May
9, 2003, 9:10 a.m. Lincoln
Logjam
What would Clinton do?
hate to talk about politics, but like most NROniks, I was perplexed by
Democratic criticism of the president's speech (more specifically his
method of arrival) aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln last Thursday.
As for the substance of the complaints, such as the additional cost to
the taxpayer, the White House has already noted that these were negligible.
The investigation being called for by some otherwise unpreoccupied members
of Congress would probably cost more than whatever they claim the taxpayers
had to pay to get the president on the ship. Moreover, let's not forget
things like Franklin Roosevelt taking the Cruiser U.S.S. Houston
to the Galapagos Islands for
a fishing trip. It helps to keep things in perspective.
One alleged additional cost was the "extra time" the Lincoln
spent at sea while waiting for the president. The ship had originally
been scheduled to make port Sunday, May 4, but the timetable was accelerated
by two days, and even then, the ship arrived with time to spare and closer
to shore than expected. Some have said had it not been for the presidential
delay the carrier could have come into port a day earlier, and saved a
million dollars in operating costs — which is of course not true,
since the Lincoln was only making a temporary stopover before heading
to its home port in Washington. Besides, the ship only arrived early in
order to meet the president, so true cost accounting might work in his
favor. But suppose the carrier did come into port at first opportunity,
say, Wednesday night at the earliest. What sense would that have made
for the sailors on board? Or for their families who had planned to meet
them on Friday? Some traveled hundreds, even thousands of miles to meet
the ship. What if they arrived Thursday night to find their loved one
had already disembarked, and they were denied their moment of reunion
on the pier, with all the attendant spectacle? Suppose the Lincoln
steamed into port on Thursday, as it clearly could have. Even if last-minute
word got out, there is no guarantee that the family members who had planned
on the ship arriving the next day could have made the arrangements necessary
to show up — taken time off work, arranged for transportation, gotten
the kids out of school, and other things non-congressmen have to do to
run their daily lives.
The cost and timing issues are just silly. But why raise them when there
are more important matters at hand, such as tax cuts, unemployment, and
other concerns the president would rather the Congress focus on? One theory
is that it is a calculated move to taint the event, so footage of it cannot
be used during the campaign. This was as much as stated by Senator Robert
Byrd (D., W.V.). Perhaps this was the intent, but it is hard to see it
having much effect. It could also have been aimed at the demoralized members
of the peace movement, to give them something else to be angry about and
keep them mobilized for 2004. That might work too, but the election is
a long way off. Plus it will be offset by the impression being generated
that the Democrats have nothing of substance to offer and have to resort
to this sort of frivolousness.
Anyway, since the topic is presidents and aircraft carriers, I was reminded
of the 1994 commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
President Clinton used the aircraft carrier George Washington to
ferry himself, various high-ranking officials, 40 White House aides, and
23 members of the Press Corps across the English Channel. He made remarks
on the ship June 5, and the next day he and his entourage went ashore
for the ceremonies in France (images of which were later used in campaign
commercials). Along with them went dozens of towels and bathrobes lifted
from the ship's stores. The Navy investigated and presented the White
House a bill for $562. On June 16, 1994, the White House Office of Scheduling
and Advance issued a memo to the staff asking that those who took the
items please remit payment. No checks were forthcoming, so a member of
the office paid the entire bill just to kill the issue. Nevertheless,
by then "Towel-hook" had become another data point in the case
for the Clinton administration's contempt for the military. And I'm guessing
that after President Bush left the Abraham Lincoln no one felt
it necessary to count the silver.
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hate to talk about politics, but like most NROniks, I was perplexed by
Democratic criticism of the president's speech (more specifically his
method of arrival) aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln last Thursday.
As for the substance of the complaints, such as the additional cost to
the taxpayer, the White House has already noted that these were negligible.
The investigation being called for by some otherwise unpreoccupied members
of Congress would probably cost more than whatever they claim the taxpayers
had to pay to get the president on the ship. Moreover, let's not forget
things like Franklin Roosevelt taking the Cruiser U.S.S. Houston
to the Galapagos Islands 
