Nancy Pelosi, the new Democratic leader of the House, wants a Air Force jet to ferry her back and forth from California and other such places. This in and of itself is not a problem as the previous Speaker got the same treatment after 9/11. Problem is, Pelosi wants a BIG jet, not a scrawny little commuter jet. Pelosi seems to be blissfully unaware or openly hypocritical concerning the environmental impact of a jet like that. I’d like to believe it’s the former but I bet it’s the latter.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch in Crawford, the Bush home is apparently a “paragon of environmentalism“. Key grafs:
The passive-solar house is built of honey-colored native limestone and positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls of the 4,000-square-foot residence. Geothermal heat pumps circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground. These waters pass through a heat exchange system that keeps the home warm in winter and cool in summer.
A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof urns; wastewater from sinks, toilets, and showers cascades into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the four-bedroom home. Laura Bush insisted on the use of indigenous grasses, shrubs, and flowers to complete the exterior treatment of the home.
This was all done in 1999, pre-presidency. So on one hand, we have one leader who speaks volumes with her words but little with her actions. On the other, we have a leader who speaks mostly with actions. Which one is the better environmentalist?
Props: Simon at Stubborn Facts
February 11, 2007 at 1:39 am
the most basic Google search will reveal that even the White House has defended the use of a jet capable of making a nonstop flight from D.C. to Pelosi’s home city of San Francisco
the president’s own press secretary has called it a “silly” “nonstory”
February 11, 2007 at 10:49 am
I think my point was that it’s one thing to say you’re for the protecting the environment while requesting a larger jet than necessary.
Also, I mentioned in the post that requesting a jet wasn’t the problem, it was the larger jet that was the problem. I’m not sure what your point is
February 11, 2007 at 11:53 pm
the point is that the government decided on the jet size, to enable a nonstop flight for enhanced security for the person second in line to the presidency
her predecessor lived much closer to DC and therefore needed only a small plane; DC to san francisco nonstop necessitates a larger aircraft; the pentagon chose the aircraft without input from pelosi
February 13, 2007 at 7:42 am
No, the government didn’t decide the jet size, several of the reports say the two sides are in disagreement about the size though this one says Pelosi didn’t have a say. I’m not sure you can say without a doubt that Pelosi hasn’t tried to influence this decision.
There are 3 planes to choose from that have the range and there are at least some reports that say Pelosi requested the largest, a 757 type plane, when a much smaller plane is available. If true, that’s a decision inconsistent with her supposed environmental stance.