Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: "Christian Coalition of America condemns the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, Democrat from San Francisco, for trying to get luxurious travel paid for by the American taxpayers. Is a first class seat on a commercial jet no longer good enough for Speaker Pelosi? Nancy Pelosi is demanding that the Air Force provide her with a large jet on demand - 'Pelosi One' - so she can transport her political cronies, favorite Members of Congress, congressional staffers, friends and relatives back and forth to her district in San Francisco every week."
Of course, Speaker Hastert also flew on an Air Force jet, but that was different. Why? Because he is a Republican and the Christian Coalition thinks that all Christians should be too. Hastert's jet was smaller because he didn't need a bigger one to fly direct to his home district. As everyone knows, Pelosi is on the other side of the country.
This is a great example of a story about nothing. When you consider all the real stories that the Christian Coalition ignored--torture, nsa wiretapping, torture--then their true agenda becomes quite clear. I had hopes that after all of the true scandals of the last 6 years, that we would be past this. But we aren't. And as long as these people are the voice of Christian conservatism, we won't be.
2 comments:
The real issue is whether security concerns merit non-stop flights on government aircraft for the Speaker of the House. If the answer is that it does, and that a large Air Force jet is the only aircraft capable of the task, then there is no real issue here.
The Republicans, who both campaign and govern with national security at the center (campaign slogan: Boo! Be afraid, be very afraid), now seemingly want to portray this as something other than a security issue. Are we safer now? What about the dire warnings?
This is just another example of how American politics has lost its way. The discussions are no longer about core principles and the best means to enact them, but about how best to embarass or punish the other side, or perhaps, those we have defined as being on the other side.
This seems more coalition than Christian. What's the CC's mission again?
Turns out it wasn't even Pelosi who made the request...and the White House is actually defending her. I was quite surprised they didn't just keep their mouths shut and let her suffer. Somebody must have had a flash of conscience.
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