Democratic Perks

When they were campaigning, Democrats frequently accused Republicans of mis-using their powers and of excessive privilege. Insults flew, and a campaign of cleaning up the misuses was on every reporter's lips. However, it appears that Democrats are not averse to using public money for personal advantage either. Nor are they content with normal perks.

According to the Washington Times newspaper, new Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi is attempting to commandeer military aircraft for herself, her family and her friends pretty much anytime for any reason. The newspaper writes,

The office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is pressing the Bush administration for routine access to military aircraft for domestic flights, such as trips back to her San Francisco district, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The sources, who include those in Congress and in the administration, said thethe Democrat is seeking regular military flights not only for herself and her staff, but also for relatives and for other members of the California delegation. A knowledgeable source called the request "carte blanche for an aircraft any time."

This seems more than a bit excessive. As the article points out, military aircraft for members of Congress are traditionally only provided for trips to military bases or for overseas junkets= not for personal trips. Former Speaker Dennis Hastert used the military planes for trips to his district following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, but even he did not go as far as Pelosi's demands. The Bush Administration should squash Madam Speaker's attempts to gain access to these planes, and Pelosi should be ashamed of herself for this brazen demand.