Air Pelosi: Fit for the Queen

Richard Miniter in today’s NY Post:

Thursday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped out of her Georgetown home and into a government-owned black Chevy Tahoe SUV.

That gas-guzzler truck took her directly to the Rayburn House Office Building - where she was the lead witness at a Science and Technology Committee hearing on global warming.

This, the day after word broke of Pelosi's request for regular use of a U.S. Air Force C-32 - the same plane that flies the vice president and first lady.

She wants to travel in luxury. The Air Force jet is the same size and airframe as the Boeing 757-200, which carries about 300 passengers. The C-32 boasts 42 business-class seats - plus a wood-paneled state room, big-screen TV, full-size bed and crew of 16, including uniformed stewards who bring drinks and meals on request. Oh, and an open bar.

Cost to taxpayers? Some $15,000 an hour.

A round-trip to Rep. Pelosi's home in San Francisco could easily run $300,000.

Meanwhile, the same flight on a commercial jet can run less than $300.

Pelosi campaigned on the promise that she would clean up the GOP's waste and abuse of taxpayer's dollars. So why doesn't she use the little commuter jet that the Air Force lent to Dennis Hastert, the previous speaker?

She said it was "not big enough" to accommodate her staff, supporters and other members of the California delegation.

Well, of course. Why didn’t we realize Pelosi needed a 300 passenger Boeing 757? The Speaker shouldn’t have had to take interrupt her busy schedule to tell us that.

Miniter continues:

Also, it would have to stop to refuel. "There's a certain amount of inefficiency and risk involved in stopping and having to refuel," a Pelosi spokesman said.

My goodness, I never thought about all those inefficient and risky refueling stops.

Maybe Pelosi really does need her own 757.

I mean, won’t she use it mostly for “work,” anyway?

You know, in flight “meetings” with “advocates who speak for the homeless, women’s rights, civil rights and the proper stewardship of our precious natural resources.”

And we want those “work sessions” to be as open to the press as possible. With more seats available, there’ll be more room for the press to accompany Pelosi and “report” to us what’s going on.

Sure, most of those reporters will be her fellow Democrats, but they don’t let that get in the way when they’re on the job, do they?

Miniter closes with this:

Congress should live under the laws it makes for the rest of us - gas taxes, plane travel and all. If Congress' leaders find these too onerous, they can change them for all of us.

Congress could learn a lesson from Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles. On their last visit to America, they flew commercial.

Just a moment, Richard Miniter!

Before you go too far, remember your talking about Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Party’s recently crowned Queen.

You can read Miniter's column here.

Hat Tips:

Realclearpolitics.com

Anon JinC reader who put me on to the likelihood Pelosi will use the plane to give “rides” to the press, who’ll then write “stories” that could take the rest of us for “rides.”