Plane Politics

Dennis Hastert, the former speaker of the House, didn't fly commercial when he went home to his district in Illinois. He flew securely on a military plane, nonstop, often accompanied by two to three staff members, two members of the Capitol Police and his wife. And no one said a word.

But Nancy Pelosi?

Forget about it. How dare she expect a ride home from the military, nonstop no less? How dare she even ask about bringing family with her on the flights? Mothers! What does she want, a "flying Lincoln bedroom," as one Republican called it in a much-quoted comment?

This week, in the midst of a meeting with Iraqi war veterans, Pelosi was forced to respond to criticism that she and her staff had overreached by expecting the military to treat the Democratic female speaker with the same courtesy, not to mention concern for security, they had routinely afforded her Republican male predecessor.

"Nancy Pelosi can now fly in style at your expense," Lou Dobbs crowed, not once, but repeatedly, one of many from the conservative side who have tried to fan the flames on this one.

Funny, I never heard him complain about Dennis Hastert traveling in style in the military's version of a corporate jet. Who even knew that the speaker got a plane, until they tried to say no to the first woman ever to ask? And the first Democrat.

In fact, since 9/11, the rule has been that the speaker of the House, who is second in line for the presidency, is transported by the military for security reasons. Until recently, the speaker had been a Republican male, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone questioning his entitlement to the extra protection of a military plane. Imagine what they would have said about a Democrat who argued that Hastert didn't need a jet. Wasn't it Karl Rove in the last election who accused Democrats of having a pre-9/11 mindset?

Of course, Dennis Hastert was only flying to Illinois to get home, whereas Nancy Pelosi lives in California.

As anyone who has ever traveled across the country can attest, different planes are generally used for cross-country travel. Is this rocket science? So offering Pelosi the same plane provided to Hastert, which is what the military did, means she can't get here from there unless the weather's right. Do they think she's too dumb to realize that? Or that she has so much free time, it doesn't matter?

She's not supposed to fly commercial, because she is, after all, right behind the vice president in the order of succession for the presidency. But they don't want to give her a plane that can fly across the country nonstop because they have more important people to ferry. Like themselves. The big planes are used by the military brass, as well as the Cabinet and congressional junketeers.

So what should be an easy request becomes a federal case. And who gets blamed? Not the military, but the woman.

Who does she think she is, expecting to travel in a plane that is described as an "office in the sky"? Imagine, the speaker of the House needing an office in the sky! And wanting to fly nonstop? The nerve of her. Does she really think she has more important things to do than sit on airport tarmacs waiting to refuel?

But the folks with the real "chutzpah" here are over at the Pentagon. The president has requested $623 billion for the Department of Defense next year. Rumsfeld and his team still have offices, but taking care of a former (and failed) Defense secretary is obviously more important to the Department than assisting the new speaker.

Nancy Pelosi didn't become the first woman speaker by being anybody's fool. While she's cooling her heels trying to get to California, maybe Speaker Pelosi can spend some extra time on that budget request. Fair is fair. Let them complain to Denny Hastert.

To find out more about Susan Estrich and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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