Updated: to reflect new information on aircraft types

The Secret Service and House Sergeant at Arms want the Speaker to fly on military aircraft with secure communications and no intermediate stops. This is in response to 9/11 and recognition that the Speaker becomes the President if both the President and Vice President are unable, for any reason, to continue to serve.

This was the procedure when Republican Dennis Hastert was Speaker, and the House Sergeant at Arms, a Republican appointee, believes the practice should continue.

Rep. Hastert is from outside of Chicago, approximately 598 air miles from Washington, DC. Speaker Pelosi is from San Francisco, approximately 2449 air miles from Washington.

Rep. Hastert used a C-21A, a military version of the Learjet 35A, which is based at Scott AFB, in southern Illinois. Pilots have to be qualified in the aircraft they fly, so crews would either have had to deploy to Washington with their aircraft, or they were flying from Scott to Washington one day and then flying from Washington to Chicago and then back to Scott the next day. I assume they deployed two aircraft and associated personnel to Andrews AFB on a temporary duty [TDY] basis. The range on the aircraft is 2,300 miles and the Air Force is removing them from service.

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Amphibious Assault

This will teach them the folly of not protecting their ports.

[Editor: for Ellroon of Rants from the Rookery who recognizes the danger.]

Update on 02/10 – Juan Cole reviews Feith in the Situation Room: Three Lies.

Update 2 – Here’s the transcript of the Alex Chadwick interview with Feith on Day to Day.

Listen to Douglas Feith Responds to Criticism on NPR’s Day to Day to hear an amazing thing, an on air NPR reporter arguing with a Republican.

The audio is available now, and a transcript will be available later.

Feith tried to spin things and the host had the documents in front of him and called Feith on the spin.

If you’re interested, Feith claims that they weren’t generating intelligence, they were just criticizing intelligence.

Picketing

We aren’t scared of the flash. Two minutes of Cuteoverload and the Daily Kitten, or we won’t leave.

[Editor: Trying to use my computer is not always easy.]

Friday Ark