Madame Speaker and her clown posse apparently like to booze it up when traveling on USAF assets, and have the AF procure their booze. World Net Daily has posted the scan at right there of an alleged reciept - note that it comes from the Bolling Air Force Base Army and Air Force Exchange Service Shoppette/Class Six (liquor) store. Which means that it was also procured sans sales tax.Hey, it's gov't money being spent, so, skipping sales tax is no big deal.
But according to AAFES, this is who is authorized to use their facilities (rules set out by Congress, one would note:
Authorized Users
Military ID Card Holders
Civilian employees and government contractors can purchase snacks, candy, food items and soft drinks in the Post Exchange and can dine at the Burger King by showing an identification card.
They cannot purchase cigarettes, alcohol, clothing or electronic equipment. Those items are for purchase only by eligible military ID card holders.
The emphasis is mine.
I would also note that while authorized users can buy items from AAFES as gifts, etc, we are not allowed to buy in bulk for non-authorized users, or to divert AAFES-purchased goods for use in a personal business.
I know alcohol is served on AF One, and, frankly, I don't have any real problem with that. I don't realyl have any problem with Madame Speaker and her posse drinking on the exec jets (but I'd note I've never been allowed to booze it up when flying USAF Air Lines...) But I'm wondering if anyone knows how that's done for AF One - and if AAFES can be used like it's being used here?
Me, I'm thinking these people aren't authorized users, they should be BYOB. But that's just me. And I'd be saying the same thing if were were talking Speaker Hastert.
"It was FOR THE CHILDREN!!!!"
Applicable if you consider Nancy and her ilk to be ill mannered brats in our cookie jar.
I mean, they did just raise the debt ceiling by $1.9 Trillion so they can probably squeak by - at least now that Teddy's gone.
Sooo, which is worse?
Finding out that the taxpayers were shafted out of $100k for booze?
or
Finding out that the taxpayers were shafted out of $100k for CRAPPY booze?
Just goes to show that the while our Nouveau Rich in Congress may have our money to squander, they simply cannot purchase class or good taste...
To "Justthisguy", a tipple of Springbank. $90
To Casey, Rolling Rock is NOT crap beer and beats Bud IMHO, but, it would not be my first choice. Try a Baltika from Russia, yes, Russia and see what you think. My favorite is the #7. $2.75@
For the Castle denizens, Dos Lunas Repasado Tequila. $38
For myself, a nice glass of Wathens Small-batch, 94 proof bourbon. $40.
Cheers!
I could equip the morons bar with far better booze for less money. And, with fairly comparable prices even at retail and esp so if I, a mere eevul capitalist vendor of premium wines and spirts, had the tax payer funded benefits our Lords and Ladies enjoy, literally, at our expense.
It sux all the way 'round.
PS. Dickel Select Barrel Whiskey kicks all versions of JDs behind. If you are a JD fan, try and find some George Dickel. You will be a very happy sipper.
If this could actually be looked into in depth (such as by the USAF OSI), there would be a sacrificaial goat, which, sadly, would probably be some poor E-7 who regularly serves as Load on that flight. The blame would never get to the hallowed halls of Congrass.
"After he left, a large quantity of Air Force One cigars (Filipino ones, packed 3 to a tube bearing the Presidential Seal) mysteriously showed up in our headquarters. How appropriate. "
Filipino cigars were/are awful. I don't even know if you can get them in the States any more. They became available here in the 90's due to the demand for cigars, any cigars, during the cigar boom. That might help to explain why they so mysteriously appeared....
The most popular Filipino cigar was labeled "Fighting Cock". If indeed the cigars came from Prez Bubbas plane and considering his reputation.... indeed, "How appropriate".
"The finest cigars do not come along every year. Premium tobacco grown in the fertile soils of sun-blessed Cagayan Valley in the Philippines. Hand rolled - long filler cigars produced from centuries of exceptional craftsmanship. World class cigars processed to perfection to guarantee mildness that can satisfy the most discriminating cigar connoisseurs."
I'll bet. I've left the can sealed, as I am not a big cigar smoker, and from what Kevin said, I'm not missing too much. I'd like to hope we didn't pay a lot of money for them, but I suppose I'd be wrong about that....
If they are still sealed, then they may be worth some bucks on *bay. Look under Tobacianna, it's a whole collectors market.
With them being sealed, it sounds as if they haven't been humidified and are probably dried out.
No big deal. Cigars can be re-humidified and brought back.
I'd keep them sealed and sniff around the collecters sites. There are several cigar auction sites if you look for them.
If nothing else, you have a neat collectors item.
Oh, and the tins advertisement forgot to mention that the cigars were rolled on the softy, dusky thighs of long-haired, sloe-eye Filipina virgins.....
Need to teach them folks some marketing techniques.