Run In With Mr. Edwards

Jay Honeck wrote:

After living in Iowa for the last 7 years, it seemed that we were the only
ones left who had NOT been to the "Great Iowa State Fair." This year is
the 150th anniversary of this grand old tradition, so last weekend we
decided to check it out.

After the brief, 0.7 hour flight to Des Moines, Mary taxied up to Des Moines
Flying Service (A.K.A.: "Signature") to park. As we trundled toward the
ramp we noticed an inordinate number of vehicles parked on the airport side
of the fence. As the prop stopped, I noticed that they were all law
enforcement vehicles, of every type and kind, from marked squads to black
Suburbans.

Jokingly I commented on the criminal nature of that last landing (which
netted me a swat to the head :-), but wondered aloud just what the heck
could justify the expense of 30 - 40 vehicles and crew...

...and then we remembered the season, and where we were. It HAD to be a
presidential election-related visit of some sort -- but who?

Mary had quite specifically grilled Flight Service about TFRs, and had been
told there were none. DSM approach mentioned nothing, either, so we were
fairly certain that it couldn't be the President. The fact that the cops
were eying us warily, but otherwise ignoring us, seemed to reinforce this
notion.

This left the Kerry/Edwards campaign as the primary suspects, and we were
not to be disappointed.

As soon as we were inside the FBO, the Kerry/Edwards "Real Deal" Boeing 727
plane rolled in. John Edwards was making an appearance in Des Moines, and
we were lucky to get in when we did -- cuz the ramp was slammed shut, tight
as a drum, as soon as he arrived.

Walking to our rental car with my kids, I pushed up closer to the fence to
take a picture. Immediately a uniformed DSM police officer asked if he
could "help me" -- and ordered me to stay behind a painted line in the
parking lot (that he had chosen entirely at random, at that instant) in no
uncertain terms. So, I took my pictures and left, marveling at the
stupidity of it all.

After spending a marvelous day at the fair we returned to the airport -- and
were dumb-founded to see all those police officers rolling up to the ramp
once again! With incredibly bad timing, we had arrived precisely at the
same moment as the advance security detail, meaning that Edwards couldn't be
far behind.

Now hurriedly paying for gas and the car, hoping against hope to get off the
ground before the V.P.-wannabee returned to his plane, we grabbed our stuff
and made a bee-line toward the plane -- only to have a secret service agent
step between me and the door, asking that I please wait for Mr. Edwards to
depart.

Now you must realize that my plane was MAYBE 40 feet from the door he was
blocking, while Mr. Liability-Attorney's 727 was several hundred yards
farther out. I pointed this fact out to him, and also pointed to my
children, stating that all we wanted to do was get off the ground before
dark, since neither of us were legal to fly at night.

This carried no weight with him, and he quietly told me that we'd just have
to wait.

So, I resignedly told my family to find comfy chairs, and that it would be
while. For the next ten minutes or so, we observed at least 50 officers and
agents, all on the tax-dole, making sure that the ramp area was "sterile"
for Mr. Perfect-Hair. Some were just standing around staring into space,
while others were actively scanning the fence line and building tops.

Aggravatingly, two characters -- obviously pilots -- kept freely going in
and out of the same door that the jar-head secret agent had blocked. This
continued for 15 minutes, until I could no longer stand it. I approached
the door guard and asked him what THEY had that we did NOT have -- to which
he replied succinctly: "Clearance." Apparently they worked for Signature,
and had been pre-screened to be on the ramp.

By now thoroughly aggravated, I raised my hands over my head and said "Well,
screen me. Escort me. Tow me. Do whatever you've got to do to make sure
I'm not a threat -- but we've got to get off the ground soon, or we'll be
stuck here overnight!"

Unsmilingly, he simply said "You're not going anywhere until that plane
departs." -- and that was that.

Finally Mr. Ketchup's side-kick taxied out to the active runway -- and held
for departure. We all immediately grabbed our stuff and started heading
for the door -- which our favorite S.S. officer was STILL blocking!
Dumbfounded, I asked what the problem was -- and he said that Edwards had to
be OFF THE GROUND before he could clear us onto the ramp!

Now thoroughly ****ed, I just stared at the guy incredulously. He got the
message, and promised that he would try to "get us clearance onto the
ramp" -- and started talking into his lapel. He then walked out onto the
ramp, where he was animatedly talking with someone when Edwards' plane
finally got clearance to depart, and blasted into the evening sky.

Within minutes, the Signature ramp was empty, with no vestige of the
incredible security presence that had been there only moments before. They
all headed to the donut shoppe, and we were able to depart normally, as if
nothing at all had just happened.

Harry Truman once famously said that the "position of vice-president ain't
worth a bucket of warm spit." Worse, Edwards isn't even THERE yet -- he's
just a wannabee! He is nothing, absolutely NOTHING -- yet we are treating
him like royalty, and my family was treated like criminals when we were
anywhere near him. If this is what we have to look forward to under a
Kerry/Edwards presidency, I fear the worst is yet to come.

As we climbed out I laughingly told my kids that this was "your tax-dollars
at work." I then closed my eyes and wished fervently that 9/11 had never
happened...

(BTW: If you've never seen the Iowa State Fair, it's worth the trip. It's
the biggest fair in America, apparently, and it is so chock-full of
traditional Americana that I felt like a kid again. And my kids were
absolutely in awe of the place, with the rides, live entertainment, food,
and animals. Ever seen a 3000 pound bull? Me neither -- but they have one.
It's as big as a car!)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Wow! That's the highest whining-per-sentence ratio I've heard since the
last time I accidentally channel-surfed to Air America or Rush.

Keep in mind that this is the same guy who was saying that nothing's
changed since
9/11 a couple weeks ago.

Nothing of any importance HAS changed, for 99.99% of the people.

And I was responding to Eduardo's broadside about how the "new American
lifestyle sucks" -- which it clearly does not.

Edwards' over-the-top security was inconvenient, stupid, and unnecessary,
but it hardly amounts to a hill of beans in the overall scheme of things in
America.

Which, incidentally, is why they feel they can get away with it.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Had you not provided the political slant and directly blamed the
Democratic candidates for the inconvenience, you would not have obscured
your own message.

I blamed the Democratic V.P. candidate directly because that is where the
blame lies. In my world, the boss takes the blame for his subordinates.

I find it incredibly hypocritical that Kerry supporters continue to rant
about the "restrictive" and "fascist/racist" security measures the Bush
Administration has put in place nationally, yet in the same breath will
defend their candidate when he does EXACTLY the same thing.

Only it's worse, because their candidate is precisely that: Just a
candidate.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:
I blamed the Democratic V.P. candidate directly because that is where the
blame lies. In my world, the boss takes the blame for his subordinates.

Edwards has absolutely no control over what the Secret Service does.


I find it incredibly hypocritical that Kerry supporters continue to rant
about the "restrictive" and "fascist/racist" security measures the Bush
Administration has put in place nationally, yet in the same breath will
defend their candidate when he does EXACTLY the same thing.

Edwards has absolutely no control over what the Secret Service does.

Only it's worse, because their candidate is precisely that: Just a
candidate.

Edwards has absolutely no control over what the Secret Service does.




--
__!__
Jay and Teresa Masino ___(_)___
http://www2.ari.net/jmasino ! ! !
http://www.oceancityairport.com
http://www.oc-adolfos.com

"Jay Masino wrote:
Edwards has absolutely no control over what the Secret Service does.

Is declining Secret Service protection "no control"? The DHS web site
says that Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, and their
spouses/children, may individually decline protection. If the
question is whether they may tell them how to do their jobs once they
consent to protection, well, that I imagine is like any other
situation where professionals tend not to listen to suggestions from
amateurs.

F--

"Martin Hotze" wrote in message
...


snip

and finally, to compare your calculated $ 6,000 for security at this
event:
check out http://www.costofwar.com/ to have an estimate what your
government
spends on other things.



Big deal. I can write a program to make numbers change at a regular
interval...


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"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...

snip

Maybe Jay should consider moving away from Iowa (or the US in general)
if he can't tolerate such things.



Jay, you can get the crap stirred up more than I can! Your good.

What happened to your right to free speech? You voice your opinion and now
you are being told to leave the country because of you voicing your
opinion...

What a country...


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"Chuck" wrote in message
m...

Big deal. I can write a program to make numbers change at a regular
interval...


Yes, we call them "constants."

How in heavens name would a GA pilot vote for Edwards, a personal injury
lawyer who's inclined to sue General Aviation out of existence? He's
already attempted to sue Obstetricians into oblivion so that pregnant moms
sometimes have to fly to the nearest available OB\GYN willing to deliver
their babies! And can you tell me that John F'n Ketchup won't regulate or
tax GA to death?

"James Robinson" wrote in message
...
Jay Honeck wrote:

Since so many are having trouble distinguishing the salient point of my
post, let me say it again. This time in super-sloooow-mooootion, for
the
reading impaired:

John Edwards isn't the President. He isn't the Vice-President. He is
nobody but a run-of-the-mill Senator.

I have no problem with giving the President of the United States the
tightest possible security. If George Bush had been in Des Moines, I
would
have completely understood the treatment I received.

Giving a dime-a-dozen politician this kind of protection, however, is
patently absurd.

Regarding why your point might have been obscured, let me remind you
what you wrote in your original posts:

"Mr. Liability-Attorney's 727"
"Mr. Ketchup's side-kick"
"If this is what we have to look forward to under a Kerry/Edwards
presidency, I fear the worst is yet to come."
"The Democrats claim to be the "party of the people" -- yet they treat
potential constituents like this?"

Had you not provided the political slant and directly blamed the
Democratic candidates for the inconvenience, you would not have obscured
your own message.

To provide my own political slant, I might note that "this kind of
protection" is being offered under the Bush/Cheney presidency, so you
don't have to look forward, it is here now under the present
administration.

Regarding the fact that the candidate has protection, even though he is
not in fact the VP, that's just the sort of soft target a terrorist
might look for, because of the news coverage it would get, and some form
of protection is probably justified.

You might re-read this...constants don't change at all; that's why we call
them constants.


"Peter Gottlieb" wrote in message
et...

"Chuck" wrote in message
m...

Big deal. I can write a program to make numbers change at a regular
interval...


Yes, we call them "constants."