take to reclaim our country and put us back on the road that brought us to the being the greatest nation in the history of Earth.
American House of Lords-Elected (A-HOLE)
Nice to get some confirmation about what a spoiled little brat this senator from PA must be.
If he is so high maintenance, then his ability to hear from the people is over, he only hears from his little man inside about what he wants.
Real people in PA should send this one home.
Know what you mean SkyPilot. Roomey had the “great” privilege to “escort” a few of these royal butts around Europe too. I don’t think European Royals demand the pampering our royal butts do. By the way, while these people are flying around at government expense (our tax dollars at work) they also get money from our counsulets and embassies to spend, these are our dollars in Europe. The royals do not have to account for it, so they buy gifts with it or clothes. It’s amazing.
What they depend on are people like you.. who say don't vote for any incumbent.. people like you say it year after year and it never defeats an incumbent. They know that if everyone is accused of abusing power, then no one is actually punished.
If you really want to change things, then one person who abuses power had to be picked out and his behavior is made an issue. Ir includes his name and along list of abuses and waste. A real organized effort is made to defeat that candidate.
This strategy has a good chance of success. Once that person is defeated for reelection others start to think that it could happen to them. The next election another abuser is picked out and is used as this elections example. If he or she is defeated, then more of them start to straighten up. And by the time you are looking for the 4th example, one will be hard to find. People who think like you are well meaning, but you are the best friends that men like Reid and Spector have. The number of people who can be convinced that all are crooks is far less than the number it takes to defeat anyone.
Harry Reid’s Junket...
how come dingy harry won’t go to iraq and see how the US is losing the war??
but always remember....he and the lib/dems support the troops!
The USAF ought to fly them down there, and then once they are on the ground, tell Dingy Harry that they don’t have the necessary funds to fly them home because Congress failed to pass an agreeable Supplemental DOD bill.
Don’t vote out ALL incumbents. Senator Coburn and Senator Sessions comes to mind, among others.
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