Pelosi Seeks Upgrade for Plane (ABC Mincing Facts over Pelosi Plamegate)

ABC News ^ | Feb 8, 2007 | JAKE TAPPER

[bamahead]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2007 — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., today responded to Republican critics who have accused her of making unreasonable demands on the Pentagon for a luxurious airplane her Republican predecessor never requested.

Pelosi charged that the Pentagon is treating her request for a military plane differently than that of her predecessor because she is a woman.

.....

But while the C-20 could fly to Hastert's Aurora, Ill., district, which is slightly more than 700 miles from Washington, D.C., without stopping to refuel, Pelosi's home district is in San Francisco, more than 2,800 miles from the nation's capital, and the C-20 generally would need to stop and refuel to make it all the way to the Bay Area. So Pelosi requested a plane that could make it to California without having to stop along the way, and asked for clarification from the Pentagon about whether friends and colleagues could accompany her.

[Mercat]

well good. I'm glad that they didn't cave it to her demands. It's embarrassing to me as a woman for her to play the gender card. yuk

[GretchenM]

She's claiming it's for security reasons that she and her extremely important entourage can't stop and refuel.

What's wrong with this picture? You, Madame Speaker, are saying it's too stinking dangerous to land in middle America? (cough) THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT PROBLEM.

I am sick of these power grabs, of people who want to be worshiped and adored and bowed down to, and be treated as though they WERE the president, pushing people out of the way to get the perqs of an office they don't hold, and bloating federal spending, ETC.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Pelosi charged that the Pentagon is treating her request for a military plane differently than that of her predecessor because she is a woman.

Did someone from the Pentagon tell Pelosi this? Is there any reason to believe this statement at all? If so, Pelosi should either disclose it or apologize to the Pentagon and to the rest of us for wasting our time with lame, reactionary accusations of sexism.

[Raycpa]

Lets start a mock internet drive for folks to donate their unused frequent flyer miles for Pelosi.

[bamahead]

Pelosi charged that the Pentagon is treating her request for a military plane differently than that of her predecessor because she is a woman.

Yep. Out comes the victimhood...

[doc1019]

I’m sure the Prez could loan her his standby 747. The fact that the spare 747 has “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” painted on it would just excite her no end. And I’m also sure her radio call sign would be “Air force one but better”. As for her personal call sign … (would get banned for my suggestion).

[Bigg Red]

We, the people, should feel honored to adore her highness regardless of the cost. Isn't she worth it? Isn't she better than the rest of us? How can we, living in the flyover lands, ever hope to understand her needs? To think she only wants a B-757, why, she is such a humble servant. Truly, we are lucky to be blessed with her. How can we serve you, Madam? May we serve you, oh Blessed One?

**
Thank you, thank you, GBA, for reigning us in. I repent mightily of the disrespectful comments I have made about Queen Nancy this day. We are not worthy! I hope that Her Majesty and Queen Hitlery will forgive us.

[Bigg Red]

If she really raised the fact that she's a woman, she's a total leftwing lightweight jerk.

&&
She did, indeed; I saw the clip this morning. But, come on, you didn't need that info to know that she's a total leftwing lightweight jerk.

[LibFreeOrDie]

This is the one Pelosi wants:

http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=90

The C-32 is a specially configured version of the Boeing 757-200 commercial intercontinental airliner.

[Raycpa]

[Tallguy]

Therefore, Pelosi needs an orbital flight that can get her home in under two hours, too.

...or she needs the SR-71 that GHWB used to negotiate the hostage release back in 1980 (remember that moldy-oldy from Carter's Iran-Hostage Crisis?). If I'm not mistaken the Blackbird could crank out a coast to coast in 90 minutes. Course San Fran Nan would need an immediate Botox treatment after each flight.

[Raycpa]

Load: 45 passengers


Crew: 16 (varies with mission)

[GBA]

Not to worry. I'm sure all will be forgiven. She is benevolent in her deity.

I, like all good Americans, would gladly give several years pay so that She might not have to stop in some god forsaken place like Des Moines where She might be sullied by the huddled masses. No, She should, no She MUST fly non-stop, and if that costs more than I might make in any given year, then I am honored to serve Her.

[shield]

Didn't the Pentagon tell her NO NO NO....

[mathurine]

Lighten the airplane's load by recruiting a crew of midgets and use the weight saved for added fuel. This will also make madame speaker look at least as big as Dennis Hastert when she is in and around the plane.

[Wolverine]

Pelosi airplane

[BlueDragon]

Pelosi is also claiming that it wasn't her that requested the larger jet...it was the Sergeant At(of?) Arms (of the House), since that office is who makes or controls congressional travel arrangements (except for when they fly commercial, in which case they are reimbursed through that office?).

If the above is actually true, what I'd like to know is; was it Nancy who originated the request for the larger jet...and the Sergeant was merely passing along the request, or was it the Sergeant At/of Arms' idea in the first place? On a related note, could we trust whomever THAT is, to tell the truth of the matter?

If folks here are wrong about this, we're just needlessly burning daylight, and making ourselves look hateful, which can hurt us in the future, when we'll be needing to be not only "heard", but actually heeded [for a change!].

Let's all try to stick with the facts, whatever they may be.
We are in a war in Iraq, and unfortunately, also in an info war, here at home amongst ourselves (Americans).

Our ammo, our word, simply HAS to be pure. The stakes are too high for us to indulge ourselves in less.

[LibFreeOrDie]

One of those lawn-chair-plus-lawnmower-engine "planes" would do nicely.

This one's cute:

http://www.siliconbeat.com/entries/2005/06/10/commuting_to_silicon_valleyby_gyroplane.html

[fat city]

You know, the sorriest part of this story is that it is an undisputed fact that she could make it to work in DC with no problem under all circumstances but we are being asked to provide her with the luxury of a speedy trip home from Washington to get back home for recesses.

Now that I think about it....don't we have any supersonic craft for that trip?

[thinking]

The real reason she is upset is; she want to charge for the seats, in the form of campaign "donations"