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420 Comments
- ostertag487, on 03/10/2009, -78/+310Vote her stupid #%$ outta there!
- enoxard, on 03/10/2009, -36/+243congress needs to trade free rides on our military air craft for video conferences.
my company uses video conference religiously and we are far more productive and effective than congress. no doubt. - ChoosyMother, on 03/10/2009, -54/+170Pelosi is a very rich woman. She is used to getting what she wants, when she wants it. She is a VIP, and you will treat her as such, or you will have some explaining to do. Got it?
- kemp34, on 03/10/2009, -52/+156The scum of the earth further pissing away taxpayer monies without a second thought.
- 2612, on 03/10/2009, -44/+147As many Americans are tightening their belts, its good to see its not affecting Nancy's travel plans on the tax payers' dime.
- supercandy, on 03/10/2009, -46/+138remember when Nancy Pelosi promised to reform EARMARKS?
oh my...
change is a big fat 'con'. - workaround4u, on 03/10/2009, -111/+202Shades of the USSR--the powerful elite have the world at their feet, while the common man waits in line for cabbages or rubber shoes, or whatever the state store has in stock that day. Happy, O-bots?
- Insightful, on 03/10/2009, -25/+114Now, I am all for every single member of Senate and the House traveling on commercial aircraft. No exceptions.
By going through the same traveling procedures and the inane and ineffective security measures, maybe they will understand and better reform air travel.
However, this article is buried for inaccuracy.
1. Department of Defense is the final arbiter that authorizes all requests and has been doing so since Pelosi is in her present office for the past two years under the Bush Administration. Nothing has changed.
2. If one reads through the e-mails, there are plenty of Republicans on that list as well, Kyl, Lugar, etc. If anyone is to blame for misusing military aircraft, there are more blames to go around.
3. Pelosi did not request a larger plane for flying between CA-DC nonstop. The House Chief-of-Seargent did and said so over and over again. See CNN.com, 2/9/2007. DOD also concurred that it would make more sense and is cheaper to fly the larger plane that does not require a fuel stop.
4. In fact, Pelosi usually flies the G20-B (http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=87 ... which is the exact same plane used by Hastert that no Republicans ever complained about. Pelosi has only flew C-32 (http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=90 ... once when no other aircraft was avaialble.
5. Both Bush and Obama White House have Oked the travel without issue.
"As speaker of the House, she is entitled to military transport and ... the proper arrangements are being made between the Sergeant of Arms Office in the House of Representatives and the U.S. Department of Defense. We think it's appropriate. And so, again, I think this is much ado about not a whole lot. It is important for the speaker to have this kind of protection and travel." - Tony Snow
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/did_nancy_pe ...
http://www.snopes.com/politics/pelosi/jet.asp - jnav121, on 03/10/2009, -45/+131LOL
"It is my understanding there are NO G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable ... The Speaker will want to know where the planes are," King wrote.
In another, when told a certain type of aircraft would not be available, King wrote: "This is not good news, and we will have some very disappointed folks, as well as a very upset Speaker."
Pelosi's office has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Gee why no response? - ronjohn, on 03/10/2009, -60/+130I'm a bleeding liberal democrat and even I'm like WTF!!! MAKE SURE EVERYONE EMAILS THIS OUT!
- z0rk, on 03/10/2009, -6/+64may that never come to pass.
- jnav121, on 03/10/2009, -58/+111Pelosi One the low calorie socialist drink
- inactive, on 03/10/2009, -5/+56Then let her pay for her own damn plane.
- paintgrl, on 03/10/2009, -31/+82All this has been de bunked and this article is in fact wrong. Check fact check for yourselves.
December 21, 2008
Q: Did Nancy Pelosi order up a 200-seat jet for her personal use?
Is it true that Nancy Pelosi travels from California three times a week on a private jet (200-seat size) at a cost to the taxpayers of $60K per flight? If so, this would total $480K per month or $5.7M per year. This comes from taxpayer money? If true, how can we criticize others? Is this a good use of taxpayers' hard-earned money and what about the carbon footprint?
A: The Democratic House speaker normally flies in a 12-seat Air Force jet, just as her Republican predecessor did. This rumor stems from a request by the House sergeant at arms, not Pelosi, for a jet large enough to reach California without refueling.
Reports like this one, saying Pelosi routinely flies about in her own 757-size jet, have been floating around for almost two years. The claims were revived when Democrats complained that CEOs of the Big Three U.S. automakers had used their corporate jets to come to Washington to seek billions in federal aid. But the rumors are incorrect. Spokespeople for Pelosi and Andrews Air Force Base say that the speaker has used the big Air Force jet once, but she normally uses a much smaller plane, the same one used by the previous speaker of the House, Republican Dennis Hastert.
The spread of this rumor – and its first debunking – dates back to February 2007. At that time, the speaker of the House had had access to an Air Force craft for about five and a half years. Hastert had been issued a plane after Sept. 11, 2001, for security reasons (the speaker of the House is next in line after the vice president for presidential succession). Hastert used an Air Force C-20B, a small 12-seater based on the Gulfstream III, to travel to his home district in Illinois. (Ford and GM auto executives, incidentally, travel in the slightly larger Gulfstream IV.)
When Pelosi became speaker, House Sergeant at Arms Bill Livingood, according to his own account, worried that the small craft would be unable to travel to her home district of San Francisco without stopping to refuel. Livingood, who was first elected by a Newt Gingrich-led House in 1995, asked the Air Force and the Department of Defense about getting a bigger plane. He also requested clarifications of other rules regarding the aircraft – for instance, whether family members would be allowed to accompany Pelosi on her flights.
According to ABC News' Jake Tapper, Capt. Herb McConnell of the Air Force said that the C-20B is sometimes able to make cross-country flights without refueling, but that it depends on headwinds. The much larger C-32, a military version of a Boeing 757 that's usually used by the vice president and the first lady, is easily able to make a nonstop flight across the country. But it's also on the lavish side. It's not quite a 200-seater, but it does include 50 business-class seats and a full stateroom with a private lavatory and entertainment system.
We've seen no evidence, however, that Livingood specifically requested for Pelosi to have access to the C-32, which is the largest plane available at the 89th Airlift wing at Andrews Air Force Base. According to his statement, he requested a plane that was able to fly cross-country. Pelosi spokespeople at the time said that the speaker would be happy to use a smaller plane that could make a nonstop cross-country flight.
The Pentagon responded to this request by saying that it would make "every effort ... to provide non-stop shuttle support," but that Pelosi's aircraft access would depend on availability. Officials also clarified that Pelosi's family members and other members of Congress could fly with her, but they would have to reimburse the government for their flights and food, paying the price of a coach ticket on a commercial airline. Pelosi would have to submit a written request for her family or other Congress members to accompany her on flights.
The Pentagon response stoked rumors that Pelosi had requested access to a posh personal craft for herself and anyone she wanted to bring along. Tapper traces the rumor back to House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, who called the C-32 "a flying Lincoln bedroom." That's not a wholly inaccurate assessment of the plane (there's even a pull-out bed!), but Blunt implied that Pelosi had expressly requested such extravagance. White House spokesman Tony Snow called this a "silly story," breaking with congressional Republicans who objected to Pelosi's supposedly over-the-top request. At a press briefing, Snow reiterated that the conversations about plane travel were perfectly routine:
Snow, Feb. 7, 2007: After September 11th, the Department of Defense – with the consent of the White House – agreed that the Speaker of the House should have military transport. And so what is going on is that the Department of Defense is going through its rules and regulations and having conversations with the Speaker about it. So Speaker Hastert had access to military aircraft and Speaker Pelosi will, too.
Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly told FactCheck.org that the speaker does have access to military air travel. When she flies to her home district, she uses whatever Air Force craft is available. Daly told us that "they try to do a nonstop flight." But the plane Pelosi uses most often is the C-20B, and she has occasionally used even smaller planes. According to Daly, Pelosi once used the C-32 when no other planes were available, but she also has had to stop for refueling on at least one trip on a smaller aircraft. Pelosi's family has traveled with her a few times, but they had to reimburse the government for the cost of their tickets, as stipulated in the Pentagon's letter. Congress members who are traveling to California sometimes do the same. Pelosi only uses the jet to travel between Washington, D.C., and San Francisco on official business. For any other trip, she and her family use commercial airlines.
Update, December 22: After this story was posted, we received word from Eric Sharman, deputy chief of public affairs at Andrews Air Force Base, confirming what Pelosi's spokesman told us about her aircraft use. Sharman said that Pelosi has in the past used the C-20B and the slightly larger C-37A, depending on availability, and that these may or may not be able to make a nonstop cross-country flight depending on conditions. He confirms that Pelosi has used the C-32 once and only once, when no other planes were available.
- Jess Henig
Sources
Tapper, Jake. "Pentagon Rejects Speaker Pelosi's Request for Military Aircraft." ABC News. 7 Feb. 2007.
Epstein, Edward. "Pelosi, Snow slam critics: 'Silly story.'" San Francisco Chronicle. 8 Feb. 2007.
White House press briefings. "Press Briefing by Tony Snow." 7 Feb. 2007.
CNN. "House security chief: Pelosi didn't ask for plane; I did." 9 Feb. 2007.
Washington Post. "Pelosi Catches Nonstop Flights Home." 6 Feb. 2007.
Greenwood, Tom. "Auto executives travel to D.C. by car, but is it cheaper?" Detroit News. 4 Dec. 2008.
Incantalupo, Tom. "Auto execs hope to drive home a point." Newsday. 25 Nov. 2008. - Ozzy72, on 03/10/2009, -60/+110Isn't it President Pelosi?
- Spindig, on 03/10/2009, -44/+94Since they are cutting the defense budget, I'd say that means her trips on military aircrafts should be over.
- Trifold, on 03/10/2009, -31/+75I actually tend to lean to the left politically...but boy I ***** hate Nancy Pelosi. Even democrats would have to agree she is the most arrogant and divisive person in the government by a wide margin.
- inactive, on 03/10/2009, -33/+77And the balls of her and the dems to deride the auto execs for flying private planes to washington to meet them, all the while this goes on. Every time she gets on a private plane that costs about $10k/hour to fly, each of those dollars are her's and our children's and grandchildrens bill to pay with interest down the road. We take in 800 billion/year in taxes during good times, yet are planning on spending 3 trillion soon.
It would be like her taking money out of her childrens (or in her case, grandchildren's) college education fund to buy a first class plane ticket to fiji for vacation.
What a joke - kemp34, on 03/10/2009, -6/+48As a taxpayer to the debt pool otherwise known as the Federal Monstrosity, I wholeheartedly agree.
- inactive, on 03/10/2009, -24/+66Yeah, they'd vote for a jackass if it had a (D) by it's name.
- inactive, on 03/10/2009, -14/+46Yea, that is their symbol.
- A11YND, on 03/11/2009, -26/+58You little bastard. Don't ever compare Pelosi using the air-force to the USSR, sure, its a trivial thing for you to do as an American never having experienced massive food outtages at the local market or not being able to get bread reliably. Some of use take offense to that.
I'd like to see you live a few years under the real USSR and then come back and complain about how the current government of the USA has the shades of the RSFSR. - Nowheredan, on 03/11/2009, -7/+39The good news: I voted against her in the last election.
The bad news: Her only opponent was Cindy Sheehan. - SatoriSeeker, on 03/10/2009, -8/+39Ron Paul? Dennis Kucinich? You can count the number on a single hand unfortunately...
- zacharytelschow, on 03/10/2009, -5/+33Not enough to fill Obama's cabinet.
- inactive, on 03/10/2009, -18/+45Her home district is San Francisco...
- inactive, on 03/10/2009, -32/+57Apparently the government likes to abuse their private aircrafts too. Even when tax payers are propping up this insolvent institution. I think it's time she got investigated for her bonuses.
- AngustheCat, on 03/11/2009, -26/+51Let's see exactly how unprecedented this whole situation actually is:
On February 8, 2007, House Sergeant-at-Arms Wilson Livingood said this, "In a post 9/11 threat environment, it is reasonable and prudent to provide military aircraft to the Speaker for official travel between Washington and her district. The practice began with Speaker Hastert and I have recommended that it continue with Speaker Pelosi."
So for Republicans, it's only okay for the person, second in line to succeed presidency, to use such military services and protection if that person has a little "R" next to their name. - nipplash, on 03/11/2009, -4/+28Ah, the Turd Sandwich or Giant Douche. That's a hard choice.
- ArxUmbra, on 03/10/2009, -32/+56ridiculous
- jimw428, on 03/10/2009, -33/+56Her royal highness needs to be reminded that these airplanes belong to the U.S. taxpayer, and that the US Air Force is NOT her personal airline. She seems to want all us peons to share the wealth like good little commies, just as long as she gets treated like royalty.
- kingp43, on 03/11/2009, -8/+29yup. I live out here, and you're pretty much correct.... kind of a shame really, but hey, I was like that too not so long ago :-(
She thinks she's one of the most powerful people in the world.. one of the elite.... the... ahh nm you guys will digg me down if i start, hah
(too late) - inactive, on 03/10/2009, -8/+28Wow. What a stupid, spoiled *****:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfstream_V - PxCxG, on 03/10/2009, -33/+52Isn't there an honest politician to be found anywhere?
- inactive, on 03/11/2009, -7/+26Hows that bank account Pelosi? Getting bigger by the take, I mean day?
- azureskies88, on 03/11/2009, -9/+27Does anyone else see the inanity in the argument that something is okay because the Republicans did it? Just because person A gets away with murder, doesn't mean that it's now okay for person B to commit murder - even if they are from different political parties.
- bobcat7407, on 03/11/2009, -7/+25That's not the same story. The story you link to says she asked for her own 757 size jet, the article doesn't even mention anything like that. The article is saying that she has abused the privelage she has and cost the military, and us, money.
- ChoosyMother, on 03/10/2009, -11/+28It's MR. President Pelosi.
- chiefquanah, on 03/10/2009, -40/+57But... but... she's the SPEAKER!!! She EARNED this gosh darned, she is going to take it, no matter how much it costs us.
/s - inactive, on 03/10/2009, -3/+19The crew is innocent and have suffered enough.
- schwagman, on 03/11/2009, -3/+19As a vertically challenged illegitimate child, I am offended.
- tmonsta1, on 03/11/2009, -3/+19again... insightful... I'm crushin on you hard... but in a manly kinda way
not in a Senator Craig tapping under the stall kinda way - Barbrady, on 03/10/2009, -40/+56Ironic that the bitch that doesn't like the military repeatedly calls on the military to be her private taxi service.
- Trick07, on 03/10/2009, -42/+57What do you expect from a hateful San Francisco Democrat who loathes the military but demands they be at her beck and call?
- stpaulmatt, on 03/11/2009, -6/+21If anything, she should be riding a broomstick!
- kemp34, on 03/10/2009, -12/+27If she ever said anything about a desire to reform anything in a good way, she was lying.
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