Ugly American

Brian Beutler recalls "Nancy Pelosi catching hell for the 'excessive' security detail she enjoys on her trips to and from California" and points out that it's nothing compared to what Bush and entourage took to Australia. Apparently, Air Force One plus two backup jumbo-jets wasn't enough, so they also brought two giant military transport planes to accommodate helicopters, a fleet of cars, etc., etc., etc. And this was for a trip to Australia, a small, rich, pleasant, friendly country. The possibility that this is just SOP for a presidential traveling party seems apparently, but Brian says at least one former Clinton aide he's spoken to says "that this sort of thing didn't happen when he worked at the White House."