Dan Cody

I think he’s just trying to get his ratings up. Nothing fires up the crazies like tieing together anti-government, anti-tax, and anti-woman rhetoric.

I agree, I mean there are plenty of reasons to hate Pelosi without even having to mention the jet.

I love how you lefties throw around the word sexism and anti-woman, except when it comes to Sarah Palin and Muslims who beat and behead their wives.

Dan, “facts never get in the way of spreading straight up lies on the public AM airwaves” or with local liberal bloggers.

First of all, you only took the time to mention FOX News in your post, which seems to insinuate that there’s some right wing bias to the article. After doing a quick two minute web search, I found the same story at today’s Yahoo’s Finance page, Associated Content, Marketwire, WorldNetDaily, Breitbart and The Women on the Web. Had I taken more time, I’m sure I could have found many more sites where this story appeared. If anything, rather than being a FOX News right wing smear, this shows the outright bias at the other mainstream media outlets for not also reporting on the story.

So where did this story come from? The investigation and research was done by JudicialWatch.org and posted on their web site today. While JudicialWatch does describe themselves as a conservative group, their story includes links to the documents (in .PDF format) that they obtained from the DOD under the Freedom of Information Act detailing Nancy Pelosi’s request for military air travel. The point of the story is not that she has access to military aircraft, but rather the frequency in which she requests it, the uses for the aircraft and the speaker’s requests for staff, spouses and extended family to accompany her on military aircraft.

Their story includes documents obtained from the U.S. Army 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 details 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. 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 speaker.”

Finally, having listened to Jay Weber this morning, he was VERY VERY clear when he stated that Pelosi had every right to use military aircraft for travel just as her predecessor, Dennis Hastert, did. Without Jay Weber reporting on this story, many of his listeners without access to the internet would never have heard about it. We know only to well that it won’t be reported by any of the mainstream media outlets.

With documents from the DOD in hand, I’m now wondering, what lies were told?

“As Speaker of the House she’s second in line for the Presidency” So what? Hastert shouldn’t have a plane and neither does Pelosi. At the very least, whe should be reimbursing the true cost of running the airplane- cost of the pilots, fuel, wear and tear of the airplane etc. Otherwise, fly commercial.
Travel on military aircraft by congress people or cabinet people should be restricted to areas not served by commercial airlines, or war zones.

Dmrsilva, great job, now sit back and listen to the crickets chirp.

There was a piece by one of the news magazine shows (60 minutes, I think) that pointed out how many times the auto execs got railed on for flying to Washington in a private jet to ask for a bailout, but congresspeople charter flights all the time that cost the taxpayer tens of thousands of dollars. They also often fly commercial to visit foreign nations in international first class (which, is not at all the same as domestic first class and generally costs tens of thousands of dollars).

I do not work to pay for congresspeople to fly first class commercially and on chartered private flights. My company has reduced its travel with the use of technology in an effort to cut costs during this recession. There is no motivation for congresspeople to do so.

I think each office should be required to report in an accessible manner how much taxpayer money they ate up with travel, free mail, and other perks that often get abused.

And this is not a partisan issue, no matter how much some people want to make it one. This is a transparency and government waste issue.

I agree if there is a national emergency, then by all means, let them fly military, otherwise, no.

Dan, spare us the back peddling, the whole point of the topic being brought up is the manner and frequency that Pelosi is using the top most luxurious aircraft in the armed forces fleet. Her aid expressing the speakers outrage that this particular plane would not be available at her beckon call and at a moments notice is the story here. At a time when these politicians pontificate about how we Americans need to sacrifice and how evil corporate heads dont fly commercial on bended knee to a congressional hearing. They always pat each other on the back about how they have given their lives to public service yet we never see the servant type behavior. Arrogant politicians who try to make us feel guilty about what we drive and how high we need to set our thermostats, while they treat themselves like royalty at the publics expense.

@BonyT,

Not sure when Dan has expressed support for Muslims who beat and behead their wives…

So it doesn’t seem like there are too many chicks posting (or they are posting with some pretty butch names). Here’s the sexism line: something is said about or happens to a woman that wouldn’t happen to a man. Example: Nancy Pelosi is a witch, Sarah Palin is just a pretty baby-makin’ machine. Here’s what is not: I disagree with Nancy Pelosi’s policy positions, Sarah Palin can’t name a Supreme Court decision outside of Roe v. Wade. Those statements have nothing to do with their gender.

Here’s what else is sexist: saying the media is biased against women because you’re a poor performer in interviews. Anyone, male or female, who goes into politics, should be able to take the heat, but in this county, the heat should be about what you do, not what your gender is.