Fly the Friendly Skies of Pelosi

San Fran Nan, who has the misfortune of living 3000 miles from her office, is still pushing the White House for permission to use large Air Force jets to commute between home and Washington. The White House has agreed to smaller bizjet sized craft, but Pelosi wants to use some of the bigger airline-style rides to carry her minions, other California congressmen, and family and friends back and forth.

The Bush administration has agreed to provide House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with regular access to an Air Force passenger jet, but the two sides are negotiating whether she will get the big aircraft she wants and who she may take as passengers, according to congressional and administration sources.

A congressional source said that Rep. John P. Murtha, chairman of House Appropriations subcommittee on defense, which controls the Pentagon's spending, has telephoned administration officials to urge them to give the speaker what she wants.

The congressional source said Pentagon officials complained that Mr. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, is accusing them of sexism for not immediately heeding her request.

Megan E. Grote, Mr. Murtha's press secretary, said, "Mr. Murtha absolutely never said anything about being 'sexist.' We have no further comment."

Meanwhile, Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam of Florida said Mrs. Pelosi's request represents "an arrogance of office that just defies common sense" and called it "a major deviation from the previous speaker."

Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri called it a "flying Lincoln Bedroom," and Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican, labeled the speaker's plane "Pelosi One."

"This is a bullet point to a larger value -- Pelosi's abuse of power continues," Mr. McHenry said yesterday. "It began when the speaker denied minority rights to Republicans, continued with her 'TunaGate' scandal, and now she's exploiting America's armed forces and taxpayers for her own personal convenience."

The argument for this special treatment is based on the fact that former Speaker Denny Hastert was granted special Air Force transportation following the 9/11 attacks due to the fact that under our constitution, the Speaker is 2nd in line to the presidency, behind the Vice President. However, Hastert didn't try to run a government subsidized airline as Pelosi is seeking to do.

Frankly, with the ability to quickly move someone around the country in an emergency, I don't see why the Speaker would need an Air Force plane at all. If something bad happened while she was in California, there are multiple military bases within a short flight of San Francisco and transportation back to Washington could be easily obtained, whether military or by private jet. There really isn't a need to provide anything more to the Speaker.

What's next? I believe the President pro-tempore of the Senate is next in line after Pelosi. That would be Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, he of the "bridge to nowhere" fame. He also lives a long way from his office. Should we get him a plane too? Or maybe just a bridge to D.C.?

UPDATE: Pentagon doesn't blink - San Fran Nan won't get her airliner.