Thread: Candidates Find Flying Not So Friendly

Candidates Find Flying Not So Friendly

Jul 11 01:55 PM US/Eastern



DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo knows what he wants.
"Oh boy, I'd love a plane," Tancredo said.

It's not that the Colorado congressman is enamored with flying. In fact, he's spent enough time waiting to board planes to last a lifetime. And that's the problem

Tancredo, like the other lesser-known presidential candidates, must make his way to Iowa and other campaign stops by flying commercially. While the leading candidates fly on charter or corporate jets, the rest of the field deals with delays along with other travelers—knowing all the while that a campaign event remains on hold until they arrive.

"It can be very challenging," Tancredo said. "Just from a logistical standpoint it's a nightmare."

Add in the headaches of congressional votes, bad weather and the need to make connections to reach such remote spots as Des Moines or Manchester, N.H., and you get an idea what the candidates face.

"It's really difficult," said Republican candidate Sam Brownback, a Kansas senator. "It's just not easy at all."

Democrat Joe Biden, a Delaware senator and White House hopeful, has been there, too. He lamented the huge time difference between flying commercial and chartering a private jet.

"My regret (with fundraising) has nothing to do with whether I can compete in Iowa or other states," Biden said. "My regret is whether or not I can spend 20 grand to fly back and forth to Iowa in a roundtrip of four hours instead of 12 hours."

At least twice, Biden has had to cancel events in Iowa after iffy weather altered his flight plan.

Other candidates walk between the two worlds. Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd flies commercial whenever possible to save money, but he has chartered jets to return from far-flung spots in time for key congressional votes, spokeswoman Taylor West said.

Some of his commercial trips have degenerated into a planes, trains and automobiles adventure.

Earlier this year, Dodd's commercial flight was canceled due to snowy weather, so the Connecticut senator opted for Plan B: a train to Boston and then a rental car the rest of the way to the New Hampshire event.

Peverill Squire, a political science professor at the University of Iowa, said flying with the masses ultimately puts struggling candidates at even a greater disadvantage.

"It just makes it that much more difficult," Squire said. "It means they'll probably be in fewer places than the top-tier candidates, and the physical toll it takes to fly commercially these days can't be discounted."

Still, Tancredo and the others soldier on, dreaming that someday the skies will turn friendlier.

"My campaign manager sent out an e-mail solicitation asking for supplies—chairs, desks, computers," Tancredo said. "I told her I want her to send out another one. 'Please we'd like to buy an airplane.'"

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

Tom should get a helicopter and a pilot or a Cessna.

W

How is it the "leading" candidates fly on the chartered and corporate jets? Why the special treatment for certain candidates and not others?

Originally Posted by jjmm

How is it the "leading" candidates fly on the chartered and corporate jets? Why the special treatment for certain candidates and not others?

It is all about the cash.

Same kind of thing happens all along the beltway. When there is loads of cash coming in, and you have very little tyeing it to you, then you spend it on extravagant things. The pollies on the hill have LOADS of stolen money (i.e. taxes) which they gleefully waste without a second though.

The candidates with LARGE big money donations, also spend like drunken sailors.

All I have to say is that when they are riding on mass transit with the public that it is really an opportunity. They have a captive audience.

Carpi diem!

Dixie

John McCain is going to be riding a bike soon to get to his events. He is toast for supporting the Kennedy McCain amnesty legislation.

W

Maybe Congressman Tancredo could buy McCain's plane for practically nothing!! :P

Maybe someone with a plane will read this and offer it to him to help with the campaign!

Legal said:

Maybe someone with a plane will read this and offer it to him to help with the campaign!

When I read this I wished I had an airplane to loan him.