Lie Pie Title: Madam Pelosi's Luxury Jet
Lie Pie Classification: election lie pie

Editor's Note:  In years past, our Speaker of the House always flew home on commercial aircraft.  After 9/11, it was decided for security reasons that Speaker Dennis Hastert would be transported to his home district in Illinois on an Air Force C-20B Gulfstream III.  Well, Nancy Pelosi became the Speaker of the House in November 2006.  Because the jet used by Dennis Hastert can't always make it to California from Washington, D.C. without stopping to refuel, the House Sergeant at Arms requested that Speaker Pelosi be transported by the smallest available military aircraft that can fly non-stop to California, and President Bush approved the request.

The viral email below strikes me as petty and vindictive.  Like it or not, Nancy Pelosi is third in line for the Presidency.  She is a public servant, and she also has a family she only sees on weekends.  She flew home to California non-stop commercial most weekends for years before she ever became Speaker of the House, likely spending 10-12 hours in travel time each trip.  Why on earth would we want to add a refueling stop to her travel time now that she is serving our country as Speaker of the House?  It would be cheaper if she'd hitchhike home, I imagine, so if cost is our only concern, perhaps those who begrudge someone two heartbeats away from the Presidency secure, timely travel should propose that Nancy Pelosi ought to thumb-it home.  There is no evidence that Nancy Pelosi was ever in a "snit" about traveling on a small economy jet or that she ever demanded luxury accomodations.

There's plenty of information out there on this subject for anyone who wants to look into it.  Try Snopes.com, TruthOrFiction.com, and Factcheck.org for starters.   --Granny, 2/27/09

WATCH YOUR STEP:  STEAMING VIRAL EMAIL B.S. STARTS HERE

Remember the big media flap about Sarah Palin's clothing expenses?

Americans! Where are you? Are you awake?

We haven't heard any comments from media on "Queen Madam" Pelosi's snit about having to ride home in the small private, economy jet that comes with the Speaker's job. Remember how Madame Pelosi was so aggravated that this little jet had to refuel while transporting her to California every week? Remember that she insisted on a luxurious 200 seat jet to fly her to California nonstop, instead?

Hello Folks! Are you awake?

Washington legislators who observed the Madam's Big Fat jet grinned with glee as Joe The Plumber informed all of us that Nancy 's luxury Jet will require hard working American taxpayers, to buy thousands of gallons of expensive jet fuel every week. She only works 3 days a week but her gas guzzler luxury jet flights home, to California, costs to taxpayers $60,000 one way! As Joe noted, 'Unfortunately we have to pay to bring her back on Monday night,' so there goes another $60,000. (and everyone thought CEO pampering was unreal)!!

Folks, that is $480,000 per month or an annual cost to taxpayers of $5,760,000. And she complains about the cost of the war?!? She "could" take the smaller jet which she says would cramp her style -- but since her flying in style takes precedence over war costs -- what do you say? Military families in this country do without while this woman, who heads up the most do-nothing Congress in the history of our country, spends lavishly to fly herself and associates to and from California every week. Does that burn you, too? Madame Pelosi expects you and I to conserve our carbon footprint by driving smaller cars and buying a bicycle pump to over-inflate our tires for better economy while she and her hypocrite cohorts waste tax payer dollars. Ticks you off, too?

Please keep this circulating and let's join Joe bringing their "pork barrel" spending to American's attention to make a difference in how Congress spends our hard earned money through their "personal waste" and "ear marks".