Mar 11 2009
US Military = Speaker Pelosi’s personal airline and taxi service
This is actually not new, these allegations came long ago, and were ignored.
Apparently the most ethical Speaker ever isn’t troubled by wasting tax payer dollars.
I would have expected that now that our country is in such dire straits, as she contends, that she would be more reasonable and frugal.
Nope. The typical culture in Washington DC continues to be “do as I say, not as I do.
The dogs eat dog and the pigs get all the corn…
House Speaker Issued Unprecedented Demands for Military Aircraft and Wasted Taxpayer Resources with Last Minute Cancellations
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the Department of Defense (DOD) detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s multiple requests for military air travel. The documents, obtained by Judicial Watch through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), include internal DOD email correspondence detailing attempts by DOD staff to accommodate Pelosi’s numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speaker’s last minute cancellations and changes. The following are a few highlights from the documents, which are linked in full below:
- In response to a series of requests for military aircraft, one Defense Department official wrote, “Any chance of politely querying [Pelosi's team] if they really intend to do all of these or are they just picking every weekend?…[T]here’s no need to block every weekend ‘just in case’…” The email also notes that Pelosi’s office had, “a history of canceling many of their past requests.”
- One DOD official complained about the “hidden costs” associated with the speaker’s last minute changes and cancellations. “We have…folks prepping the jets and crews driving in (not a short drive for some), cooking meals and preflighting the jets etc.”
- The documents include a discussion of House Ethics rules and Defense Department policies as they apply to the speaker’s requests for staff, spouses and extended family to accompany her on military aircraft. In May 2008, for example, Pelosi requested that her husband join her on a Congressional Delegation (CODEL) into Iraq. The DOD explained to Pelosi that the agency has a written policy prohibiting spouses from joining CODEL’s into combat zones.
- Documents obtained from the U.S. Army include correspondence from Speaker Pelosi’s office requesting an Army escort and three military planes to transport Pelosi and other members of Congress to Cleveland, Ohio, for the funeral services of the late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Pelosi noted in her letter of August 22, 2008, that such a request, labeled “Operation Tribute” was an “exception to standard policy.”
- The documents also detail correspondence from intermediaries for Speaker Pelosi issuing demands for certain aircraft and expressing outrage when requested military planes were not available. “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…” wrote Kay King, Director of the House Office of Interparliamentary Affairs. In a separate email, when told a certain type of aircraft would not be available, King writes, “This is not good news, and we will have some very disappointed folks, as well as a very upset [s]peaker.”
- During another email exchange DOD staff advised Kay King that one Pelosi military aircraft request could not be met because of “crew rest requirements” and offered to help secure commercial travel. Kay King responded: “We appreciate the efforts to help the codel [sic] fly commercially but you know the problem that creates with spouses. If we can find another way to assist with military assets, we would like to do that.”
Speaker Pelosi came under fire in 2007 for requesting a 42-seat Air Force carrier to ferry the Speaker and her staff back and forth between San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC. Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert was allowed access to a 12-seat commuter jet for security reasons after the events of 9/11.
“Taken together, these documents show that Speaker Pelosi treats the Air Force like her personal airline,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Not only does Speaker Pelosi issue unreasonable requests for military travel, but her office seems unconcerned about wasting taxpayer money with last minute cancellations and other demands.”
Trot over to Hot Air for a clip from 2007 showing this is hardly new nor is it limited to Pelosi.
But she sure does have a knack for outrageousness. Remember the good old days when our politicians were servants, who served the public? Now we serve them, and they demand that we bow and scrape before their demands for privilage.
Exit question: How do these people get reelected? How can we be be so stupid?
Trackposted to Nuke’s, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Investorblogger Dot Com, third world county, Political Byline, Woman Honor Thyself, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, CORSARI D’ITALIA, Conservative Cat, Right Voices, and Stageleft, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
2 Responses to “US Military = Speaker Pelosi’s personal airline and taxi service”
I saw Karl Rove do a partial apologia for Pelosi’s “taxi service” use of military transport, making note of the post- 9/11 increased security for the line of succession to the presidency instituted by the GWB admin that included providing government transport to more of those who were in that line.
He did note, however, how Pelosi has pressed for more luxurious and longer-ranged transport (in part so that she can make her jaunts “home” in one hop rather than two). The luxury part is all about her perception of her status, though. Come to think of it, so’s the “one hop over two” thing…
It is a sweet lil piece of irony, isn’t it? The latte-sipping leftist eco-whacked “of the people” Dhimmicrap demanding a bigger, fuel-guzzling luxury craft than the evil old “Big Bidness” Repugnican’t.
If the 89th gets some of those new C-12/King Air 350s that I was building until I got laid off, let her use one of those. It’s a damn good airplane. But it is a twin engined turboprop and would require fuel stops between Andrews and Travis or SFO. But it is a fuel efficient airplane.
As the maintenance guys really determine what aircraft are ready to use, said maintenance chief could really pee in the Queen’s cornflakes. When she shows, down the airplane. The wrenchturners could make her life a living hell and get away with it. The final checkers and crew chiefs have the last say on if you go flying or not. Been there, done that. sometimes it’s alot of fun.