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“Constitutional Scholar”? Really??

By Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy on January 30, 2010 at 2:00 PM in Corruption, Current Affairs, President Barack Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Constitution

Because Obama doesn’t seem to know the difference between the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in his SOTU:

It is hard to believe the above isn’t a skit from SNL, too. Holy smokes.Huh, I guess not being able to see those transcripts and stuff is kind of important AFTER all.

And just for the hell of it, I have to share this little story with you about the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, Taxpayers Pay $101,000 for Pelosi’s In-Flight ‘Food, Booze’ . I’m sure that’s in the Constitution, or the Declaration, or somewhere, that we should be shelling $1,000 a WEEK for food and booze for the Speaker:

It reads like a dream order for a wild frat party: Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey … and Corona beer.

But that single receipt makes up just part of the more than $101,000 taxpayers paid for “in-flight services” – including food and liquor, for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. That’s almost $1,000 per week.

Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Judicial Watch, which investigates and prosecutes government corruption, show Pelosi incurred expenses of some $2.1 million for her use of Air Force jets for travel over that time.

“Speaker Pelosi has a history of wasting taxpayer funds with her boorish demands for military travel,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said today. “And these documents suggest the Speaker’s congressional delegations are more about partying than anything else.”

Holy freakin’ frijoles, really?? And Obama gets up there mouthing crapola about cutting back? Please. The article continues:

Pelosi, D-Calif., recently joined President Obama on a Judicial Watch list of Top 10 corrupt politicians because of her “sense of entitlement,” the group said.

“Politicians believe laws and rules (even the U.S. Constitution) apply to the rest of us but not to them. Case in point: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her excessive and boorish demands for military travel. Judicial Watch obtained documents from the Pentagon in 2008 that suggest Pelosi has been treating the Air Force like her own personal airline,” the evaluation said.

And WND reported almost a year ago that Pelosi was shown to have been erratically canceling and rescheduling flights, as one would with an on-call taxi service.

Do the tone-deaf lawmakers in D.C. make your blood boil? Read all about Washington and its politics of corruption in “Breach of Trust.”

“We have … folks prepping the jets and crews driving in (not a short drive for some), cooking meals and preflighting the jets etc,” said one Department of Defense e-mail then.

Another official sent an e-mail questioning a series of Pelosi’s requests for aircraft.

“Any chance of politely querying [Pelosi's team] if they really intend to do all of these or are they just picking every weekend?” it stated. “[T]here’s no need to block every weekend ‘just in case’…”

The e-mail noted that the speaker’s office had “a history of canceling many of their past requests.”

Just in case you were wondering, it is not FREE to prep these jets for possible use. Um, did Obama proclaim her Queen of the United States or something when we weren’t looking?? How full of herself can she possibly be?? Oh, wait, there’s more:

Yet another e-mail exchange at that time revealed Pelosi’s demand that jets pick her up at Travis Air Force Base rather than San Francisco’s airport.

“She lives about 1.5 hours from SFO and much closer to Travis. … Whether it is the best use of assets is not the question. But instead is it worth upsetting the speaker. …”

Said another, “This is a battle that we are bound to lose if we tell the speaker(‘s) office. In the end, this is what will happen. I wish that I could say this is a one-time request, but we know it will probably happen again in the future.”

Yet another indicated a deep level of frustration:

“Here is the laydown: there are five G5s. Two are broke. Two off on CODELS. One slated for priority White House… we should keep on G-III for now for Tuesday afternoon and start sacrificing goats and chickens.”

Judicial Watch said the newly obtained 2,000 pages of documentation show Pelosi’s military travel cost the U.S. Air Force $2,100,744.59 over two years – including $101,429.14 for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol.

HOLY SHIT. That is just obscene. Can you see the smoke coming out of my ears? Oh, but wait, there is still more:

Among the newest highlights revealed:

* Pelosi used Air Force aircraft to travel back to her district at an average cost of $28,210.51 per flight. Of 103 Pelosi-led congressional delegations (CODEL), 31 trips included members of the House speaker’s family.

* One CODEL traveling from Washington, D.C., through Tel Aviv, Israel, to Baghdad, Iraq, May 15-20, 2008, “to discuss matters of mutual concern with government leaders” included members of Congress and their spouses and cost $17,931 per hour in aircraft alone. This flight included the purchase of the long list of alcoholic drinks.

* According to a “Memo for Record” from a March 29-April 7, 2007, CODEL that involved a stop in Israel, “CODEL could only bring kosher items into the hotel. Kosher alcohol for mixing beverages in the delegation room was purchased on the local economy i.e. bourbon, whiskey, scotch, vodka, gin, triple sec, tequila, etc.

Pelosi’s office could not be reached for comment. The answering machine said the office would be closed until Monday, and the mailbox was full, so no messages could be left.

Judicial Watch Inc. describes itself as a constitutionally conservative, nonpartisan educational foundation that promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Maybe Judicial Watch could give Obama some tips on what exactly is in that Constitution, at least so this “scholar” knows the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Sounds like Pelosi better sit in, too…

  • getfitnow
  • jbjd

    Know your sources.  http://www.judicialwatch.org/about-us ; http://www.judicialwatch.org/staff ,

    If people from NP’s Congressional district post this tab in local publications, perhaps her constituents will do something about this.  (Please.)

  • Retired

    Speaker Pelosi is a leader of the intellectualy-qualified elite political cadres that the masses have chosen to rule.  As such, she is entitiled to mnor conveniences as the use of a G5 that the  masses may from time to time provide in appreciation for her enlightened rule. 

  • AC

    On a good day he’s lucky to spell the word Constitutional.

  • lark

    That seems to be actually the case. And we proudly say so, no? Same as the Pope deserves all his privileges, which he can’t choose to disregard, no?

  • FLDemFem

    more than $101,000 taxpayers paid for “in-flight services” – including food and liquor, for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. That’s almost $1,000 per week.”

    There are 52 weeks in a year…not 100. So the cost would be almost $2000 per week. Just sayin”.

  • Tricia

    How embarrassing.  The speech was written by someone else (probably that kid that grabs at the breasts of a Hillary cardboard standup), but he should have caught it.  

  • lark

    Obama was elected because he is a Constitutional scholar. And he still is. And he does not need to prove otherwise. The fact that his reference was misappropriated means nothing – because he is the President.

    What we need to understand now is what comes next. Take for example this:

    http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-train-threat-story-012910,0,2597275.story

    Speak only what’s appropriate or be moved to the controlled state.

  • FLDemFem

    The article about Pelosi said, “more than $101,000 taxpayers paid for “in-flight services” – including food and liquor, for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. That’s almost $1,000 per week.”

    There are 52 weeks in a year, not 100. So the cost would be almost $2000 a week, not $1000. I am sure it’s a typo, but thought I would point out the discrepancy. You know me, pedantic as hell, and a stickler for accuracy. And, if I may say so, those are two qualities that Obama could use, especially given his apparent ignorance of the document he claims to be an expert on, ie. The United States Constitution.

  • oowawa

    Awesome bar inventory we bought her (a case of 2-Buck Chuck cabernet will do me for a year), but where’s the California wine?  As a resident of Sonoma County, I feel really jilted.  And what’s with the Mexican beer?

  • Onofre’s arm

    No Retired, we’re not worthy of the new exalted class, so our petty contributions (taxes) shouldn’t be mixed in with the currency used for their divine activities. Mere proletariat US dollars would taint Their Sanctified endeavors. Such noble functions should be paid with the Heavenly treasure that falls from the sky in the form of gold, platinum and jewels. 

  • FLDemFem

    Obama was NEVER a Constitutional scholar. He was a lecturer who got a sinecure so he could have an office to write his book and some pay to help him out. He is massively ignorant, and extremely lazy, not a good combination for the position he holds. And the idea that he can be allowed to make those kinds of mistakes just because he is President is laughable. Put down the Kool-Aid and take a big drink of reality.

  • AC

    Bull Shit!

  • Onofre’s arm

    TWO years FlDemFem. No typo.

  • AC

    lark,
    Bull Shit!, he was elected by the multi nationals and your use of “misappropriated” is ridiculous.  Why don’t you consult a dictionary before using words you don’t know the meaning of.  No wonder you think he’s a scholar.
    Your comment is laughable.

  • AC

    Good catch oowawa!
    I personally usually drink California wine and also  like good tasting European Beers.

  • FLDemFem

    The Pope’s privileges are not funded by the American taxpayer. Pelosi’s are. Therefore, she is accountable for the use, and abuse, of those privileges.

  • FLDemFem

    oops..LOL you’re right..still way to much to pay for Pelosi to booze her way across the country.

  • Required Reading

    There really is something to this: just as many politicians think the “rules of the game” and standards of good behavior apply to all citizens except themselves, many leftist do-gooders in the Administration believe that all the “sacrificing” (public schools, clinic-based medical care, getting by with the basics, etc.) applies to “the masses” and not to themselves or their families.  I already noticed this when I was a naive undergraduate and saw my “Marxist” economics and political science professors driving around in Mecedes Benz’s and wearing tailored suits.  Why voters don’t notice this is beyond me: the “progressives” are all living high on the hog while espousing a materialist leveling for all us poor sobs living outside the magic circle. 

  • Onofre’s arm

    Of course Obama “…doesn’t need to prove otherwise.” But it would be nice if he could just prove “wise”.

  • oowawa

    Lark’s comment is perhaps intended as sarcasm, I don’t know.  Sometimes I have a hard time telling when I’m being snarky!

  • Diana L. C.

    Retired, I am guessing your comment is completely satirical.  Please say it’s so.

  • Onofre’s arm

    Maybe they could write it off as an ethanol subsidy.

  • oowawa

    Jeez–the chosen ones used to be happy with manna from heaven–now they want gold, platinum & jewels (not to mention an expensive booze cabinet).

  • stodghie

    lark, put a fork in your comment, it is overdone and downright stupid!

  • Diana L. C.

    RRRA,

    This sort of behavior in so-called leaders has always made the smoke come out of my ears also.  I have always been sure that a major reason NP worked agains Hillary was that she wanted to be Queen Bee.

  • oowawa

    Yeah AC–I like European beer, and Mexican beer, and American beer from little breweries.  But I think that if the American taxpayers are going to buy the Speaker a well-stocked liquor cabinet, it should be stocked with liquor produced in the U.S.A.  Keep the money at home!

  • Onofre’s arm

    Yes oowawa, your flower bearing bunny avatar could throw even a blood hound off the scent of the elusive Snark. And everyone should know that the tastiest Snarks are the ones that can sneak up behind you and bite a large chunk off your ass.

  • lark

    Ha ha ha ha ha.

  • lark

    Right. But what do we do now? We can’t do nothing. Actually we can’t do nothing. Didn’t you see that he said that in front of nine Constitutional scholars and they said nothing, didn’t they?

  • lark

    Right. But consider this, how would Dennis Kucinich act if he would get to be the Speaker? But he will never be the Speaker so we won’t know.

  • TeakWoodKite

    $1,000 a WEEK for food and booze for the Speaker:
    Is the 1000 a week  for her Botox treatments …you know like booking an expense to “meals and entertainment” that to hide what should be booked as a personal expense? 
    Has the Speaker been audited of late?
    (Now back to the program “Never Smack” which is already in progress)

  • Onofre’s arm

    She thought about writing off her face lift as a business expense, but she decided that was stretching it a bit too much.

  • Onofre’s arm

    Kucinich would fly on an astral plane. Duh.

  • lark

    Me too.

  • oowawa

    Well, this is an old story.  It recapitulates what happens to the revolutionary pigs in Orwell’s Animal Farm: they morph into a piggish ruling class who exploit the workers to support their opulent lifestyles . . .

  • Onofre’s arm

    And Old McNancy had a farm, Eeyie I Owe You.

  • Onofre’s arm

    And Old McNancy had a farm, Eeyie I Owe You.

  • TeakWoodKite

    She lives about 1.5 hours from SFO and much closer to Travis.
     
    SO HER PRINCIPLE RESIDENCE is NOT in San Fransisco?

  • TeakWoodKite

    AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!   ROLF!!!

  • Onofre’s arm

    I agree oowawa. On Nancy’s plane the passengers should drink American booze. Save the good foreign booze for the pilots.

  • TeakWoodKite

    Hey Don’t knock it. :)
     Personally, That is one two lane road I would prefer not to see NP coming in the opposite direction. She has signs saying “wide load” and I would end up in the “astral ditch”.

  • AC

    My bad Lark, didn’t pick up on the sarcasm.

  • AC

    And so the lambs sang: “Four legs good two legs better”

  • stodghie

    lark you need to give us a hint that it is sarcasm. in this world today sometimes hard to tell. sorry :’(

  • Just_Saying

    Good point, TeakWoodKite.  If her principle residence is not in SF, she can’t legally be a representative from SF, can she??
    .

  • Onofre’s arm

    Nancy should be forced to ex-plane herself.

  • FLDemFem

    What were they supposed to do, lark? Stoop to Obama’s level and walk out or stand up and protest?? They know better. What we can do now is elect Congresspersons who are willing to go out on a limb and impeach the rude fool in the White House. Once he gets wind of the impeachment, he will resign. His ego won’t be able to take a trial in the Senate. And it is in the wind…see the pic below.

  • FLDemFem

    I have an idea..restrict the use of military planes to already scheduled MATS planes. When I was a teenager, Dad was stationed in Rangoon, Burma, and I used to fly all over Asia for free on MATS planes. They were cargo planes, and I had to sit on the floor, or on non-fragile cargo, but it got me there and back. If they restricted Congress to already scheduled MATS planes, they would start paying their own way, or buy a bean bag for comfortable travel, as I did.

  • oowawa

    Actually, the Speaker’s plane sounds like a great ongoing party in the time-honored hippie tradition:

    Fly Jefferson Airplane, get you there on time . . .

    We all live in a yellow submarine . . .

    You can get anything you want, at Alice’s Restaurant!

    and now;

    Nancy’s jet, oh me oh my!
    Nancy’s jet will get you high!
    Let’s take a flight on Nancy’s jet
    And see how shitfaced we can get!

  • oowawa

    O, that was rude.
    I apologize with this tribute from Old Blue Eyes:

    Keep Audrey Hepburn, and keep Liz Taylor
    Nancy’s the feature, they’re just the trailer.
    No angel could replace,
    My Nancy with the laughing face!

  • Sassy

    Ha, ha oowawa!
    Tennessee’s finest sipping whiskey, Jack Daniels got a plug!
    Too bad it goes to waste in the pig trough!

  • AC

    All-right on the bean bag for”The Bag”!

  • sowsear

    Oh ya, I can see Nance now, sitting on the floor, with her boxlunch and thermos.

  • AC

    Naughty, Naughty, Teak =-O

  • AC

    Diana L.C.
    I never could get that smoking ears trick down while in college.

  • sowsear

    I saw somewhere that NP probably will run for President when BO is dun n gone. I wouldn’t doubt she has plans.

  • bayareavoter

    I noticed that, too. SFO is about 30-40 minutes from her Pacific Heights residence and Travis is north and further away so that is a weird part of the story–may be some mix up there. Maybe she insists on SFO instead of traveling to Fairfield where TAFB is, about 1- 1.5 hrs north of SF depending on traffic…..

  • bayareavoter

    If Bambi appointed Nancy as Queen I bet Mechelle is MAD about that!

    We need to change our politics. No one should feel so entitled. And Pelosi should stop saying that we rejected health care because they didn’t explain it well; we’re not morons. We understood it but hated the deals they made and the burden placed on seniors, the middle class, doctors and hospital for not very much in return for even the “un-insured”.

    I am so sick of their attitudes toward the citizens: they deserve to ride in AF jets beause they’re doing us such big favors but we’re just too stupid to understand.

  • oowawa

    we’re not morons

    speak for yourself!

  • sowsear

    That sounds more like it, but on the other hand, someone not too long ago reported that his/her congressional district in FL included two cities with heavy AA populations which were 150 miles apart. I never saw that verified in any way, but that would be some gerrymandering, too.

  • )o(

    Obama kicked GOP ass in Baltimore BIG TIME, the silence around here is deafening…
    http://www.c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/01/29/HP/R/28993/President+Speaks+at+GOP+Retreat.aspx
    HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!

  • I’m a Linda too

    “For Thee, Not Me”, Democrats.

    And…gee, poor Obama…only he can make a SOTU and get a NEGATIVE BOUNCE.  Gallup has Obama down to 47/47 aproval/disapproval, the 2nd time all time low :(    I bet that hurts.

  • I’m a Linda too

    Axelrods talking points that they all repeat like robots.  They are SO tiring.

  • beachnan

    With her approval ratings?  Ain’t gonna happen.  She is disliked by just about everyone.

  • getfitnow

    He was arrogant and condescending as usual–lecturing and lying. Hey, how about the lie–the hc debate WAS shown on C-Span?

  • bamaLV

    this is a bit OT but chris mathews comment that he forgot for an hour that obama was black, sounds to me like he is more obsessed with obamas color than all those people he called racist.  showing one of the tea party events he said ” notice all those people are white. theres not a black person among them” (which in itself was a lie.) but when  the news showed people standing on line for handouts in detroit, why didnt he  say “look, they are all black. not a white face among them (which was true) is tweetie a closet racist?

  • AC

    He’s a freaking idiot! They were asking him for favors no freking wonder.  Let him have a real news conference with real questions?
    He’s a joke. 60 states, doesn’t know the Declaration of Independence from the Constitution.
    He knows waffles and that’s it!

  • I’m a Linda too

    Always was.  Which is why they attacked Hillary and all others as being racist when you actually disagreed with Obama, beause they were racists.  And they felt, instead of dealing with their own problems, this was going to absolve them some how.

    Clint Eastwood nailed that one right, too.

  • sowsear

    I’ll bet she doesn’t accept that she’ll still be disliked when the time comes to run. She probably thinks the polls are fixed now anyway.

  • I’m a Linda too

    OH!

  • Obamastolemyparty

    It’s called projection.  What you really are inside, but try to hide you project onto others.  All of those who screma RACIST are the rtue racists.

  • Obamastolemyparty

    It’s like if anyone has ever had a cheating spouse who kept accusing you of cheating when in relaity they were the cheater.  I bet we could ask Elizabeth Edwards about this!

  • Breeze

    Ge, IALT, if he’s at 47% with Gallup, imagine what the REAL %age is!!!

    It’s enough to make you ROTFLYAO!!!

  • bayareavoter

    ha ha ha :)

  • atti

    This is all further proof in the fraudulence of his entire existence.

    Begone, you POS!

  • buzzlatte

    )O( ???   

    Don’t screw with things you don’t understand.

  • hot Librarian

    The alcohol list sounds a lot like an alcohol dependent person .

    Alcojol & air travel are not a good mix. It dehydrates.

  • Sassy

    Isn’t “junket” a strange word for such extravagant trips?
    Good work Amy!

  • stodghie

    hmm, obama is very talented. he kicked his own self in the ass yoyo1

  • getfitnow
  • getfitnow

    And this filtering everything through race and/or gender most often comes from the left.

    When Condi Rice was being  raked over the coals for numerous errors, I don’t recall anyone on the right screaming racism.

    It still amazes me how vile ahd hateful the left has become.

  • Nunly

    Nancy, Reid and Obama all make me sick. 

    Regarding Obama not knowing the difference between the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence…he would say it’s not his fault, it’s TOTUS who screwed up. Doncha know?  The buck stops with TOTUS.

  • Hokma

    )O( -  Obama sunk himself. He proved once and for all that he is an immature, petulent, amatuer hack who has no idea what is expected of him as President. He is a psychopathic liar and is defiant and in denial.

  • Hokma

    What is even more upsetting is that she is only got bottom-shelf booze brands.

    Where’s the Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, Patron, and Grey Goose?

  • Sonic Ninja Kitty

    Well, I’d say the alcohol tab explains a lot!

  • TeakWoodKite

    Diana L.C.

    as to Retired …May be yes…Maybe no

  • TeakWoodKite

    Save one one of them.
    Did you se the look on Justice Breyer’s face? Forget Alito.

  • TeakWoodKite

    Great Point. But Hubby owns a vineyard in the northbay…

  • candymarl

    Oh lark you are so right. I never knew there was a Constitution or a Declaration of Indepence before The One arrived. :(

  • TeakWoodKite

    getfitnow, the link goes clear across the page….how did you do that? :)

  • Lynn L. in Dallas

    AYFKM, this is outrageous, if not criminal. I did not know that we, of the taxpaying class, were meant to ante up to cover the cost of Congress’ personal travel? Am I ignorant not to know this is a legally accepted practice, or is Pelosi, among others, using my money without asking me to pad her already cushy job with perks?
    There are only 7 Articles in the U.S. Constitution – they are easy to read, easy to remember. Each Article has a number of Sections, but even those shouldn’t be difficult learning for one planning to teach Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago. It’s not Physics or Aerospace Engineering, you know.
    Article I describes the United States Congress as a bicameral body consisting of two co-equal houses. Article I contains 10 Sections; all of them are fairly easy to understand.
    I just read them, and unless I’m missing something, compensated transportation to/from home districts and Washington D.C. with in-flight service and bars stocked with expensive liquors is not mentioned. 
    Section 6 of Article I does state that The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States – so maybe there’s a secret message embedded in that clause that authorizes Senators and Representatives to take us for all we have – not being a former Lecturer of Constitutional Law from the University of Chicago, I might not fully comprehend Section 6, you understand.     
    Do you think the Framers simply forgot to include “extra stuff” for the comfort and pleasure of members of Congress?   

  • Objective Analysis

    Harvard should be embarrassed to say that this Usurper attended their school.  Give me a break.  He probably did not read the Constitution to even know what the hell is in it.  Especially as it applies to him not being a NATURAL BORN CITIZEN in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the U.S. Constitution.  Hence ineligible to be POTUS of the U.S.

  • Geoff Kucera

    From above:
    “Yet another e-mail exchange at that time revealed Pelosi’s demand that jets pick her up at Travis Air Force Base rather than San Francisco’s airport…. She lives about 1.5 hours from SFO and much closer to Travis. … “
    But the district she represents in San Francisco, which includes the Bayview/Hunter’s Point neighborhoods, is located only 10 miles from SFO, hmmmm Travis is way out there near Vacaville, close to Sacramento.  But I always heard she lives in her district.  So what is it?  She doesn’t want to be recognized walking through SFO but instead needs to be chauffeured all the way in from Vacaville, which is possibly a minimum 1.5 hour drive, but only if you’re extremely lucky on I-80 through the Carquinez Straits and the Berkeley/Emeryville corridor if you know the Bay Area.