HHS Secretary Campaigns For Medicare Drug Plan Using Private Jet Reserved For Emergencies
HHS Secretary Campaigns For Medicare Drug Plan Using Private Jet Reserved For Emergencies
An investigative report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution today finds that HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has been commandeering a private jet, intended to be used for public emergencies, to campaign for the Medicare prescription drug plan.
Leavitt used the emergency jet to travel to 90 cities in order to promote the Medicare prescription drug plan and to make appearances at pandemic flu meetings. Keith Ashdown, vice president for policy at Taxpayers for Common Sense, said, “This is a gold-plated jet to promote a boondoggle of a prescription plan,” Ashdown said. “He’s getting the CDC to pay for his own personal political travel.”
Leavitt’s use of the jet has had consequences:
During two of the CDC’s emergencies, Leavitt was traveling on the Gulfstream III jet, requiring the agency to use another plane.
The first emergency involved an individual who contracted anthrax. A second instance resulted from persons being subjected to radioactive material in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In both cases, CDC had to dispatch other planes because its emergency plane was being used for non-emergency purposes by Leavitt.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) said, “It is mind-boggling that the secretary would commandeer for his own personal convenience a jet that is supposed to be used by CDC for public health emergencies.” Leavitt countered that the private jet was essential for accomplishing the “breathtaking challenge” of signing up millions of senior citizens for the new drug benefit before the May 15 deadline.
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The challenge of these RepubliCons is to see who can spend the most taxpayer money on themselves. Absolutely pitiful!
June 14th, 2006 at 5:10 pmWhat ever happened to the grand old tradition of tar and feathers for these scalawags?
June 14th, 2006 at 5:12 pmLeavitt countered that the private jet was essential for accomplishing the “breathtaking challenge†of signing up millions of senior citizens for the new drug benefit before the May 15 deadline. – - Did the plane have no oxygen on board or is he talking about asthma patients?
June 14th, 2006 at 5:15 pmIt’s all up to interpretation. Who even knew the CDC needed a jet anyway?
June 14th, 2006 at 5:16 pmun freaking believeable!!! im ashamed to be an american!! how selfish of this jerk!
June 14th, 2006 at 5:17 pmYes, getting Republican policies to work is a “breathtaking challenge” much more so than saving the life of an anthrax victim.
June 14th, 2006 at 5:18 pmThis is the party that wants you, the American voter, to think that they can be responsible with your money. What amazes me is that time after time, they convince enough stupid people (many of whom are conservative, on account of they’re stupid) that this time they mean it and they win re-election. I just wish supporters of the Republican Party would admit the truth – namely that they haven’t won any elections based on the merits of their arguments; they have won based on the misinformation they make their constituents believe.
This “breathtaking challenge” was only “breathtaking” because the MediCare bill was so awful that nobody wanted to sign up. I don’t care what any of the Republicans say, this was not a justifiable use of our plane (it belongs to us, doesn’t it?)
June 14th, 2006 at 5:22 pmI’d say I’m shocked, but I’m not really.
June 14th, 2006 at 5:27 pmLeavitt’s sense of entitlement is astounding. That’s not what our plane was meant for — yes Wayne, our plane. ;)
June 14th, 2006 at 5:29 pmTo the victors go the spoils.
June 14th, 2006 at 5:31 pmWatching the BBC news at teatime tonight
Americans are going into hospitals in Iraq and destroying all the medicines
Troops are going down the streets and blowing up drug stores
People are having Amputations with no anesthetics, but with drugs theirlegs could have been saved
New born underwait babies cannot get vitamin K
Its appauling whats going on
And now we have some guy wasting millions of dollars when you could be shipping drugs to help the Iraqis – - – - – - WHY IS AMERICA LIKE THIS
June 14th, 2006 at 5:32 pmYou had better All wait for Micheal Moores new film on Drug Companies to come out to realise we are all guinea pigs or pay
June 14th, 2006 at 5:34 pmCorruption is everywhere in America under the criminal Bush Regime!
June 14th, 2006 at 5:46 pmTobey Tall,
As always, we appreciate a perspective from another country. Please understand that for all that the concept of “America” is supposed to stand for (at least publicly), our citizens are virtually powerless against a madman run amok such as our own “Dear Leader” George W. Bush. He and his ilk do not represent what America is supposed to be about. Rather, they represent better what America is supposed to be against. But we prefer to change our heads of state peacefully, as opposed to through the use of military coups, bloody revolutions and such.
Sadly, this country is becoming less “of the people, by the people, and for the people” and more “for the corporations” and litle else. People such as our current president care more about the businesses that operate here than they do about the people who live here.
But keep those cards and letters coming. If it weren’t for you, I never would have heard about all those things you say our troops are doing. Not because I doubt it, but because it’s exactly the kind of truth our government doesn’t want us to know.
June 14th, 2006 at 5:49 pmsalt to the wounds
House Accepts $3,300 Raise
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that will increase their salaries to $168,500.
The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate.
June 14th, 2006 at 6:03 pmWatching the BBC news at teatime tonight
Americans are going into hospitals in Iraq and destroying all the medicines
Troops are going down the streets and blowing up drug stores
People are having Amputations with no anesthetics, but with drugs theirlegs could have been saved
New born underwait babies cannot get vitamin K
Its appauling whats going on
And now we have some guy wasting millions of dollars when you could be shipping drugs to help the Iraqis – - – - – - WHY IS AMERICA LIKE THIS
Comment by Tobey Tall — June 14, 2006 @ 5:32 pm
Damned if I know Tobey. I ask myself the same question. Maybe it’s because some Americans are so brainwashed by TV and it’s commercials that they think it’s alway about them. Seems like there is at least ONE CAR commercial during each TV commerical break. This consumerism keeps many Americans focused inward. A woman that I work with told me that she had to buy certain things for her sons otherwise life would be unbearable for them. There it is “Affluenza”.
Maybe that can give you a perspective of what some Americans are like. We’re not all like that.
June 14th, 2006 at 6:53 pmThank you, Tobey Tall!
I really enjoy your posts because I know I’m getting the truth. (at last.)
Just don’t hate us here @ TP! :)
June 14th, 2006 at 6:54 pmTobey Tall,
Keep the news coming. I sometimes catch the news outside the US on LINK TV or Free Speach TV. It’s always good to get another perspective.
Congress can give itself a raise but refuses to raise the minimum wage. What selfish bastards. There were legislatures in PA that gave themselves a raise this year (substantial) and got voted out during the primaries this past May. The voters of PA were outraged so much so that a huge inflatable pig was parked outside of legislator’s offices to remind the voters of the “PAY RAISE”. We can do the same in November. “Remember the Pay Raise”. Get the inflatable pigs ready to roll.
June 14th, 2006 at 6:59 pmWanker. Crony. Or Republican; that kind of says it all.
Cheers,
June 14th, 2006 at 7:04 pmhey toby, could you recommend a web site we could check out for some real news. bbc? the guardian? what other kind of news links do you get? i noticed rumsfield threw out journalists at guantanamo today! can you say banana republic? i will never vote retardican again, and if i ever did, god please forgive me!
June 14th, 2006 at 7:10 pmOK this is excess and it needs to be addressed.
June 14th, 2006 at 8:04 pmHave we come to the point where they don’t even bother pretending that our government officials actually work for us and not the corporations? Seriously, THIS IS GETTING OUT OF CONTROL!
And they tell us to “phone your senator and tell him not to vote against Net Neutrality.” Let’s get real folks! Our system is totally broken. What is a fax, a phone call, or even a petition signed by 800,000 citizens going to do keep these a-holes from flushing our last freedoms right down the toilet?
Nothing. It will do nothing. I suppose in a few months AT&T will be able to block rants like this. Or this entire site for that matter. And then my friends, we are all truly f*cked.
June 15th, 2006 at 12:39 am