WaPo! Bush tries to put Press on junk Airplane, Pilot had license revoked

[KoKo]

From Dana Milbank, WaPo: SHOCKING!

Can you believe this? Is he now attempting to Wellstone the Press...!

Now for an update on the White House's ongoing effort to kill the press corps. The White House travel office signed a contract last week with an airline called Primaris to fly the press corps to Bush events. The two-month-old company has only one airplane. True, media representatives gave their blessing to the deal. But that was before they learned that the company's president twice had his pilot's license revoked related to his flying of an "unairworthy" aircraft, that the chief executive flopped in his last attempt to start an airline and that the 15-year-old plane itself was damaged in a hailstorm a decade ago and spent most of the past two years mothballed in France.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26935-2004Aug23.html?referrer=email

[Vickers]

1. And tomorrow, the press will be talking about the "disturbing revelations"

that the Swift Boat Liars are bringing up.

:eyes:

They won't learn.

[Cleita]

6. Maybe they are really scared. Food for thought.

They, the good ones, have probably discovered a lot of stuff and they are afraid to publish unless they feel safe.

[gardenista]

2. I guess if it crashed, it would be France's fault!

"the 15-year-old plane itself was damaged in a hailstorm a decade ago and spent most of the past two years mothballed in France."

[Ready4Change]

3. Sounds bad except for the airplanes age.

Lots of planes are older than 15 years. If they are well maintained thats no concern.

Now, the multiple license revokations, and failed businesses due to poor maintainance, THAT's a worrisome thing.

[grasswire]

4. dupe

...although there's nothing wrong with dupes! A few more comments here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2257963&mesg_id=2257963

[KoKo]

7. Oops, sorry, I missed that one, it is a dupe...Thanks for link. n/t

[KoKo]

5. Didn't the press always fly on Air Force One, though? Why would he

suddenly decide to hire a plane especially for the "press." Unless only the "chosen get to ride with the Emperor from now on.." I bet Helen Thomas and Terry Moran were scheduled to ride on the Primaris plane.

Really strange story, and Dana's reporting of it about "killing the press." :crazy:

[RamboLiberal]

8. I beleive some members fly on AF1 but during

campaigns and other big events there's so much traveling press they have a separate press plane.

[Eric J in MN]

9. The pilot of Wellsont's plane had lied about his experience and

was working another job when he got the call.

I don't think the death of Wellstone is a conspiracy. I think it was an over-tired, underqualified pilot and lousy navigation equipment from the tower.

[pa28]

10. Here's the plane in question . . .

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/634156/M/

It's really difficult to fly a "junk" airplane legally in the U.S. - especially in commercial operations.