Posted by
Bullfrog on Thursday, February 08, 2007 11:43:14 AM
Speaker
Pelosi, in an interview with Greta Van Susteren on
Fox News video,
spoke out of both heads regarding the military plane controversy.
Pelosi blamed the Pentagon for creating the flap in the press, and
twice made it clear that she didn't blame the president himself.
Hastert only needed a small plane that could get to Illinois, about the
size of a Gulfstream.
That wasn't good enough. Pelosi demanded a
plane that wouldn't have to stop to refuel. Pelosi kept trying to
reassure Greta that it was for her own safety, that she wishes she
wasn't beholden to the government's rules and regulations about her
travel, etc., ad nauseum. She even told Greta that she'd threatened to
fly commercial if the government wouldn't give the use of a bigger
plane, minutes after she admitted that she really thought the rules
made post- 9/11 for Hastert had to be continued for her.
The
pentagon offered her the use of a modified 737 that could make it all
the way to California without refueling. Pelosi, instead of accepting
the use of a 737, which is more than adequate to get her to San
Francisco, fuel-wise, demanded the larger plane. While she claims it's
all a matter of posturing on the Pentagon's part, if she had been
satisfied with the 737, she could have put it all to bed by simply
stating to Greta that "Hey, the 737's fine with me! I don't need that
757, and I don't want it, either."
A great moment in the
interview came when Greta suggested that all national officeholders
publicly log their flights and purposes of the trip, and have it posted
on the internet for all citizens to follow. I thought Nancy was going
to bite off Greta's head. Throughout the interview, Nancy's teeth were
bared, but she looked ready to go ballistic at this question, and
sputtered about what utter nonsense the very idea of public
accountability was in her case.
Let's parse the interview:
- I want no less than Hastert got; I demand the treatment he got be continued for me
- the plane he used isn't adequate for me; it can't make it non-stop to California
- the 737 that'll get me there just fine is also not up to my standards
- I don't want the security, and I'd really rather fly commercial
- but since the government won't let me fly commercial I have to use a military plane
- the Pentagon's just posturing and dissing me in the press
- I am accountable to nobody for my whereabouts and travel reasons
No Nancy, dear, the Pentagon is not posturing. That's the job of a politician, i.e. you, not that of a military institution.