The Department of Defense yesterday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that puts limits on the size of the plane she may use to travel across the country and restricts the guests she can bring, The Washington Times has learned.
A congressional source who read the letter signed by Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Wilkie said it essentially limits her to the commuter plane used by former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, which requires refueling to travel from Washington to Mrs. Pelosi's San Francisco district. A second source, in the Bush administration, confirmed the contents of the letter.
The Washington Times first reported last week that Mrs. Pelosi's staff was pressing the Department of Defense for an Air Force aircraft large enough to fly nonstop to San Francisco. She also has pressed to be able to include other members of the California congressional delegation, her family members and her staff on the plane.
"It's not a question of size. It's a question of distance," Mrs. Pelosi told reporters yesterday. "We want an aircraft that can reach California."
Nancy - they can all reach California. You just don't want the inconvenience of a fuel stop along the way. I'm sure all those other congresspersons who are flying commercial to their home districts will sympathize with the inconvenience you'll suffer of having a private military jet at your beck and call.
I personally think that providing the Speaker with a plane is a luxury that should have been ended six months after 9/11. It's simply not that critical that the Speaker have instant transportation available, especially in an age when communications are virtually instant and other transportation options can be quickly arranged in an emergency.
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