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Murtha Barks Threats at Pentagon Over "Pelosi One"

A week ago, I wrote about Nancy Pelosi's unprecedented demands for military transport for her travel needs, as well as those of her family, her staff, and just about anyone else she felt like dribbling out taxpayer-funded spoils to.  Pelosi had whined about the C-20 (a militarized Gulf Stream III) she'd been offered (the same plane made available to former Speaker Dennis Hastert), on the grounds that the plane would have to stop to refuel en route from Washington to San Francisco.  Pelosi wants a C-32 (a deluxe, militarized Boeing 757), costing $22,000 per hour to operate.

The Pentagon rejected Pelosi's demands, attaching several conditions to her use of military transport.

• No more than 10 passengers (C-20's seat only 12 passengers, not including up to 5 crew members);

• No travel to political events;

• Members of the speaker's family cannot fly unless the speaker makes a request in writing. ThePelosi family has to reimburse the U.S. Treasury for the cost of a coach ticket per person for the travel, as well as for any food;

• Members of Congress cannot fly on the plane unless their travel has been cleared with the House Committee on Standards (the Ethics Committee);

• Pelosi's husband can travel for free, but only for official protocol purposes.

Who's running the pool on how long it'll be until "Most Ethical" Nancy breaks one of those rules?

In response, a Pelosi spokesman said only, "We appreciate the Defense Department's continuing concern for the speaker's security.  We are reviewing their letter."

The results of that review appear to include unleashing the berserkery of Pelosi's failed pick for majority leader, Rep. Jack Murtha, who has taken to pounding his chest and threatening the Pentagon with cuts in Defense appropriations as retaliation for their having the gall to defy the demands of Madam Speaker.

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....  "I don't need to pressure them. I just tell them what they need to do." Murtha said.

[Murtha] told CNN that the Pentagon was making "a mistake" by leaking information unfavorable to the speaker "since she decides on the allocations for the Department of Defense."

I can see why Pelosi wanted Murtha as her deputy.  He's like a rabid gorilla, completely unencumbered by consideration of propriety or consequences and ready to be unleashed at whomever the Speaker can't otherwise compel to bend to her whims.

To offer a slightly different metaphor, Nancy is the Congressional equivalent of Veruca Salt.  Jack Murtha is Veruca's doting but spineless father.  The Pentagon is Willy Wonka and a shiny C-32 is the trained squirrel/golden goose.  Anti-Bush proxy voting in the 2006 election is Veruca's golden ticket, et cetera, and so on.

A Capitol Hill source speaking on conditions of anonymity reports Speaker Pelosi has also demanded an all-Oompa Loompa flight crew.

Previously:  The Magnanimous Madam Speaker

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Update:   Here's footage of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) on the House floor kicking off the debate on an amendment he offered to a Democrat bill on global warming issues, in protest of the Speaker's attempted abuse of taxpayer money.  Not to mention her attempted abuse of the environment.

Let's do a little figurin'.  Normally, a 757 would get somewhere around 60 passenger-miles/gallon, but that's assuming it's loaded with 200 passengers.  On the souped up Pelosi One model, after you make room for the "primary passenger's" state room, private lavatory, changing room, entertainment system, etc., there's only room for 50, yielding a resulting efficiency closer to 15 passenger-miles/gallon (or less, if she's not filling every seat).

Her entire entourage could make the trips between Washington and San Francisco in their own individual Hummer H3s and it would be more fuel-efficient.

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Update:  NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) adds, “With a ticket on Pelosi One Airlines costing taxpayers thousands of dollars per hour, it’s no wonder the Democrats are so eager to raise taxes.”

Cole's office offers this exclusive look at an authentic Pelosi One Airlines boarding pass:

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Update:   Pelosi One releases its first TV commercial.  Come fly the taxpayer-funded skies!

Comments

Murtha Barks Threats at Pentagon Over "Pelosi One"

A week ago, I wrote about Nancy Pelosi's unprecedented demands for military transport for her travel needs, as well as those of her family, her staff, and just about anyone else she felt like dribbling out taxpayer-funded spoils to.  Pelosi had whined about the C-20 (a militarized Gulf Stream III) she'd been offered (the same plane made available to former Speaker Dennis Hastert), on the grounds that the plane would have to stop to refuel en route from Washington to San Francisco.  Pelosi wants a C-32 (a deluxe, militarized Boeing 757), costing $22,000 per hour to operate.

The Pentagon rejected Pelosi's demands, attaching several conditions to her use of military transport.

• No more than 10 passengers (C-20's seat only 12 passengers, not including up to 5 crew members);

• No travel to political events;

• Members of the speaker's family cannot fly unless the speaker makes a request in writing. ThePelosi family has to reimburse the U.S. Treasury for the cost of a coach ticket per person for the travel, as well as for any food;

• Members of Congress cannot fly on the plane unless their travel has been cleared with the House Committee on Standards (the Ethics Committee);

• Pelosi's husband can travel for free, but only for official protocol purposes.

Who's running the pool on how long it'll be until "Most Ethical" Nancy breaks one of those rules?

In response, a Pelosi spokesman said only, "We appreciate the Defense Department's continuing concern for the speaker's security.  We are reviewing their letter."

The results of that review appear to include unleashing the berserkery of Pelosi's failed pick for majority leader, Rep. Jack Murtha, who has taken to pounding his chest and threatening the Pentagon with cuts in Defense appropriations as retaliation for their having the gall to defy the demands of Madam Speaker.

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....  "I don't need to pressure them. I just tell them what they need to do." Murtha said.

[Murtha] told CNN that the Pentagon was making "a mistake" by leaking information unfavorable to the speaker "since she decides on the allocations for the Department of Defense."

I can see why Pelosi wanted Murtha as her deputy.  He's like a rabid gorilla, completely unencumbered by consideration of propriety or consequences and ready to be unleashed at whomever the Speaker can't otherwise compel to bend to her whims.

To offer a slightly different metaphor, Nancy is the Congressional equivalent of Veruca Salt.  Jack Murtha is Veruca's doting but spineless father.  The Pentagon is Willy Wonka and a shiny C-32 is the trained squirrel/golden goose.  Anti-Bush proxy voting in the 2006 election is Veruca's golden ticket, et cetera, and so on.

A Capitol Hill source speaking on conditions of anonymity reports Speaker Pelosi has also demanded an all-Oompa Loompa flight crew.

Previously:  The Magnanimous Madam Speaker

---

Update:   Here's footage of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) on the House floor kicking off the debate on an amendment he offered to a Democrat bill on global warming issues, in protest of the Speaker's attempted abuse of taxpayer money.  Not to mention her attempted abuse of the environment.

Let's do a little figurin'.  Normally, a 757 would get somewhere around 60 passenger-miles/gallon, but that's assuming it's loaded with 200 passengers.  On the souped up Pelosi One model, after you make room for the "primary passenger's" state room, private lavatory, changing room, entertainment system, etc., there's only room for 50, yielding a resulting efficiency closer to 15 passenger-miles/gallon (or less, if she's not filling every seat).

Her entire entourage could make the trips between Washington and San Francisco in their own individual Hummer H3s and it would be more fuel-efficient.

---

Update:  NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) adds, “With a ticket on Pelosi One Airlines costing taxpayers thousands of dollars per hour, it’s no wonder the Democrats are so eager to raise taxes.”

Cole's office offers this exclusive look at an authentic Pelosi One Airlines boarding pass:

---

Update:   Pelosi One releases its first TV commercial.  Come fly the taxpayer-funded skies!