Pelosi flies disputed plane home

will Fox be tracking the flight live?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/02/10/BAGEVO2E271.DTL&type=politics

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the subject of Republican criticism for her mode of air travel, flew home nonstop Thursday night aboard a 12-seat military aircraft set aside for use by lawmakers.

Republican House members, aided by friendly radio and television talk show hosts, created a political tempest this week, claiming Pelosi was pressuring the Pentagon for the use of an "Air Force Three" and a "flying Lincoln Bedroom." Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, however, the administration has required the speaker -- then Republican Dennis Hastert of Illinois -- to travel home and on official business using military planes for security reasons.

House Sergeant at Arms Bill Livingood said he had asked the Pentagon to provide a plane large enough to fly Pelosi nonstop to San Francisco, citing the security concerns.

Even the White House defended the Democratic speaker. The president's spokesman, Tony Snow, on Thursday called the criticism "unfair" and the flap "a silly story."

more...

Pentagon leaks misleading info on Pelosi's plane.

Is someone trying to tell Pelosi something?

This is a tactic for Republcians to change the subject from Iraq. What about the 12 billion $ missing from Iraq contracts?

Even if Pelosi were to waste our taxes by 00,000 dollars, it would still be a drop in the bucket compared to the boyfriend deals CEOs get from the pro-corporate Republicans in their "old boys' club."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070208-115704-7410r.htm

Pelosi quote:


This, of course, begs a larger question -- Why does Rumsfeld still have a desk at the Pentagon?

why Rumsfelds dismissal for poor performance is still working at the Department of Defense?

From the article:

Pelosi flew nonstop from the nation's capital to San Francisco to attend the funeral services of the late Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy aboard a C-37A, the military's version of a Gulfstream V that can travel 6,300 miles. It is one of the planes used regularly by Hastert, Pelosi's office and the Pentagon said.
(snip)

From google images:

They slap a diaper on the islamixc put a MILITARY OD SANDBAG bag on his head, with hand and leg cuffs and he is good to go


to one of the Russian states for a little WATERBOARD INTERROGATION.

It might give her something to think even harder about on her trips back and forth.

I do not know how some people get their jobs. *sigh*

I occasionally fly one.

Sure know how to live.

It's somewhat smaller than Air Force One:

Lands it on an aircraft carrier!

GO NANCY!!!

no mission accomplished painted on the side of it.

The disputed plane was a C40 with a crew of 16, which was one of several planes made available to Pelosi for flying cross country. So the media STILL has it wrong.

because in fact the Gulfstream V (it may have been a III) has a larger range! (There is a dispute, because the military uses both plane models. However, both of them are capable of the trip.)


The Gulfstream (either model) can beat the 737 by 2000 nautical miles in the range category.

Only access to any and all planes that could make the trip non-stop. However, she STILL isn't flying in the plan the Repubicans chose to turn into a dispute, regardless of her not asking to fly in any specific plane to begin with.

:eyes:

and some special radio thing-ies ;) In case of a whopper, they need to be able to get hold of the lady and she, the brass.

But I seriously doubt they have a 'communication officer' if there is any such thing...there wasn't when I was in the USAF but who knows about nowadays. I'm sure all the military Gulfstreams have secure satellite phones, it's fairly common and relatively cheap these days. ;-)

When will we ever learn that the right wing LIES about Democrats? They do it all the time -- they are a lie machine that cranks it out 24/7.

Any statement the RW and their media shills make about any Democrat needs to be thoroughly investigated before any DUer posts an outraged statement.

Hekate

:argh:

sent their junior hatchet men and hags onto the house floor,to demonize Speaker Pelosi.What a rag tag bunch of whiners.

and seize their assets for the public good?

Free the public airwaves for useful public debate?

And get rid of these royal fuckheads in the White House?

God, it's so embarrassing--not to mention terrifying--to have to depend on Vladimir Putin to speak the truth about these gangsters. They have made us into a rogue state, and unfortunately we, the people, are the ones who are going to pay the price, when the world gets good and fed up with them and crashes the US dollar.

And all our rogue corporate news monopolies can talk about is what plane Nancy Pelosi uses? And they fill the "news" with this, while these criminals in the White House plan Armageddon the Middle East, and loot us blind, and the nations of the world stand back, utterly appalled?

I don't know, friends. Restoring democracy in the U.S. in these circumstances is a difficult, long term project--but I am wondering today if we have the luxury of time. I have always been against "knight in shining armor" thinking--that some presidential candidate is going to save us. I have always said we have to save ourselves. That's what democracy IS. But they've really got us hemmed in, with drivel like this on the airwaves, and several kinds of complete catastrophe staring us in the face.

I don't know what to say. I am so appalled myself that these corporate news monopolies and their 5 billionaire CEOs think they can get away with this--hysteria over an airplane, while our country is going down. It shouldn't surprise me, I guess, knowing what I know about what they did on 11/2/04. But it still does. I suppose I still half expect them to start responding to "market forces" in a normal way. 75% of their audience despises Bush, and wants his heinous war ended. You'd think that would have some influence on their "news" coverage. But they are so arrogant--like Bush and Cheney themselves--that they don't give a fuck what their audience thinks. The fascist propaganda machine just grinds on.

:sarcasm: I wish I had that tough of a life.



I bet Condi and V.P. Dick have the the B-757s and the 737s tied up most of the time anyway, I wonder if they still fly a few decoy B-757s to the places Dick flies?

Btw, NPR investigated this media "scandal", and found it was completely bogus.

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7283476>

which certainly has the necessary range but costs 3 times what the Gulfstream does. And a LOT higher
per hour cost to operate. I occasionally fly as co-pilot on a G-V out of Tulsa...I don't yet have
a type rating to be pilot in command but it's a pure joy to fly. Not long ago we took some people
whose names I never learned non-stop to an airport in Croatia and just dropped them off, refueled
and came back. I don't know how much they were charged but it had to be a lot more than I make in
a year.

i don't care if it's the space shuttle, and unless she is using it to fly around the country on campaign juntas, as the *moron does with AF1, what's the beef?

oh, i forget. IOKIYR (it's okay if you're repuglican)
dp

I have to say it really irked me the way certain DUers were so willing to jump on the right wing propaganda bandwagon.

When will we learn that they LIE about Democrats?

Hekate

A puddle jumper that might have made it nonstop to California this time, but I believe she felt that with unfavorable weather she might have to stop to refuel, complicating security and delaying her schedule.

The plane she is alleged to have asked for is much bigger, with a state room, meeting room, etc. (hence requiring a larger crew), and seating for nearly 50. But the point was that it had a larger fuel capacity.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0702/10/ldtw.01.html



Ms. Pilgrim's "report" then goes on to voice the opinions of three Repukes, no facts, just opinion. Not to mention Ms. Pilgrim referring to the Speaker of The House as Nancy Pelosi, not Speaker Pelosi.

<sigh> And I wonder why no one cares?

TELLING THE G** D*** REPORTER THAT SHE'S NOT DOING ANYTHING WRONG! :grr:

She won't be able to carry 300 tons of $100 dollar bills on that one. :sarcasm:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/05/BAGP5M5VFQ22.DTL&feed=rss

Leo represented Californians well. Pelosi must be acutely aware of being where Leo never did. Go Nancy! Illegitimus non carborundum.

when they were trying to cover up the page scandal. If that's what you mean by concerned. (Which I'm sure you didn't.)


TPM Reader BL reminded me of an incident from back in the Foley scandal in which Hastert was trying to clean up the mess created by his congressional lickspittle Rep. Shimkus (R-IL), a close Hastert 'ally' from a nearby district who the Speaker installed to run the House page board.

Writing in the Chicago Sun-Times on October 9th, Lynn Sweet wrote ...

A week ago Sunday, about 8 p.m., Shimkus arrived at Scott Air Force Base near Belleville to pick up his ride back to Washington. As speaker, Hastert flies on U.S. aircraft. The government plane picked up Shimkus and then headed to Aurora to board Hastert, who spent the weekend at his Plano home.

So in the midst of the exploding Foley scandal, which the Ethics Committee would eventually whitewash, the esteemed Speaker Hastert had his buddy Shimkus get a separate pick up to fly back to DC with him on his military jet so both could head back to Washington to deal with FoleyGate.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

says the criticism is unfair.

Those FOX pundits giving Pelosi a hard time over this are being disloyal to the president, and aren't they the ones telling us that during a time of war loyalty to the president is essential?

Ya know the British govt leaders such as Tony Blair fly comercial airlines while US taxpayers flip the bills for these private flights that will require the repair and replacement of $600 toilet seats .
oh yes they will cuz it gets deep with every flight hour they log

a pilot! Now I AM even more impressed!
And I am supposed to trust "news" organizations who cannot use English correctly?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm....

even the WH dismissed it, Repubs dig themselves into a deeper hole for a 2008 asskicking, or "2006-style electoral asskicking, part deux"