AirFarce 1 (aka Bushit Express)…
This was sitting on the apron at the 118th Airlift Wing of the Tennessee Air National Guard at the Nashville International Airport a couple of days ago. Since I was zooming along Murphreesboro Pike at 172 MPH with the rest of the traffic, I could not snap my own picture of it, so copped one from a Google Image Search. Thank you.
I have seen AF1 at that same spot on several occasions over the years, and always have some thoughts and impressions — some old and repetitive, some new and fresh.
- That plane is one big mutha! It dwarfs the seven C-130 TANG Cargo Planes lined up on the tarmac next to it, ready to roll on a moment’s notice to deliver troops and supplies to remote trouble spots in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Alabama.
- Why do we spend gazillions of taxpayer dollars every year keeping this highest-of-tech beauty in the air? Actually, I’ve heard there are a couple of identical planes, so it is double-gazillions. Why can’t Bush fly with the rest of us, crammed into a seat too small for his ass, knees up under his chin, and not enough headroom for his considerable ego?
- It turns out the plane was in town this time to deliver his royal Bushness to meet with a big gathering of religious broadcasters. Care to venture a guess as to what religion was dominant among the attendees? Herr Bush was there to stump for evangelical support for his continuing evangelical destruction of Iraq for no particular reason except that he can, and nobody seems to have the balls to step up and say enough is enough. [Sorry... rant over...]
- According to an article in the Nashville Business Journal, Tennessee’s Senior Senator, Lamar Alexander, was in town for the same function. I wonder who woke him up.
- One of the hot-button issues of the National Religious Broadcasters organization is the Fairness Doctrine, which apparently provides for “balanced public-affairs-related programming.” I do not know enough about this to have an informed opinion. However, Bush and the Republicans are calling it unconstitutional (their favorite label for anything that does not line their pockets), and that’s good enough for me. If Bush is against it, then by gawd I’m for it, whatever it is!
[Side note to self: Schedule some time to work on being more forthcoming with my opinions. Learn to speak up and say what's on my mind instead of beating around the Bush...]
5 Comments so far
Actually Richard Nixon DID fly commercial one time, presumably to save taxpayer money. The Secret Service was very upset and it never happened again.
I think that if I ever had the ambition to become President my main motivation would be to have AF1 at my disposal. Only thing better than that would be to hitch a ride on the space shuttle. I’d give a couple hundred K for that opportunity.
In the meantime, I’ll just continue riding my bicycle around town.
Sorry we (here in the sunbelt) missed that big gathering of religious broadcasters…bet the Chamber of Commerce was really proud to have all those dollars in town. Wonder who paid their expenses?
Leader of the free world stuck in an airport because his flight was delayed. I don’t think so. People complain because W did not get on AF1 fast enough on 9/11 and you want him to fly commercial.
As for the space shuttle that would be cool but you have to be an old senator and a political friend of the president like John Glenn to pull that one off.
Yes, winston, I think you should consider an assertiveness course. It would help you to be more frank and out-spoken in your opinions.
Hey TwoMartini, a fellow biker!
I remember when the pres got his 747. It had 4 engines which was supposed to be important at the time, and the capacity to carry lots of weapons and guys with weapons, but it was too big to land at a lot of third-world airports. Not a problem, since the pres just sends soldiers to the third world anyway, or funds local rebels to save the trip.
Pres-dude generates more carbon output flying down to schmooze a few faith-based lobbyists than I will create in my entire lifetime. It’s a little depressing.