Pelosi-Murtha: A Machiavellian Relationship

Just in case you missed them, here are a few gems from Plane-Gate that you may have missed: As reported in THE WASHINGTON TIMES, By Rowan Scarborough and Charles Hurt, February 8, 2007: Rep. John Murtha (D) says:

"I don't need to pressure them," he told reporters, when asked about his calls to the Pentagon. "I just tell them what they need to do."

Murtha warned the Pentagon against leaking information that makes Mrs. Pelosi look bad.

"They're making a mistake when they leak it because she decides on allocations for them," he said, referring to the Pentagon budget.

Rep. Tom Cole, Oklahoma Republican and Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, responded:

"It is irresponsible and reckless for Congressman Murtha to use funding needed for the protection of our country and for our men and women in uniform as leverage in order for Nancy Pelosi to travel from coast to coast like a movie star. We are a country at war, and I think it is time for the Democrat majority to get their priorities straight."

In a quick Republican move,

"Members quickly drafted an amendment to an environmental bill on the House floor, forcing Democrats to debate Mrs. Pelosi and military planes for two hours. The Congress also finds that in order to lessen United States dependence on foreign sources of petroleum, and decrease demand for petroleum in aircraft, such as passenger planes with 42 business-class seats capable of transcontinental flights, the nation must diversify its fuel supply for aircraft to include domestically produced alternative fuels," says the amendment, a clear reference to the large jet requested by Mrs. Pelosi's office".

The Washington Times in a statement yesterday, House Sergeant at Arms Wilson Livingood assumed responsibility for the decision to request a larger plane for Mrs. Pelosi. My Comments: This professional relationship between Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Murtha is a bit Machiavellian. John Derek was said to be Bo Derek's "Machiavelli." The Pelosi-Murtha relationship is a better comparison.

Dictionary.com gives three explanations of "Machiavellianism,"and I have shortened the most pertinent to this: "...being or acting in accordance with the principles of government...in which political expediency is placed above morality and the use of craft and deceit to maintain the authority and carry out the policies of a ruler."

I guess Speaker Pelosi is the "Machiavelli" here. She has the podium and the power to reward, he has the platform (Long Live the Speaker) and the willing mouth. He speaks-out like a "man" for her.

I wonder what it is that Speaker Pelosi cannot do without Rep. Murtha? The Speaker lets Murtha threaten the Pentagon - he tells the Pentagon "what they need to do"...and then, even worse, he makes the threat on her behalf.

If Republicans said the same thing, peers would compel them to step down. According to the Washington Times article, Speaker Pelosi has allowed The House Sergeant at Arms, Wilson Livingood, to take credit for requesting the luxury jet. Just because Ms. Pelosi is Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and third in line to the Presidency, is no reason to believe she will speak-up, or even equate, a luxury jet to taxpayer monies; or say, no, no - my family loves to visit me in Washington D.C., but I wouldn't think of letting the American taxpayer pay for their transportation.

No, she doesn't say anything of the sort. In fact, she has acted just like a "young girl" in her interviews - been downright coy about the whole thing - why, she doesn't even "know the numbers of the planes," she says: visit The Free Republic (NewsBusters) piece by Mark Finkelstein: Pelosi Blames Sexism, Rummy for Plane-Gate for an interesting article and videos.

By the way, The Washington Times says the "numbers" of the planes are: The 89th Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force base operates three jets that can make the nonstop flight year-round: the C-32 (Boeing 757); a C-40 (Boeing 737) and the C-20, a Gulfstream jet".

To read the Washington Times article in its entirety, see The Washington Times:Pelosi defends request for jet