Pelosi's jet request met with partisan bickering

WASHINGTON -- Republicans and conservative talk-show hosts continued Wednesday to take issue with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request for access to a larger Air Force plane than one used by her predecessor, Dennis Hastert.

Pelosi, D-Calif., has expressed concern about the viability of the C-20 used by Hastert, R-Ill., whose district is 1,300 miles closer to Washington, D.C., than her district.

Most media reports said Pelosi had requested a C-32, a military version of the Boeing 757-200 that seats 45 passengers and has a crew of up to 16, according to an Air Force Web site. The Los Angeles Times reported that Pelosi had asked for a C-40, a modified Boeing 737-700 that seats at least 26 passengers and has a crew of 10, according to the Air Force.

The C-20 used by Hastert is described by the Air Force as a military version of the Gulfstream III, with seating for 12 passengers and a crew of five.

Pelosi and her aides say her security would require a larger plane that can fly coast to coast without refueling. An Air Force official who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the C-20 can fly coast to coast without refueling only under perfect weather conditions.

"It's not a question of size, it's a question of distance," Pelosi said Wednesday.

Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday that Pelosi's staff was informed in a letter that she would be offered "shuttle service for no more than 10 passengers between Washington and San Francisco only based on aircraft availability."

"This does not guarantee nonstop transport," he said.

The Pentagon agreed after the Sept. 11 attacks to provide the House speaker, second in the line of presidential succession, with a military plane for added security during trips home. It's unclear whether the Pentagon letter ends the issue.

Florida Rep. Adam Putnam, the No. 3 Republican leader, said he supports giving House speakers access to airplanes with secure communications. But he called Pelosi's desire for a large transport "an extravagance of power that the taxpayers won't swallow."

Some Republicans have argued that Pelosi could offer trips to top political donors. Pentagon guidelines say she could be accompanied by family members, if they pay the government coach fare, but that the plane could not be used for political travel.

"It has nothing to do with family and friends and everything to do about security," Pelosi said Wednesday.