[Red6]

Liberals sure like the military when it serves to coach them around.

[Popman]

I really see no problem with her request to fly non stop from DC to San Francisco.

The job does have it's perks

Park her ass in a seat like every other normal person, skip the rest of the liberal limousine requests.

[bonehead4freedom]

The bigger plane was all about more seats to allow access,ie the donor express.I'm sure there were several coffees planned.

[AmericanMade1776]

The 89th Airlift Wing’s 99th Airlift Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, Md., operates four C-37A's. The 6th Air Mobility Wing’s 310th Airlift Squadron, MacDill AFB, Fla., operates three C-37A's. Both the 15th Airlift Wing, 65th Airlift Squadron at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and the 86th Airlift Wing, 309th Airlift Squadron, at Chievres Air Base, Belgium, have one C-37A.

General Characteristics

Primary Function: Special air missions

Builder: Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.

Power Plant: Two BMW/Rolls Royce BR710A1-10 high bypass

ratio turbofan engines Thrust: 14,750 pounds each engine Length: 96 feet, 5 inches (29.38 meters) Height: 25 feet, 11 inches (7.9 meters) Wingspan: 93 feet, 6 inches (28.5 meters) Speed: 600 mph (.885 Mach) maximum Maximum Altitude: 51,000 feet (15,545 meters) Maximum Takeoff Weight: 90,500 pounds (41,050 kilograms) Range: 6,300 miles (5,500 nautical miles) normal cruise Load: 12 passengers Unit Cost: $36 million (1998 constant dollars) Crew: Five Date Deployed: 1998 Inventory: Active force, 9; Air National Guard, 0; Reserve, 0

[JRios1968]

I think of this story and I always come up with this image:

[LurkingSince1943]

So the smaller plane can make it non-stop?

This gives new meaning to her nickname "Stretch."

[CyberAnt]

I agree and understand the need for security .. since the speaker is the next person in line to the Presidency - if something should happen to the Pres and the VP.

However, I really felt the 42 seater was a bit much .. AND TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. The 12 seater could easily make the non-stop trip.

And .. while the dims are whining so much about the deficit .. it was a bit irritating for her to insist on spending hundreds of thousands of dollars WEEKLY for a trip home.

Besides .. landing to refuel (if necessary) at a military base could have easily been accommodated.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Which leaves a bigger carbon footprint?

[jwparkerjr]

She doesn't need a military plane for her trips to home and back. Let her fly commercial like the rest of us have to. If she doesn't have to put up with the pains of what airline travel has become these days then she won't have an interest in seeing it improved.

Haskert shouldn't have had it either. I would have said the same thing for him, and for every other Congress-critter. It's a time to put a stop to the imperial elected class, at every level. I don't pay taxes so these people to live a life of royalty.

It is so depressing to realize what government has become in this country in the 21st century. Sigh.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Never a ground to air missile handy when you need one. ;)

[freekitty]

Well she is certainly a liar.

[DennisR]

"Republican House members, aided by friendly radio and television talk show hosts..."

As you can tell, there is no left-wing bias at the San Francisco Chronicle. They are, after all, journalists who are able to be absolutely objective about anything and everything. /s

[DennisR]

Unless it is a matter of security and safety, there is no reason any member of Congress cannot fly commercially. Only the POTUS needs to do that.

[SusaninOhio]

A REAL leader would rise above the 'right wing attacks' or whatever the various MSM are calling the public's questioning of Queen Nancy's royal travel plans.

But she is no leader, not even close. She has to piss and moan about everything she perceives as a personal slight, which tells me this woman has no business being this close to the White House.

Just like Hillary. These women give all women a bad name.

[Sudetenland]

The real absurdity is that the C-32 (757-200) actually has a shorter range than the C-37A (G-5).

Bela Pelosi was strictly after the prestige factor. The First Lady gets to fly in one, the VP gets to fly in one, so she wanted to have the same prestige...BEEEAATCH!

[Recovering_Democrat]

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."

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.

Is this headline right? Republicans did not have a problem with Pelosi using one of the planes used by Hastert!

From what I understand, Herr Pelosi was asking for a 43-seat jet akin to a luxury airliner. That was denied, and rightly so.

Here are the relevant details in the story:

flew home nonstop Thursday night aboard a 12-seat military aircraft set aside for use by lawmakers...[The plane used by Pelosi] is one of the planes used regularly by Hastert [according to the Pentagon].

Nowhere in the article does the "journalist" cite an instance where anyone objected to Pelosi using such a plane.

Notice I use the word journalist in quotes. I do so because most print, broadcast and cyber employees of news organizations work as true journalists. Instead, these kids (some are of the 60s and 70s era, but you'd be surprised how many are really youngsters) are merely churning out the facts toward a cultural point of view that eschews balanced, fair, accurate and objective reporting. Instead they tilt toward the leftwing viewpoints they've been surrounded in; I wonder at time if they are not unlike a fish in water they oftimes are not even able to acknowledge it. Other times, they catch a glimpse of objectivity and decide to ignore it.

[humblegunner]

The president's spokesman, Tony Snow, on Thursday called the criticism "unfair" and the flap "a silly story."

I think Snow is pretty silly, too.

He used to be a talk-radio goon.. I bet he LIKES Pelosi.

[McBuff]

[montag813]

A very silly situation we best the very best of.

[tcrlaf]

You mean she fit her ENRIRE EGO into the shell of a Gulfstream V????????