The Chicago Tribune's Washington blog reports that some folks are concerned about Obama and Biden taking an Amtraker to D.C. for the inauguration because they believe the train is vulnerable to terrorist attack:
Even considering that the scheduled movement date of Jan 17 is a Saturday, there will still be needless disruption to regular Amtrak, and some commuter agency, passengers. I'm sure the Secret Service is wondering "why can't they just fly'?
I would not be surprised if this stunt still finds its way to the discard pile. I'm sure Amtrak would just as soon wish it wasn't, but then you don't tell the President and VP where they can go. Although still a "not quite but almost', how often do the President and VP travel about together in the same conveyance?
The PV owners would simply have to live with the cancellation fees; sorry bout that.
Incidentially, if this movement is to go forth, it is certain that the train will be diesel hauled, as reportedly the Secret Service is 'not happy' with electric power. Therefore, this will simply be a nostalgic ride tying up a busy passenger railroad.
While not disclosed anywhere to date, the PV will likely be the Georgia 300. Obama used it for his Pennsylvania whistle stop, and for all anyone knows, Bennett Levin (Juniata Terminal) is a Republican.
disclaimer: AFAIC, (take your pick) Tokyo, Rio de Janerio, and Madrid all would be excellent venues for the 2016 Olympics.
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
Maybe they really like trains. ScottC4746, is your real name Obama? Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Let's remember that FDR went "everywhere" by train during WW2. At that time we were dealing with two technologically advanced countries that would have loved to have done him in. His trains were well protected and well guarded, but probably not to near the extent the Obama express will be.
I would happily leave the paranoia to the Secret Service. That is part of their job. Also, derailing a train does not equal killing the occupants. Crashig a plan usually does equal killing the occupants.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
I think it's just GREAT that they're taking Amtrak. Esp for Biden, who took Amtrak almost every day to and from DC--I think it's very fitting he take it now. And I wish Obama were taking it all the way from Chicago.
I'm not worried about terrorism. I'm worried about another ICE STORM. It's been yechhhhhhhhhhhhh up here today.
Posted by mr williams (Member # 1928) on :
Wouldn't it be great if Obama made Dubya go back to Texas on the train!! Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I just looked at the route on Amtrak and found: 29 Capital Limited WAS-CHI departs 405 P 20Jan arrive 840 A 21Jan connect to: 21 Texas Eagle CHI-DAL departs 145 P 21Jan arrives 12 P 22Jan
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
mr williams wrote:
Wouldn't it be great if Obama made Dubya go back to Texas on the train!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, hopefully in coach sitting next to a displaced Hurricane Katrina family with lots of screaming kiddies!!!
Posted by Henry Kisor (Member # 4776) on :
On a day of freight derailments and track washouts.
But that would be mean to the other passengers.
Posted by Railroad Bob (Member # 3508) on :
quote:Originally posted by George Harris: I would happily leave the paranoia to the Secret Service. That is part of their job. Also, derailing a train does not equal killing the occupants. Crashig a plan usually does equal killing the occupants.
George, I'm guessing there will be a "pilot train" (loco and 2-3 cars) that will run ahead of the Inaug. Special. Pilot trains= time-honored tradition dating at least back to the Lincoln Funeral train. We had a pilot train in '87 when Amtrak moved Mike Dukakis from Bakersfield to Stockton, and he was only a candidate, not the President. As to planes and their dangers, ask Lin Biao, the early PRC guy who ran afoul of Chairman Mao's gang...'course you couldn't ask him 'cause he was in a plane crash...
Posted by Geoff M (Member # 153) on :
If you send Dubya back by train, make sure he goes back on UP rails for as much as possible. Then we'll see just how in control he really is...
(Oh, and he can take Blair with him if he likes)
Geoff M.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ocala Mike: mr williams wrote:
Wouldn't it be great if Obama made Dubya go back to Texas on the train!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, hopefully in coach sitting next to a displaced Hurricane Katrina family with lots of screaming kiddies!!!
Let me explain the reality of Katrina to ya... New Orleans is infested with the welfare mentality. They expect the government to take care of the poor ignorant welfare queens and kings. Three and a half years later, they are still waiting for government to wipe their rear. The city and the state completely failed to take care of their welfare recipients. Houston had to take care of some of them, until we found out what they were, then we kicked them out of Texas.
In September, the Houston/Galveston region was hit by Hurricane Ike. We are putting our area back together with minimal government interference and we will be back close to where we were within the next 4 months. At that point in time, we intend on rubbing New Orleans noses in it! This is how it is done! Never ever rely on Washington to take care of you. You will be disappointed each and every time. Bureaucrats are mostly incompetent.
And for you whiny babies that want President Bush to take the train, forget it. He's flying back on one of the 747's the government uses as Air Force One, although it will not be AF1 when Bush flies back to Texas.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
Any President returning home who has completed one or two terms serving our country deserves an honorable return home, no matter if he/she has done a good or bad job and is a democrat or republican.
Not sure why this is a topic for an Amtrak forum.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Thank you, Mr. Palmland.
As Mr. Smith noted, the VC-25 assigned to move President Bush KADW to KDFW(?) on Jan 20 will simply be identified by whatever AM - Airlift Movement - the computer assigns it.
For the past eight years around here, I have tried to avoid participation in these "we hate Bush; he hates trains' discussions, but on this very day I am prepared to say "I am an American and you are my President'.
I am also prepared to say same to our new President on Jan 21.
Let most here be thankful we are citizens of a Republic, in which there is a transfer of power made in the spirit of when the five men on this planet who can hold the title "President of the United States' gathered together for sure a cordial Luncheon. It could have been a situation of the White house surrounded by tanks and troops and the occupant saying "com 'n git me" (that just may play out in Rhodesia - whoops Zimwhatever - pretty soon).
Finally allow me to share this off topic off rail "brief passage' from a New York Times article I found so descriptive regarding the enigma of GWB:
Bush’s place in history depends on alternate narratives that are hard to reconcile. To critics, he is the man who misled the country into a disastrous war, ruined U.S. relations around the world, wrecked the economy, squandered a budget surplus to give tax cuts to fat-cat friends, played the guitar while New Orleans drowned, politicized the Justice Department, cozied up to oil companies and betrayed American values by promoting torture, warrantless eavesdropping and a modern-day gulag at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for people never even charged with a crime. To admirers, he is the man who freed 60 million people from tyranny in Afghanistan and Iraq and planted a seed that may yet spread democracy in a vital region, while at home he reduced taxes, introduced more accountability to public schools through No Child Left Behind, expanded Medicare to cover prescription drugs, installed two new conservative Supreme Court justices and, most of all, kept America safe after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
GBN wrote: It could have been a situation of the White house surrounded by tanks and troops and the occupant saying "com 'n git me" (that just may play out in Rhodesia - whoops Zimwhatever - pretty soon).
Gil: Or in Springfield, IL pretty soon!
By the way, more on topic here, has anyone but me noticed that we are coming up to 01/11/09? Scary to numbers buffs, because it's almost a palindrome for 09/11/01.
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
I don't think a comment that Bush should go back to Texas on a train is that far off a topic that began with comments on the Pres.-elect taking a train to DC. I took it as just a bit tongue-in-cheek. But to really go off topic, relative the the gov of Illinois comment, Dave Barry said it best. In his year summary column he noted that the FBI had tapped Blah-GO-ya vich's phone and found out that he had been.... acting like a governor of Illinois!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mike, I did think of Springfield, but the pariah seems to spend most of his time "holed up" either at his home in the Ravenswood neighborhood, or at his office in the Thompson Center (Randolph St). Springfield seems to be a no go; wonder why! (not sure if the State can even afford to gas up his private aircraft).
At least I can say I never cast a vote for him. Those here who review my material posted over at Railroad.net know my thoughts on his "Seniors Ride Free" program.
Finally, none of the above, or even what happens in the criminal case (which is completely independent of any impeachment action) should not bar Sen-designate. Burris from being seated. Mr. Burris IS qualified to be a United States Senator; he has held state wide elected office in the past - Comptroller and Attorney General - and no one has ever found a speck on him. Why Secretary of State White (also clean; but holding an office in which all too many incumbents have been "other than") refuses to certify escapes me.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by Ocala Mike: By the way, more on topic here, has anyone but me noticed that we are coming up to 01/11/09? Scary to numbers buffs, because it's almost a palindrome for 09/11/01.
Funny thing is, the way most of the world dates things numerically is dd/mm/yy, so 9/11/01 would have been 11/09/01, and the day we are fast approaching would be 11/01/09.
The emergency number is not necessarily 911 around the world. In Taiwan it is 119. Nine could not be used as the starting number, as being a relatively small and densely populated island, the local phone numbers were eight digits and the in-country area codes were a single digit, not using the 1. 9 was the island-wide area code for cell phones.
Maybe they were planning for the day based on the American way of doing things or it simply could be that was when their plan finally came together, and the thought of playing the mind game with 911 came later. Who knows? Who cares?
Posted by RR4me (Member # 6052) on :
I think this is a perfect example of the statistical caveat, "correlation does not prove causation". Most of the "9/11" description buzz happens because we're a sound byte society now, and 911 made a good sound byte, just as most of the hype around the turn of the century got play because it fit a nice "Y2K" sound byte. And, I note that "almost a palindrome" is not a palindrome. Did you know that God spelled backwards is dog? (from a Woody Allen movie, which also ahd nothing to do with trains). Sorry, this must have hit a sub-concsious hot button.
Posted by Geoff M (Member # 153) on :
While on the subject of emergency numbers, this page might be useful for anyone travelling abroad: http://www.sccfd.org/travel.html . Better hope you don't need to remember Namibia's number.
And for those that frown on straying off-subject, let me tell you that for me it's a whole lot more interesting than reading about politics, or even politics and trains. Kudos to anyone who can introduce bagpipes into this thread seamlessly.
Geoff M.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
OK, so it is not bagpipes, however: Looking at RR4me’s post made me think of one that I heard from my son: The most recent meeting of the Society of Dyslexic Schizophrenic Agnostics has published the formal conclusion that they were of two minds as to whether or not there was a dog.
Posted by zephyr (Member # 1651) on :
Ah, yes, bagpipes--the missing link between music and noise.
Posted by Judy McFarland (Member # 4435) on :
I was wondering when we would get back to bagpipes. . . I am delighted to report that the bagpiping daughter has sold her highland pipes (to a newbie and his unsuspecting wife) and purchased a set of "parlor pipes" which are actually meant to be played indoors. For the doubters among you, I can report they are no more obnoxious than the grandchildren practicing for their clarinet and saxophone lessons. In fact, since she can actually play the things, it's fun to listen to and you can stay in the room without earplugs (can't say the same for the grandchildren. . . .)
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
I'll bet somewhere along the way the train will be serenaded by a pipe and drum band. Maybe even a zebra or two.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
That reminds me, I have to feed my "ponies" now (really one quarter horse and one miniature horse that looks like a pony).
Posted by zephyr (Member # 1651) on :
"Parlor pipes" is a sub-species of bagpipes?
Wow. Don't y'all see the karma here? Some greater being is trying to steer us to pipes in the Parlour. Parlor pipes/Parlour Car--hey, just connect the dots.
But be it pipes, poker tournaments, or drum therapy sessions, something is still needed in the Parlour's lower level. Based on what I saw on my Starlight trip last month, the "downstairs" is still a lonely, boring, wasted space. It should be called The North Dakota Room.
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