Reply #1: Check the list of the biggest users of this 'perk': [View All]

http://www.publicintegrity.org/powertrips/report.aspx?aid=799

The freepazoids are going nuts over an article in the local paper (Seattle P-I) about how Jim McDermott is the top traveler from WA, but somehow the paper missed out on the full list of the top travelers. Here it is, just to keep the record straight:

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Offices Taking More Than $350,000 in Travel
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas)
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio)
Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas)
Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.)
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
Rep. Michael Oxley (R-Ohio)
Rep. W.J. Tauzin (R-La.)*
Rep. William Thomas (R-Calif.)
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.)
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)

Offices Taking More Than 200 Trips
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas)
Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio)
Rep. Larry Combest (R-Texas)*
Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas)
Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.)
Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.)
Rep. Michael Oxley (R-Ohio)
Rep. W.J. Tauzin (R-La.)*
Rep. William Thomas (R-Calif.)
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)

* No longer in Congress

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McDermott isn't anywhere NEAR the top, overall, but the local rag buried that little factoid in in the middle of the story. Hmmmm....looks to me like 9 of the 11 that took more than $350,000 in travel have an "R" by their name, and 9 of the 10 who took more than 200 trips have that same little "R". Also, 7 of the 10 most expensive private trips wind up in the "R" column. I have to wonder why they aren't touting THOSE numbers.