Corporate, union jets help presidential candidates hit campaign trail

[Khephra]

Presidential candidates are flying around the country in planes provided by businesses, labor unions and other special interests, keeping entourages on schedule without the hassles of commercial air travel.

Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and his staff have taken $138,000 worth of flights aboard the private jet of a Dallas law firm. Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., has gotten a lift aboard union planes. Retired Gen. Wesley Clark took his first campaign trip aboard a jet owned by a government contractor.



SNIP..........

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's campaign reports showed no apparent use of corporate planes; a spokesman said the campaign may have had a few such flights and was checking.

At least one Democratic hopeful, Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, intentionally spurns the use of corporate jets, his campaign said.

MORE.............

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/21/national0204EDT0445.DTL

[kodi]

1. bush used an enron jet in 2000, at virtually no cost

imagine that.

[Dover]

2. Kerry

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., often uses his wife's Flying Squirrel charter airline, paying it at least $70,000 so far.

And the rest of the time?

[mikehiggins]

3. Union airplanes? Since when?

What unions have airplanes to provide to a candidate?

I've never heard of a union owning an airplane, not even the AFL-CIO itself. When did this happen?

[tsipple]

4. Re: Dean Campaign's Use of Aircraft

There's an interesting way that Dean volunteers are countering this possible advantage for corporate candidates. Click here for details.