Pelosi Made Repeated Requests for Military Aircraft, Documents Show

reply to post by clay2 baraka


I agree with clay 2 baraka. And, props to Zaphod for, as usual, getting the facts straight.

As noted, post 9/11 it was considered prudent for Speaker to be provided Military Transportation, as a security measure.

BUT, abusing that idea, and using it for personal trips, and including friends and family....THAT is a clearly excessive over-step....and she should be called to task. The House should chastise and punish their own.

However, as egregious as it is, looks like we may have to wait until 2010 to make real change along those lines. UNLESS colleagues could quietly pressure her....she could always make up some excuse to step down from that leadership role....but, I think she's power-hungry, and it's gone to her hair.....erm.....I mean head!! Yeah, head!

Would love to be a fly on the wall in some of those closed-door meetings....


EDIT, forgot....to 'clay 2 baraka'.....did you get that from the film "The Day the Earth Stood Still"?


[edit on 3/10/0909 by weedwhacker]

Complain all you want. It's only going to make a difference if her constiuents plan to hold her accountable next election. I'd love to see Pelosi voted out of the House by some greenhorn, but the chances of that happening are, realistically, slim to none.

I worked the airport in Augusta and the way these politicians would fly in and fly out was mind boggeling. I remember the GA senator flew in on a King Air (military of course) went into the lounge area, gave a 5 minute news interview for the local station and flew back to Washington.

Thats all he came to do.

The bad thing is about 90 percent of the time when a Military plane lands he will always top off his tanks. Needed or not. Unless of course it is your bigger variety like a G5, they only take about 1000 gallons over what they need.

Washington needs to lasso in this wasteful spending, we can't keep footing their travel expenses like this.

Originally posted by doctordoom

Originally posted by Zaphod58
What SHOULD they be flying?

I could care less if she had to hitchhike. She hasn't done a damn thing that is useful for this country.

She's as good as fired in my mind. Take the rest of her cronies with her. Republican, Democrat. They're all the same. Leaches on the system, under the guise of public service.

I live in calif and i would not pick her up.

She can walk for all i care.

Or maybe take the old gray dog (grayhound bus)



[edit on 11-3-2009 by ANNED]

I live in calif and i would not pick here up.

She can walk for all i care.

Or maybe take the old gray dog (grayhound bus)

Just not pick her up? I'd rather you run her over, do us all a favor.

She's either paranoid, or knows something bad is coming...

Originally posted by Ant4AU
Does this really surprise anybody. The government today see themselves as royalty the Kings and Duchesses of America. Every year they do nothing but prove how pro-self and anti-America they are. You do not get into politics anymore to better society you get into it to fatten your pockets.

The real politicians that care are always overlooked because the blind sheeple in America don't like to hear and don't believe the truth when it's told to them.

We are basically an Oligarchy of the rich and ivy league grads

reply to post by doctordoom


A one way trip on a G5 from San Fransisco to DC cost more then the average citizen makes in a year.... pretax.... (over $50k)..

Where is the Revolution?

Originally posted by Rockpuck
reply to post by doctordoom

 

A one way trip on a G5 from San Fransisco to DC cost more then the average citizen makes in a year.... pretax.... (over $50k)..

Where is the Revolution?

That doesn't include catering and hanger or ramp space.

Ramp space where I worked for a G5 was 150 dollars a day plus landing fee of 50 dollars. Catering is outrageous, a shrimp platter is 100 dollars a sandwhich is 40, plus they charge 50 dollars for delivery.

We pay for it all.

Edit to add- I just though of something. We charged to dump their lav. So if she used the toilet on that G5 we literally pay for her crap.

[edit on 11-3-2009 by jd140]

reply to post by jd140


That's only if they stay at a civilian airport. Most times they drop their passengers off then fly to the nearest military base. They don't cater their food, they shop at the commissary on base, and they cook everything from scratch. They also get their fuel from the base, where it's significantly cheaper than at a civilian airport. If they are only going to be sitting on the ground for a short period of time, like just a few hours, then they will buy fuel from the airport that they are at. If they are serving food on the flight then they will carry enough food with them from the base they depart from.

reply to post by jd140


Yes, and the fuel, and the staff (congressional) and the pilots (2) plus waiting staff (up to two) yadda yadda yadda....

When for $400 she could fly first class on American Airlines.

Disgusting really.

reply to post by Rockpuck


Except that the American Airlines A320 doesn't have the secure communications, or other things that are used during the flight. Congress and the House have been using military flights for years. I used to always see SecDef or other representatives come through, on much more expensive to operate aircraft. The biggest difference with Pelosi is that she is abusing the privilege of being able to use military aircraft for transportation.

reply to post by Zaphod58


I'm speaking of the military planes that landed at the on I worked at. They didn't drop and leave, they stayed the duration. Granted we had a contract with them for fuel, but everything else was not.

Last election we had a ton of Senators fly to GA to campaign for their respected party and there were atleast 6 military planes for them and they stayed for about 3 days. Of course they brought their golf clubs with them and almost all of them got the services I mentioned.

Their catering was supplied by Events 20 20.

Fort Gordon is 10 minutes away from the Airport, I'm not sure where the nearest AFB is.

reply to post by jd140


As many times as they can, they prefer to drop and leave. If they're too far from the nearest Air Force base they will stay, just in case they have to get back to Washington quickly. The nearest Air Force Base is Warner Robbins AFB, but it's about 80-100 miles away in a straight line. It's probably closer to 120 miles via road. With that kind of distance involved they would stay at the airport instead of flying out to an airbase.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Zaphod....unless I was asleep at the switch, AAL doesn't have any A320s.

(minor, mistake, but point made)

EDIT for jd140.....did you mention the Political Party of those particular people you saw in Georgia, on the golf junkets????

[edit on 3/11/0909 by weedwhacker]

reply to post by weedwhacker


Yeah, they have A300s. I couldn't remember if they were 300s or 320s and didn't look it up before typing that reply.

HS Pelosi's cool. If there are complaints about her travel arrangement on/off duty w/family -- forgetaboutit. Next there'l be whiners saying the President should take a bus to Camp David. SILLYNESS

reply to post by Zaphod58


No probs, of course Zaph.

I had a thought about Ms. Pelosi's habits of requesting airplanes....

SINCE this incredible financial meltdown, has the Speaker carried on with the habit? OR, did she only do it during the Bush Admin????

Maybe a bit of snubbing her nose at him??

Originally posted by weedwhacker
reply to post by Zaphod58

 

Zaphod....unless I was asleep at the switch, AAL doesn't have any A320s.

(minor, mistake, but point made)

EDIT for jd140.....did you mention the Political Party of those particular people you saw in Georgia, on the golf junkets????

[edit on 3/11/0909 by weedwhacker]

Let me put it to you this way. There are no enemies on the links.

To be fair, they all didn't have their clubs with them. The Augusta National is a exclusive golf course. If you don't have a member with you or an invite you can't play.

As far as the distance. 80 miles is nothing for a lear or G5. If they get the call for a pick up then they could be there in no time at all. Maybe 20 minutes.

reply to post by jd140


By having the planes right there all they have to do is preflight, board, and they're airborne. Otherwise they have to preflight, fly there, board them, then take off again. You can actually be looking at close to an hour to pick them up, as opposed to being airborne in 30-45 minutes, and on their way to Washington. I seriously doubt that there would be an emergency that would require that fast of a response, but it's better to have the plane close to them and not lose that extra time.

Another thing to look at is ease of maintenance. The airport they're at may have spare parts for that type of plane, whereas the military base they go to doesn't. We had a C-20 fly from Hickam to Andrews with a fuel leak on the entire wing because we didn't have the seals they needed for the tank covers. If they had been at an airport that routinely had them go through, they might have been able to get the seals and fix it instead.

Having the plane stay there with them is nothing compared to what we USED to do when the President flew. Just to travel somewhere he had to have 2-3 C-5s, Air Force One and backup, Press 747, 2-3 VC-135 or -137s, and an E-4 (later a G-IV/V) that would fly into a separate base. The E-4 for years would sit there the entire time he was on the ground with one engine running ready to launch at a moments notice.

[edit on 3/11/2009 by Zaphod58]