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Monday, November 19, 2007

The Romney Press Conference

posted by on November 19 at 13:55 PM

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I drove out to Sea-Tac this morning to attend Mitt Romney’s press conference, which kicked off his brief swing through the area. Romney will visit Microsoft today and this evening will attend a $1,000-per-person (and $2,300-per-photo) fundraiser at the Medina home of Wayne Perry, the CEO of Edge Wireless.

I’ll write more about Romney, his press conference, and his Washington visit in this week’s Stranger. But for now, here’s the question I asked at the brief press conference (thanks, by the way, for all your suggestions), along with Romney’s answer.

First, some set-up: The press conference was held at an arrival gate for private jets near the airport. Romney had just landed in a Citation X.

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Which brought to mind this recent article from the New York Daily News:

Rudy Giuliani is jetting around the country wooing Bible-thumping conservatives, but his plane is often provided by a king of Sin City.

The Republican presidential hopeful anted up more than $122,000 last summer alone for jets traceable to casino kingpin Sheldon Adelson, whose Las Vegas Sands empire has made him the third-richest American, a Daily News review of campaign records shows.

I asked Romney what he thought of Giuliani’s private jet provider, and I asked who provided the jet Romney flew in on. Romney’s response:

The rules are that we have to pay the full charter rate if we’re using a private aircraft. I would presume that Rudy Giuliani is doing that… I honestly don’t know where he’s chartering his aircraft from, I’m not sure that’s as big a concern, no particular concern from me on that front.

But I can tell you in my own case that I’m chartering aircraft from a charter service. It’s a regular charter service that provides these kinds of aircraft to anybody who’s willing to pay the price it takes. And, it aint cheap.

I don’t have time right now to fact-check Romney on his private jet provider, but I believe any lay fact-checker out there can do it using the tail numbers on the plane pictured above (N967QS).

And, you know, I’m not saying this was the most scintillating question asked at the press conference. But a number of other reporters had already asked about trade, immigration, Huckabee, flip-flops, and so on, so I thought I’d throw out an oddball.

Plus, I have a minor fascination with private campaign jets. I’ve never been on a private jet (Keck is always using The Stranger’s, so when I travel for the paper it’s strictly commercial) but I hear they’re pretty cushy. Which makes me wonder: Do we need to update our sense of how hard it is for these candidates to be out on the campaign trail?

No doubt the trail is grueling, but if you’re zipping from here to there in a private jet (as all the major candidates are)—well, it seems, at the very least, like a lovely way to unwind between events.

Photos by Ryan S. Jackson

RSS icon Comments

1

I dunno. I can never sleep on airplanes. Though I'd be willing to give it a go on a private jet...

Posted by Greg | November 19, 2007 2:02 PM
2

Good question, Eli. But the grind from being around people-even in a private plane- would wear on a person. I would imagine being under the cultural microscope every single day is very straining. You also could have asked what it's like spending millions of dollars on a plane all for nothing. It's not like he's going to win.

Posted by mongo like slog | November 19, 2007 2:03 PM
3

The reg number only comes up with being owned by a Moreland Air Inc located in Oklahoma.

And I could not find anything on the company on a google search.

Posted by Just Me | November 19, 2007 2:08 PM
4

Dennis rides in a spaceship.

Posted by DOUG. | November 19, 2007 2:10 PM
5

Googling the tail numbers took me ten seconds.

MORELAND AIR INC
(Co-Owned)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73102 US
(Oklahoma County) * 1998 750-0067 N967QS ALLISON/AE 3007A

Posted by John | November 19, 2007 2:30 PM
6

romney looks like a wax figure.

Posted by max solomon | November 19, 2007 2:36 PM
7

I e-mailed Eli and told him that Moreland Air is not listed in the phone book and not a public company (traded on the market). So.... it is probably a DBA for another larger company or maybe a cover company for something/someone else.

Posted by Just Me | November 19, 2007 2:37 PM
8

More than a wax figure, Max - he looks like one those cardboard models people pose with pretending to be with the real object of their (dis)affection. Somewhat less animated than Abraham Lincoln @ Disneyland. Because of the Utahans drug-of-choice - Prozac? He should hand out 3-D glasses.

Posted by RHETT ORACLE | November 19, 2007 3:18 PM
9

Interestingly, googling Moreland Air oklahoma brings up ONLY N967QS. Do they only own one plane?

Where do you get the idea that a privately owned company is "probably" a dba or a "cover company"?

Posted by Fnarf | November 19, 2007 3:21 PM
10

As far as unwinding goes, I'm pretty sure Romney and all the others are working their butts off the whole time they're aboard. Running for president is hard work.

Posted by Fnarf | November 19, 2007 3:30 PM
11

The plane is listed on Landings Aviation database as a "co-ownership" which is probably a buncha corporate types who each own a fractional interest in it.

It would not be uncommon in that situation to also have the plane on a "lease-back" situation where they lease it to a charter company to maintain it and fly it for profit when the actual owner is not using it.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | November 19, 2007 3:31 PM
12

NapoleonXIV is right on... it's a shared ownership type of thing.

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=N967QS&distinct_entry=true

Posted by Jimmy Legs | November 19, 2007 3:37 PM
13

Jesus, Romney looks creepy and unnatural in that picture. Like some sort of Stepford Candidate.

Posted by Jessica | November 19, 2007 3:40 PM
14

On the bright side, at least the planes been spotted in wine country golf destinations, and not apparent rendition sites in Eastern Europe or Bezherkistan.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | November 19, 2007 4:03 PM
15

It's also been to the Caribbean. Probably picking some of that Peruvian Flake Romney's got a head full of.

Posted by Fnarf | November 19, 2007 4:08 PM
16

Maybe it's a shell company.

Owned by the Saudis.

Posted by Will in Seattle | November 19, 2007 4:14 PM
17

According to this site: http://www.visitingphx.com/bizjets2005.html

Moreland Air is owned by NETJETS SALES INC. whose info is here:
http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/CompanyDetail.aspx?CompanyID=27197626&cs=QFBnwC6%401g

Posted by Cato | November 19, 2007 4:54 PM
18

Ironically it's a Berkshire Hathaway company. Looks like Romney is flying on a plane that's wholly owned by Warren Buffet.

Posted by Cato | November 19, 2007 4:58 PM
19

NetJets is a fractional ownership manager--it operates as a high-end airplane time-share company.

Not a lot of dirt to be had here, I'm afraid.

Posted by NapoleonXIV | November 19, 2007 5:04 PM
20

He's an ass.

He should have been able to give you a direct answer to that question. He's not witty or cute. He's dangerous.

Posted by californicator | November 19, 2007 6:58 PM
21

Aircraft ownership is often complex, like any expensive asset. I remember glancing at the registration certificate, as I got on a Southwest jet, and being surprised to notice that it was actually owned by Wells Fargo.

Posted by Orv | November 20, 2007 11:21 AM

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