She's Only a Girl...

Georgy Porgy, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the boys came out to play,
Georgy Porgy ran away.
--"Georgy Porgy"

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has come under partisan criticism recently for requisition of Air Force transport from Washington to her home in San Francisco. Remember that she is in direct line of succession to the Presidency, second, after Dick Cheney, so security is a primary issue.

The criticism is that Pelosi has the balls to ask for an Air Force transport with the capability to fly her nonstop to her home in California. There was grumbling that these planes produce 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per hour, thereby proving that Pelosi will push the global warming issue into the red, this from people who also support GWB's repudiation of the Kyoto accords. House republican leaders charged "arrogance and hypocrisy," a domain they've got nicely sewn up, thanks.

As noted on this site previously, Ranger questions why the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense each have a personal jet at their beck and call. These people are not elected, nor are they in the line of succession to the Presidency. Therefore, their security should not be addressed at the same level as Pelosi's. Furthermore, they should be doing what Pelosi is doing, which is requesting Air Force transport.

If anybody should be flying in Air Force transports it should be Mr. Gates and Ms. Rice. However, they have dedicated and assigned government aircraft for their use. The munificence of the royal presidency should not extend to non-elected officials. If anything, Cheney should be working out a time-share with Pelosi with regards to the use of Air Force II.

Let's take the toys away from the Secretary of State and Defense and help balance the budget. Also, the Air Force pilots need flight time if they ever want to fly for Delta. Assuming Delta will remain in the sky.