From an e-mail sent by the House's Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) that was later posted at his congressional web site:
WASHINGTON, D.C.-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's demand to have regular use of a luxurious C-32 for flights to her San Francisco home and other official trips was publicly rebuked by the U.S. House today via the Cantor amendment to the Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act (H.R. 547) by a vote of 385-23.
As originally reported in the New York Post, the aircraft has a game room, stateroom, showers, a communications center and seats 42 to 50 people and it costs taxpayers $22,000 an hour to operate, according to the Air Force.
"The request by Speaker Pelosi to have a private jumbo-jet is an extravagance that taxpayers should not have to pay for," said Cantor.
Here is the roll call vote involved. The vote occurred at 5:07 PM on Thursday, February 8.
Before the 30-day window of Google News expires, let's see how much coverage the rebuke received (searching on "Pelosi rebuke" and "Pelosi rebuked," both without quotes; the first search was narrowed to February 7-11 to avoid hundreds of listings relating to the Iraq Troop Surge Resolution "rebuke," as spun by the press, of President Bush) as of 9:30 PM on Sunday, March 4:
........
........
.......
That's right. There isn't any.
What are the odds that a rebuke to a similar demand by Newt Gingrich in 1995 (which, of course, was never made) would have been ignored?
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
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Tom, Tom, Tom. Nancy had no
March 4, 2007 - 23:10 ET by dahliatraversTom, Tom, Tom. Nancy had nothing to do with this request. The House Sargeant at Arms insisted that she have this ... protection. She was just deferring to him.
Her excuse. Not true. The s
March 4, 2007 - 23:17 ET by liberal_bug_zapperHer excuse. Not true. The same jet that took Hastert to his home could easily transport SanFran Nan back home. He had the Gulfstream 3 jet, which has an average range of 4,125 nautical miles. This is more than enough to get SanFranNan from coast to coast.
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"These are the times that try men's souls." ~ Thomas Paine
The media enablers tried usin
March 4, 2007 - 23:41 ET by Del DolemonteThe media enablers tried using a "winter headwinds" spin on the range of the plane, but it didn't work, since the range of the plane was still much higher than the jet stream would slow down.
Great-circle (point to point) distance between Andrews Air Force Base and San Francisco is just over 2200 miles, well within the range of the Hastert plane. Factor in that she would also probably land at Travis AFB, which is east of the Bay Area, and the total distance is even smaller.
What really troubles me is that this rebuke of Pelosi took place weeks ago. Who in the "new media" missed the story until now?
Missed
March 5, 2007 - 00:34 ET by Tom BlumerI wanted to let a few days go by after Cantor's e-mail, but it turned into a few weeks. I believe quite a few people go Cantor's e-mail, since I didn't volunteer to be on his list. I believe I got it because I'm on Boeher's Minority Leader list, as anyone following the GOP's efforts in the House should be.
To answer the question, I guess everyone else who knew of it thought the rebuke was no big deal, from guys like Bob Novak on down. I don't see how; almost all Dems rebuked her too, meaning that it must have been getting hot in the kitchen.
In fact I recently saw a st
March 5, 2007 - 06:56 ET by Right2thePointIn fact I recently saw a story she took the same jet Hastert used on a trip back to SF to attend a funeral.
Don't have the link but it should be available if it hasn't fallen of the edge of the internet world.
Did a search and found the
March 5, 2007 - 06:58 ET by Right2thePointDid a search and found the story
http://tinyurl.com/2...
Pelosi flew nonstop from the nation's capital to San Francisco to attend
the funeral services of the late Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy aboard a C-37A, the
military's version of a Gulfstream V that can travel 6,300 miles. It is one of
the planes used regularly by Hastert, Pelosi's office and the Pentagon said.
Sorry, next time, I'll increa
March 5, 2007 - 20:22 ET by dahliatraversSorry, next time, I'll increase the volume on the sarcasm. This was a selfish, self-aggrandizing request made by Speaker Nancy Pelosi herself that would have gone way beyond anything Hastert did. Someone below says it was an abuse of power. Exactly, and of tax dollars.
dahlia,Worry not....many got
March 5, 2007 - 20:30 ET by Blondedahlia,
Worry not....many got your sarcasm here.
It takes a while to establish your sarcasm equilibrium. In the interim, just so everyone gets it....you can post a "sarcasm / off" switch. Personally, I don't think you need to...but that's just me.
Your post was right on.
Blinky Pelosi is a big pig of the worse sort at the public trough. Her demand for the big jet was obscene.
I can't wait for her "most ethical congress ever" to go down in self-aggandanizing flames. She's the biggest embarassment this country has ever seen. Keep waiting for it, though....she won't be able to help herself. The "jet job" is just the first.
Thanks, Blonde.This incident
March 5, 2007 - 23:10 ET by dahliatraversThanks, Blonde.
This incident was a revealing look at her attitude, inasmuch as the request was both tone deaf and reeked of entitlement. "Why, yes, I'll fly around in a shower-and-gym equipped jet that costs the taxpayers $22,000 per hour to operate."
You may be right; this may well be foreshadowing of her Congress as a whole.
Hey do you have this item i
March 5, 2007 - 02:12 ET by FairlightHey do you have this item in stock:
1986 Honda Civic hatchback
It's no longer incredible t
March 4, 2007 - 23:10 ET by liberal_bug_zapperIt's no longer incredible to me. All I'm thinking now is how to deal with the discrepancy in such a way that it gets noticed by the American people. I can't believe the American public at large are a bunch of traitorous socialists like the media. So how do we break free of the overbearing media stranglehold on information dissemination?
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"Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way." ~ Thomas Paine editorialized.
Thanks for posting this. I w
March 5, 2007 - 00:33 ET by BlazerThanks for posting this. I was wondering what ever became of the Air-Pelosi debacle. What shocked me most is her lapdog Murtha, actually voted against her, after he was so adament she have it in the first place.,
murtha
March 5, 2007 - 00:36 ET by Tom BlumerWell over 85% of Dems voted for the rebuke; perhaps it was a way to seem tough to the folks back home, but it must have stung Ms. San Francisco Treat more than a little.
Unfortunately for the count
March 5, 2007 - 00:42 ET by liberal_bug_zapperUnfortunately for the country, this will probably be the only time they vote against her like this. And they'll use this as a whipping post to prove that they don't always fall in line behind the speaker like everyone claims.... it was a ruse to give them the perfect cover of 'not rubber stamping' like the Republicans.
What bothers me is that there will be a good percentage of people out there who will look at the excuse later and agree with it as an example of a more ethical congress.... bah.
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"Lead, follow or get the friggin hell out of my way loser." ~ Thomas Paine massively editorialized.
Next on the agenda should be
March 5, 2007 - 00:52 ET by gfrrmanNext on the agenda should be the status of William "freezer" Jefferson!!
Yea, but nothing stings worse
March 5, 2007 - 00:44 ET by BlazerYea, but nothing stings worse than getting bit by your own (Murtha) poodle!
Yea, but nothing stings worse
March 5, 2007 - 00:53 ET by BlazerYea, but nothing stings worse than getting bit by your own (Murtha) poodle!
From the Sf Chronicle:
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., the Pelosi ally who chairs the House military appropriations subcommittee, said he has spoken to Pentagon officials about the need to provide Pelosi with a bigger plane that can fly passengers coast to coast in comfort.
But he denied pressuring the Pentagon. "I don't need to pressure them. I just tell them what they need to do,'' Murtha said. Murtha said he is convinced the Pentagon has been leaking information about the possibility that Pelosi would use large military planes to make her look bad. But he said, "They're making a mistake when they leak it because she decides on allocations for them,'' referring to the Pentagon budget.
By the way, I would like to a
March 5, 2007 - 00:40 ET by BlazerBy the way, I would like to add that I live in Cantors district. Kudos to him for bringing this to the floor. He is a no frills conservative, thinks outside the beltway, and has the old time quality traits the Republican party needs.
By the way Nancy. Don't fre
March 5, 2007 - 01:02 ET by radiofitz34By the way Nancy. Don't fret you can still get free peanuts on your flight just like us common folks. Maybe even salted.
Ditto: kudos to Congressman
March 5, 2007 - 20:24 ET by dahliatraversDitto: kudos to Congressman Cantor.
Tom, wasn't the press painting this issue as a Rep. vs. Dem. thi
March 5, 2007 - 06:52 ET by acaiguanaTom, wasn't the press painting this issue as a Rep. vs. Dem. thing? As in Hastert got it, why can't Nancy?
I don't really have much problem with the Speaker (whoever) getting protection in these times. But I cannot understand why they would ignore such an obvious abuse of office. Oh, well, I can I suppose. Sort of kinda maybe...
ACA
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Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
Pelosi Vote
March 5, 2007 - 08:13 ET by PawpawNWhat did NanNan vote? Don't see her name there anywhere!
dem
March 5, 2007 - 08:30 ET by Tom BlumerI don't know about the Pelosi v. Hastert thing. The post is about a rebuke the media ignored.
I would think that what she wanted was beyond what Hastert got. Otherwise, why would anyone have supported a rebuke?
Well, that was sort of my point, she wanted more.
March 5, 2007 - 10:12 ET by acaiguanaWell, that was sort of my point, she wanted more.
So much more that it was ridiculous.
ACA
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Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
No Airliner for you!
March 5, 2007 - 08:16 ET by blackrain4xmasI wonder if she was refused because Congressional Democrats have been convinced of the Global Warming threat, and are trying to cut back on their carbon footprint.
YEAH! RIGHT!!!!
Who does this woman think s
March 5, 2007 - 12:10 ET by Tim the EnchanterWho does this woman think she is? Sorry... I must have missed the coronation or something. I guess she must have something about mixing with us plebs and commoners.