The Cellar - Dems Junkets on the taxpayer dime?

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Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Promises Promises

A promise Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made back in 2007 was apparently easier said than done. Pelosi vowed the House would lead by example, becoming the first legislative body in the world to zero out its carbon footprint on the planet by the end of last year. But House leaders quietly shelved the idea late last month when it was discovered that the goal to become carbon neutral could not be guaranteed.

The House has already spent $89,000 to buy carbon offsets. But because those offsets are not regulated in the U.S., it is difficult to prove their environmental benefit. Jeff Ventura, communications director for the House office of the chief administrative officer, said, "It is a lot more than complicated and ambitious than people think it is."

Something else that appears complicated are Speaker Pelosi's multiple requests for military air travel. Transparency advocate Judicial Watch obtained internal documents by the Defense Department detailing attempts by its staff to accommodate Speaker Pelosi's numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft, along with frequent last minute cancellations and changes costing taxpayers money. Other documents detail demands from Pelosi's people for certain aircraft.

House Office of Interparliamentary Affairs Director Kay King writes: "It is my understanding there are no G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable…The speaker will want to know where the planes are."

King reacts in a separate e-mail to similar word that a certain type of aircraft would not be available: "This is not good news, and we will have some very disappointed folks, as well as a very upset speaker."

Pelosi's office says use of military planes are for security reasons and that she is very appreciative of the DOD's efforts to accommodate congressional requests.

FoxNews