'Air Pelosi': Payback for 5-Day Week?

[gcy]

Today on USNews.com

'Air Pelosi': Payback for 5-Day Week?
By Kenneth T. Walsh
Posted 2/9/07
One of the lesser-known aspects of the "Air Pelosi" controversy is the degree to which the fuss is payback for the House speaker's decision to hold legislators to a five-day workweek instead of the three- or four-day schedule adopted by the Republicans in the past.
Nancy Pelosi has been struggling to explain her need for a big Air Force jet to fly nonstop to her home district in San Francisco. She says she is only following the policy of her predecessor, Republican Dennis Hastert of Illinois, who flew home regularly on government aircraft for security reasons. Pelosi says she needs a bigger government jet than Hastert did because she has a lot farther to go, and, besides, the security requirement was imposed by the House sergeant at arms. Otherwise, she says, she'd fly commercial.
But Pelosi has been attacked by GOP legislators for extravagance and hypocrisy, since she has criticized Republicans for taking too many perks when they controlled Capitol Hill.
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow has sided with Pelosi. But GOP insiders say the issue has a lot to do with Pelosi's work-week requirements, which many legislators consider a PR stunt that imposes a real burden on them getting home to be with their families and constituents.
That said, the aircraft fuss has become "an irresistible target" for the GOP legislators, says a Republican insider.

 

[dahunan]

It is very sad that our politicians behave worse than children on a playground AND GET PAID with our hard earned dollars

Too bad we didn't have a real president who WOULD LAY THE SMACK DOWN on their asses and really come out and tell them to STFU

She didn't even request the plane..

 

[her209]

If the previous plane used by Hastert can fly the leg non-stop, then I don't see a reason why Pelosi can't use it.

 

[gcy]

Pelosi did not ask for the plane, the Sargent-at-Arms did.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: gcy
Pelosi did not ask for the plane, the Sargent-at-Arms did.

Since when did the Fringe Right let the truth get in the way of a good smear campaign?

 

[gcy]

I find it outrageous that the republicans in congress, are smearing the speaker of the house because they have to show up 5 days a week instead of 3 days, while our soldiers are fighting and dying 24/7

 

[Jhhnn]

Congressional repubs are pretty desperate, so they'll latch onto anything, even if there's no real meat on it... They're almost as disconnected from reality as the Whitehouse, and their current efforts illustrate that rather pointedly. Little do they know that they're mostly embarassing themselves.

No, Hastert's plane won't reliably make it nonstop to Pelosi's district.

The reason for the 5 day workweek is all the work the repubs failed to finish in their last "do nothing but pose" session... legislation is a lot like laundry, with heaps of it building up when you get lazy... Repubs could just stay home, anyway, let Dems take care of it. I'm sure they will... It's easier to work, anyway, when you don't have to listen to a lot of whining...

Repubs have to make a choice between more quality time with their families or more quality time with their campaign contributors- I'm expecting a rise in their divorce rate...

And gcy makes an excellent point...

 

[bobdelt]

The whole thing is stupid. Then dont need to go home on the weekend. They knew where the job was when they applied for it. They get a pay check, they can fly coach like the rest of america.

 

[Red Dawn]

Why do Legislators need to go home every weekend? Don't most of them have residences in DC or the adjoining areas?

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Why do Legislators need to go home every weekend? Don't most of them have residences in DC or the adjoining areas?

To avoid questions from people who complain about those who don't that they're out of touch with their constituants.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Why do Legislators need to go home every weekend? Don't most of them have residences in DC or the adjoining areas?

To avoid questions from people who complain about those who don't that they're out of touch with their constituants.

LOL, traveling Coast to Coast even non stop every weekend would leave one pretty out of touch with reality.

 

[Craig234]

It's not linked to the 5 day week IMO, but simply to the political need for them to be on the offense over anything. Remember the attacks on Clinton for his expensive haircut at LAX while 'average citizens' had to sit and wait for him to get it cut? Except that not one person was actually delayed by his haircut, it was a lie...

Typical right-wing smears.

 

[tomywishbone]

Originally posted by: bobdelt
The whole thing is stupid. Then dont need to go home on the weekend. They knew where the job was when they applied for it. They get a pay check, they can fly coach like the rest of america.

:thumbsup:

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Why do Legislators need to go home every weekend? Don't most of them have residences in DC or the adjoining areas?

To avoid questions from people who complain about those who don't that they're out of touch with their constituants.

LOL, traveling Coast to Coast even non stop every weekend would leave one pretty out of touch with reality.

It's done all the time.

Just because you "lose touch with reality" by flying on airplanes doesn't mean it's not routine for many others.

Some of us even find it a good time to unwind, relax or if so inclined, catch up on some work.

Hard to believe, eh?

 

[DealMonkey]

Good. Congress should work a 5-day week just like the rest of us poor SOBs. F'n lazy bastards, get to work!

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: feralkid

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: Harvey

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Why do Legislators need to go home every weekend? Don't most of them have residences in DC or the adjoining areas?

To avoid questions from people who complain about those who don't that they're out of touch with their constituants.

LOL, traveling Coast to Coast even non stop every weekend would leave one pretty out of touch with reality.

It's done all the time.

Just because you "lose touch with reality" by flying on airplanes doesn't mean it's not routine for many others.

Some of us even find it a good time to unwind, relax or if so inclined, catch up on some work.

Hard to believe, eh?

So you could fly Coast to Coast every Weekend and still find time to work on the Weekends? Good Man, it would be tough for me.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: tomywishbone

Originally posted by: bobdelt
The whole thing is stupid. Then dont need to go home on the weekend. They knew where the job was when they applied for it. They get a pay check, they can fly coach like the rest of america.

:thumbsup:

Neither of you knows your ass from a hole in the ground. Pelosi is second in the line of accession to the Presidency, right behind some dickwad who's had four heart attacks and a pacemaker, and whose name keeps coming up in Scooter Libby's trial as a participant in outing Valerie Plame's identity as a covert CIA operative. :shocked:

As was posted in the other thread about this, Federal law since 9-11 mandates that Pelosi must have security when she travels. Non-stop flights are more secure because every takeoff and landing raises an incremental additional risk. The size of the plane necessary for a non-stop transcontinental flight is also a matter of laws... the laws of physics. :roll:

 

[zephyrprime]

The solution is obvious. Move the capital to Lebanon, Kansas! It's the geographical center of the United States. This way, congress' flight times would be cut on average.

http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzcenterofusa.htm

 

[Oric]

She shall not fly !! :lol:

 

[daveymark]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: gcy
Pelosi did not ask for the plane, the Sargent-at-Arms did.

Since when did the Fringe Right let the truth get in the way of a good smear campaign?

So you admit Tony Snow is not part of the fringe right?

It's a baby step, but a step nonetheless.

 

[Balt]

Originally posted by: her209
If the previous plane used by Hastert can fly the leg non-stop, then I don't see a reason why Pelosi can't use it.

The previous plane used by Hastert could fly non-stop to Illinois (where he lives). Apparently it cannot fly non-stop to California (where Pelosi lives).

 

[Rainsford]

I have frequently found the attacks from the right to be pretty stupid, but I think I can say with confidence that this is the dumbest attack yet. Pelosi is not a computer programmer or an accountant, she is Speaker of the House...2nd in the line of succession to the Presidency of the United States. The two folks more powerful than her in the country have their own planes, giving her access to military flights when she needs them makes sense for a variety of reasons. As for it putting her "out of touch" with the common folks, that's stupid, she ISN'T one of the common folks, and if the flights help her do a better job, I'm all for it. Not to mention that there is ample precedent for it and she didn't even ask for special treatment.

Seriously, if I needed any more confirmation that the Republicans have taken over the job of being the whiney pissant party in this country, this ridiculous attack proves it.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: daveymark
So you admit Tony Snow is not part of the fringe right?

Hardly. He's a full blown member of the Bushwhacko team. I give them credit only for recognizing the blatantly obvious -- that this particular piece of fringoid fluff was a red herring and a non-starter, and supporting it could only make them look more stupid than the majority of Americans already know they are.

 

[ntdz]

Personally, I'm not really for a 5 day week for the legislature. That'll just give them more time to screw things up (I'm referring to both parties).

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: gcy
Pelosi did not ask for the plane, the Sargent-at-Arms did.

I read an article about what happened and it's no big deal. She didn't want to have to stop to refuel on the way home, so she said she'd just fly commercial if the air force wouldn't give her a bigger plane. Non issue.