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To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/6/2007 1:53:00 PM
From: Thomas M.	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 35834

The true story on Pelosi's plane: thinkprogress.org As far as I can tell, the only possible motivation for taking away Pelosi's plane is to facilitate her murder. Tom

To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/7/2007 1:47:54 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Pelosi Air By Michael Goldfarb WorldwideStandard.com When Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi requested access to military aircraft, she had to know she was inviting trouble. And the White House is dragging out the negotiations, making sure the media has enough time to chew over the details of Pelosi's request. Here are some of the latest comments: From CNN's Lou Dobbs: <<< CORRESPONDENT: "It's clear skies for Nancy Pelosi. The Pentagon is providing the House speaker with an Air Force plane large enough to accommodate her staff, family, supporters and members of the Californian delegation when she travels around the country. . . . "Pelosi wants routine access to a larger plane. It includes 42 business class seats, a fully-enclosed state room, an entertainment center, a private bed, state-of-the-art communications system and a crew of 16. . . . It would be 42 people, and clearly she won't be the only one on this plane. She wants to have members of the congressional delegation. And her critics will say, look, this is a very nice perk that she can share with her colleagues and use as leverage, should she need to." LOU DOBBS: "Well, it's really a fascinating thing: 42. She could take a circus with her, for crying out loud." >>> And from the Examiner: <<< Well, that didn't take long. After campaigning against the 'waste, fraud, and abuse' of the Bush administration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now wants to be cut in on the take. The woman who five months ago said, "Democrats are committed to a new direction in the way our government does business so taxpayers' money is handled responsibly," is dunning the White House to put an Air Force jet at her disposal - reportedly, not only for her use, but for her family's as well. . . . But all of this luxury doesn't come cheap. Hourly operating costs for an Air Force C-32--the planes that typically carry the vice president, the first lady, and Cabinet officials--are about $15,000 an hour. So for one of those planes to fly the speaker home to San Francisco, drop her off, and fly back and get her, would cost taxpayers around $300,000 - while round-trip commercial fares start at $233. That doesn't qualify as "waste and abuse"? >>> According to FAS.org, the C-32 is "configured for 45 passengers and 16 crew, [and] is designed for a 4,150 nautical mile mission, roughly the distance from Andrews to Frankfurt, Germany." It also has an open bar. The C-32 weeklystandard.com washingtontimes.com cnn.com examiner.com fas.org

To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/7/2007 4:14:34 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Pelosi's push for jet remains up in air By Rowan Scarborough and Charles Hurt THE WASHINGTON TIMES February 7, 2007 The Bush administration has agreed to provide House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with regular access to an Air Force passenger jet, but the two sides are negotiating whether she will get the big aircraft she wants and who she may take as passengers, according to congressional and administration sources. A congressional source said that Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of House Appropriations subcommittee on defense, which controls the Pentagon's spending, has telephoned administration officials to urge them to give the speaker what she wants. The congressional source said Pentagon officials complained that Mr. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, is accusing them of sexism for not immediately heeding her request. Megan E. Grote, Mr. Murtha's press secretary, said, "Mr. Murtha absolutely never said anything about being 'sexist.' We have no further comment." Meanwhile, Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam of Florida said Mrs. Pelosi's request represents "an arrogance of office that just defies common sense" and called it "a major deviation from the previous speaker." Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri called it a "flying Lincoln Bedroom," and Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican, labeled the speaker's plane "Pelosi One." "This is a bullet point to a larger value -- Pelosi's abuse of power continues," Mr. McHenry said yesterday. "It began when the speaker denied minority rights to Republicans, continued with her 'TunaGate' scandal, and now she's exploiting America's armed forces and taxpayers for her own personal convenience." "TunaGate" was a reference to Democrats exempting American Samoa from legislation to increase the minimum wage. Star-Kist Tuna, whose parent company Del Monte Corp. is based in Mrs. Pelosi's district, had lobbied against the wage increase. An aide to Mrs. Pelosi, who is arguing she needs the jets for security reasons, yesterday referred questions to the Air Force, which is studying the California Democrat's request along with lawyers at the Pentagon and at the White House. "A lot of people are working this," an Air Force source said. The congressional source said government lawyers are trying to reconcile Mrs. Pelosi's request with Defense Department policy and congressional travel rules. The Washington Times first reported last week that Mrs. Pelosi's staff was pressing the administration for access to Air Force aircraft. Sources said the request went beyond what was offered to former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, Illinois Republican. Mr. Hastert used an Air Force commuter-type jet to travel to and from his district. Mr. Hastert gained the access for security reasons after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Previously, the House speaker, who is second in the line of succession to the presidency, used commercial flights for such trips. Mrs. Pelosi wants a larger aircraft that can fly to her home district of San Francisco nonstop. She also wants to be able to ferry other members of the congressional delegation, family members and her staff. The speaker's request is being handled by her chief counsel, Bernard Raimo, a veteran Democratic lawyer on Capitol Hill. "Who she can take is being worked out, outside the Air Force," said Ed Gulick, an Air Force spokesman at the Pentagon. He said the Air Force is studying what types of planes are available for long, cross-country flights. Currently, three planes assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base can make such nonstop flights year-round -- the C-32, C-40B and C-37. Such VIP planes are in high demand. "She's effectively taking a bird out of the fleet," said a defense source. "It will most directly impact the House, because they're the heavy users of the large aircraft. Congress looks at that Andrews fleet as their Hertz rent-a-car." The congressional source said the speaker's office requested an Air Force plane to take her to a weekend Democratic retreat in Williamsburg, but the Pentagon declined. The source said Mr. Hastert on one occasion used an Air Force plane for such an event. The Air Force later determined it was a mistake, and such flights were not repeated. The source said the Pentagon will likely give in to Mrs. Pelosi's requests for a large plane and travel entourage, given her and Mr. Murtha's power over defense spending. Mr. Raimo argues that Mrs. Pelosi needs a military aircraft, as opposed to commercial flights, for security reasons. The defense source, who asked not to be named, termed her request "carte blanche," saying she wanted a plane that could carry an entourage just like President Bush, who flies on Air Force One, and Vice President Dick Cheney, who also always flies on military planes. c Christina Bellantoni contributed to this report. washingtontimes.com

To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/7/2007 4:39:42 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

GLOBAL WARMING UPDATE: Instapundit "The Bush administration has agreed to provide House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with regular access to an Air Force passenger jet <snip>... she wanted a plane that could carry an entourage just like President Bush, who flies on Air Force One, and Vice President Dick Cheney, who also always flies on military planes." Well, she is third in the line of succession, but you don't need an entourage for that. Dennis Hastert used a commuter-sized jet. UPDATE: A reader recommends the C-20, an Air Force variant of the Gulfstream III. "It has the range for non stop San Fran to DC, and is faster than a big jet on less fuel." Looks nice to me, though it does produce something like 10,000 lbs of C02 per hour. Still, that's a lot less than the jet that Pelosi actually wants, I guess. My reader continues: "Of course it will carry fewer staff, and has only one flight attendant." Quel horreur! But leadership demands sacrifices, especially if we are to save the planet from the scourge of global warming. ANOTHER UPDATE: Further thoughts from Rich Karlgaard. MORE: Some greenhouse perspective: The typical American is responsible for 10 tons of CO2 emissions annually through their direct energy use of home, cars and air travel, and about 24 tons of CO2 including their purchases, activities and the other services we all share throughout the economy. By comparison, a Gulf Stream III business jet (10-12 passenger) from New York to Los Angeles will emit around 31 tons of CO2 during the 6 hour flight. And remember, that's the small jet, not the much bigger one that Pelosi wants. Flying commercial, of course, is far more greenhouse-friendly. According to this calculator from British Airways, a one-way one-passenger flight from Washington, DC to San Francisco (roughly the same length, though a bit shorter) would produce 0.44 tonnes (0.485 tons) of C02. Even travelling with an "entourage" you're way ahead. Jets full of the hoi polloi aren't as pleasant, but they're much more efficient. feeds.feedburner.com washingtontimes.com militaryfactory.com blogs.forbes.com tourjet.net climatecare.org

To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/8/2007 4:59:49 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

NANCY PELOSI, CARBON CRIMINAL NEW YORK POST Editorial February 8, 2007 Remember when all then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich wanted was to use the front steps of Air Force One? That didn't work out, thanks to Bill Clinton's aides - but in retrospect it seems that the taxpayers never had it so good. Now the new speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, is demanding her own personal Pentagon-provided jet. Who's to get the tab? That's right: You. The speaker has decided that she needs a personal shuttle between Washington, D.C., and her home out on the Left Coast. Historically, House speakers flew commercial. Then, after 9/11, Speaker Dennis Hastert cited security reasons in switching to a military-provided plane. But that was a small jet: It sat 12 passengers, with a crew of five. In contrast, Pelosi is said to want a top-of-the-line, Air Force passenger jet - the military version of the Boeing 757 - which features 42 business-class seats and a 16-member crew, plus a fully enclosed stateroom, entertainment center, private bed and state-of-the-art communications center. Color us surprised. We didn't think Pelosi had any use for the military whatsoever. As for the taxpayers, they stand to get clipped for $300,000 per trip. For a lady who stands in the first ranks of the "party of the people," she sure eats pretty high on the hog. Not to mention that such profligate use of jet fuel would make a mockery out of Pelosi's professed political priorities. This is the same woman who declared last month: "I promise to do everything in my power to achieve energy independence . . . and to stop global warming." Just two weeks ago, she added, "The science of global warming and its impact is overwhelming and unequivocal." Then she dedicated a select House committee actually to do something about global warming. Which, if one accepts the current "science of global warming," she certainly is. She's making it worse. The conventional view is that emissions of carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas - are a major factor in warming. And the jet Pelosi is demanding produces more than 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per hour - far more than the commuter plane Hastert used. Gingrich has a point when he says, "It is useful for members, including the speaker, to go through airport security, just like everybody else." But that's the point: Nancy Pelosi isn't like everybody else. She's special. More special than her commitment to ending global warming - which turns out to be just so much hot air. nypost.com

To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/9/2007 2:13:14 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

More on Pelosi's Plane Stephen Spruiell The Corner A reader writes: I got to walk through a just-completed C-37A many years ago when I interviewed for a job at Gulfstream. That particular jet had obviously been built up for VIP travel, and "plush" doesn't even begin to describe the interior. That's the kind of aircraft 99.99% of the people even in Pelosi's district will never even set foot in, much less have at their beck and call; if she's too good for a G-5, particularly THAT G-5, she's in the wrong line of work. Agreed. corner.nationalreview.com

To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/9/2007 2:21:29 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Re: Pelosi and the Jets Byron York The Corner From an e-mailer: I am a Navy pilot, fully qualified in Gulfstream III, V, and 550 series aircraft. The military calls them the C- 20D, C-37A and C-37B respectively. The G-III can easily reach California from Washington DC. The larger G-V and 550 can fly from Washington DC to Honolulu non-stop. http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZWEyZDQ1ZWFiOTFhY2MxOWE1ZTM1NjM3Yzc5NjUwYzQ=

To: Sully- who wrote (25308)	2/13/2007 5:08:40 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

The Speaker of the House -- Her 747 request and competing publicity By Paul Weyrich Townhall.com Columnist Tuesday, February 13, 2007 I'm not sure which woman was the more relieved by Anna Nicole Smith's untimely death. Is it the star of "Lust in Space," home in Houston, or is it the Speaker of the House? Last week both women had front page coverage but less than that of the late Ms. Smith. Inasmuch as I have no idea what would cause a successful woman to do what this astronaut charged with attempted murder did, I have no comment on that story. But the Speaker of the House? That is something about which I know a bit. So now that neither woman is the top story of the hour, let's deal with the Speaker. Before 9/11 former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) always flew on commercial aircraft when returning to Illinois. After 9/11 the Secret Service approached him and suggested, since he was two heartbeats from the Presidency, that he should fly on a military aircraft. The Pentagon gave him a 12-seater which has the capability of making it all the way to the West Coast without refueling. That was big enough for Hastert, his Chief of Staff, Scott Palmer, and a few others to fly with him. Most of the time he was flying to or from his home in Illinois. How about Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)? THE WASHINGTON TIMES broke the story that the Speaker was demanding a 747 with seating for 40, a middle compartment with a bed and a desk for, in this case, whoever is the host. This is known as Air Force II. It is the plane the Vice President uses for his trips. I flew on Air Force II. It is one comfortable outfit. The front of the plane is reserved for the elite on the trip. In my case it was the Vice President and his wife. The middle section can be used for children, for example. Then there is the "coach" section. In our case we had 70 staffers, speechwriters and reporters with us. Given that Ms. Pelosi is two heartbeats from the Presidency, I felt perhaps her request was not unreasonable. That is, until I learned the following: the plane former Speaker Hastert used is capable of flying 3,700 nautical miles without refueling. That is well beyond the requirement for a San Francisco to Washington D.C flight. No, that wasn't good enough. She wanted the larger aircraft. Then I learned that the Speaker had sought a change in the rules that govern such trips. If anyone other than a spouse rides along he must pay commercial rates. She wanted an exemption so she could take grandchildren and a larger staff and maybe even lobbyists or financial contributors. Even so, I still thought she ought to be left alone until her pal Representative John P. Murtha (D-PA), Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, in effect ordered the Air Force to supply that plane or else. He went on to say that anyone who opposed the Speaker's request was sexist. Bingo. Now I was angry, along with millions of others who heard the full story. For such a smart woman, how could she be so dumb? The beat goes on. Ms. Pelosi took to the House Floor to say she never asked for a larger plane. Many in the Air Force knew otherwise and called or e-mailed local media outlets to say so. She wasn't content with denying what she had done. Her people attacked the messenger for breaking the story. THE WASHINGTON TIMES, you see, is right-wing trash. Just to top things off, she now blames former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for leaking the information. Poor Rumsfeld. He has been out of office for months but he still gets charged anyway. This story is bad for the new Speaker in a number of ways. First, everyone who reads or hears can understand the story. Second, defeated Republicans actually got coverage attacking her for this. Third, because she promised to sweep the Congress clean and do away with the "culture of corruption," this appeared to be hypocritical on her part. And old Jack Murtha, once a great friend of the military, had no business threatening the Air Force over this issue. Shouldn't Murtha be swept away, too? Isn't what he did part of the "culture of corruption?" By the way, Pelosi and her husband are zillionaires. She could afford to buy a plane and hire crew to pilot it. And while she preaches against the pollution that SUVs create, in taking that private plane she would be polluting more in a single roundtrip than most of us will pollute in a lifetime. It is the old "do as I say, not as I do" routine. The reason most criticism of extremely bloated spending and other problems with what Washington does doesn't register is because the public has no idea what is being talked about. I guarantee you, almost no one on planet earth has any idea what a billion dollars is. When we speak of a budget which is two trillion, 900 million dollars, there is absolutely no one, even bankers, who understands trillions. The interesting thing about the Pelosi story is that it was understood. It is the kind of story the media loves to cover. One of the shrewdest politicians in my lifetime who understood the kind of stories the media would cover was the late Senator William Proxmire (D-WI). Proxmire invented the "Golden Fleece" Award. Every month he would choose some absurdity of the federal budget and hold it up to ridicule while the camera buzzed on. I checked on his voting record. He voted for most of the spending in bills in which there were items he opposed. No one caught on to that. He was thought of as an honest man. In 1964, Proxmire was running for re-election. He had come to the Senate due to a split in the conservative vote causing him to win a special election for the seat of the late Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-WI). A farmer from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, named Wilbur Renk almost defeated Proxmire, condemning him for profligate spending. Had it not been for the fact that Lyndon B. Johnson was winning the State of Wisconsin by a million votes Renk otherwise might have made it. As it was, he reduced Proxmire's margin to under 50,000 votes. Voting machines malfunctioned for a time and for a few hours it looked as if Renk would defeat Proxmire. After that, Proxmire invented the Golden Fleece project. He knew voters didn't understand big spending projects. So he attacked what would be understood. The result was from 1970 until he retired in 1989 he ran virtually unopposed. He would spend $2,000 on his statewide elections. That cost was simply to hand out a two-page brochure touting his accomplishments. He never missed a Packers or a Braves (and later Brewers) game. He would stand near the front gate of these stadiums and shake hands with voters. My father-in-law bragged that he had shaken Proxmire's hands almost ten times. Proxmire connected with voters. They all loved the Golden Fleece Award. Guys on the factory floor would exchange what they knew of the latest "golden fleece." If the Republicans can learn to speak in the language people understand they might make it back. They need to look for the potential stories of the 747 demanded by the Speaker. They score when voters understand. Forget railing against trillions and find the $100 toilet seat and the public will really think you've done something. Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation. townhall.com