Kerry Takes Off in His "Freedom Bird"

[fryguy]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&nci...

(6 minutes ago)

Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry launched his new campaign plane Tuesday.

<snip>

Launching the plane, which has his name and "President" emblazoned on its side, Kerry reminisced about watching airplanes ferrying U.S. troops during the Vietnam War.

"We looked at those planes, and they gained a nickname. They were called freedom birds, and everybody counted the days until we got to get on our freedom bird," he said. "This is my freedom bird."

<more>

[SoFlaJet]

1. He's hot shit

ain't he?

[vickie]

37. Hot digity...

Go John F. Kerry!!!

[Az_lefty]

2. He's got style

[qwertyMike]

3. He actually made a joke!

Said he was told his hair would be his flotation device.
At last he's relaxing.
Good stuff John!


Loosen up more.
Do some chin jokes with Leno or something.

[jpgray]

4. Yes, that was amusing. :-) (nt)

[fryguy]

6. he actually made two...

the one about his hair and the other about dolling out parachutes to the reporters based on the articles they've written....

also love the fact that the plane has "a standup bar for socializing" - such a Bostonian move....

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

21. I'll concede on the hair joke,

but that parachute crack was not only a bad joke, it sounds like something * would say. Between that and calling the plane a "freedom bird" (which you know is going to be Kerry's sound bite for the next fews months), Kerry's "I'm not like Bush! Really, I'm not!" platform just took a hit.

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. dang, i want a plane too!!!

dammit

[Kellanved]

7. here it is: a 757

More pictures


originally taken from this thread, posted by KDLarsen
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[KDLarsen]

8. Heh..

.. I was just about to post the same, though I'd use this link (it's shorter): http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=...

[fryguy]

9. i think this is the link you meant to put up

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/576140/L

[Kellanved]

11. thanks

That's not quite the link I had in mind. However it should work now as intended.

[ronnykmarshall]

16. Nice lookin' buzzard!

[Doctor Pedantic]

10. Of course,

it used to be known as a "French bird."

[KDLarsen]

15. Well..

.. it's powered by Rolls Royce, so almost

[AlCzervik]

12. In the future when i flip people off

i will now refer to it as...the bird of freedom.

[trogdor]

14. oder 'freiheitsvogel'

[legin]

13. Gawd not the fucking 'F' word again

I've grown to really hate that word. Freedom to bring your own box to stand on.

[4_Legs_Good]

17. You know, I agree with you...

I think I heard it enough in Braveheart to last me a century, but since then it's gotten even worse.

It's kinda like taking God's name in vain. If you use it too much, it loses its potency.

Nice plane though!

david

[fryguy]

20. my last meal rises a little in my throat whenever I hear * say it...

but some how, when I see it attributed to people other that repukes, its not the same....I guess that's because I think of it as the freedom from our current opressors - not what smirkco see as freedom.......

[sandnsea]

26. reclaim freedom, democracy, the flag

All those words and everything the right has been taking away from this country for 20 years. Freedom from those shitwads, I'm ready for it and ready to fight for it.

[fryguy]

35. amen....

sends shivers up my spine the way the repubs toss those words around....similar to how they wrap themselves in the flag and piss on the constitution....but that's for another rant on another day...

[Lorien]

29. Yep, me too

after "freedom fries" and "freedom toast", the word lost it's meaning completely.

[Tellurian]

18. Great Pix...

one of the nicest pix so far...

[Parche]

19. KERRY 757-200

Wow the first nonstop between DCA and my hometown PDX!!!!!!!!

I cant wait until he gets here , I will watch the scanners for his
plane.

My boss, her husband and daughter are all going tonight to
his dinner fundraiser $2000 a piece!!!!
I wish I had $2000 laying around, I would go too....

But I had the best moment of my life, when I actually met him
last week at the rally, talked with him for a brief moment
and shook his hand!!!!

[Bandit]

22. "This is my freedom bird." ~~~~Mine too

I'm not sure where the money came from for this aircraft and whether it is well spent but I like the sound of it's name.

[KDLarsen]

28. I bet they're using the Tony Blair/Poodle method..

.. where the reporters, who are travelling along, pays a share to get onboard. Of course, this also grants them a few exclusives etc. Tony Blair have been using that method whenever he went to Washington on a leased British Airways aircraft.

As for the cost, there's a link to a previous thread started by me, where I also mention som rough figures.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

36. What's a 757-200 cost?

$20M? $5M?

[Kellanved]

38. About $65 Million (or $90 Million if you're the Government)

But unlike comparable Airbuses there are plenty just standing around. And the Democratic Party only leased the plane for six months.

I can't give you any numbers on how much a six month lease for an older 757 costs, but it's probably one of the cheapest Jet-Liners around.

[Hand]

39. It's a 'Nam throwback...

"Freedom Bird" was the name GIs gave to the airplanes that took them home after their tours... Nice move on Kerry's part!

[Kolesar]

23. Can it kick flares out the tail?

Like an El Al airliner?

[fryguy]

31. with the bushistas running things, that's not a bad idea....

who knows what they won't do to stay in control....

[Parche]

24. tracker

Go to flight tracker and put in TZ or transmeridian airlines flight
711 and you can track his plane
as of 11am Pacific time it is 1000 miles from PDX!!!!

[KDLarsen]

33. A good one is

Flytecomm - http://www.flytecomm.com/cgi-bin/trackflight

Here's the info as of right now:

Airline: Transmeridian Airlines
Flight Number: 711
Departure City: Washington, DC (DCA)
Departure Time: 05/25/2004 10:34 AM
Arrival City (Airport): Portland, OR (PDX)
Arrival Time: 05/25/2004 01:15 PM
Remaining Flight Time: 00:56
Aircraft Type: Boeing 757-200
Current Altitude: 39,000 feet
Current Groundspeed: 530 mph
Flight Status: In Flight

It also looks like the aircraft was ferried from Dulles to National.

[Tellurian]

34. Is this the right Flight Tracker?

going to Chicago?


http://www.flightview.com/TravelTools/ProcessFTQuery.as...

If it is---kool!

[2Design]

25. Looks really snazy Our freedom plane........sounds Great

I like the jokes.....sounds like jokes.....not like Bush....bush uses threats...and means them.....

A freedom plane.....we so need a freedom plane.... I want a ride, too!!

Maybe we can buy tickets for a ride on the freedom plane....

[KDLarsen]

30. A good suggestion..

.. since the aircraft spends some time on the ground, I would propose a suggestion, where families (with a prefernce for those who aren't able to fly very often) could have their kids taken up for a sight-seeing tour of the local area, while the parents listen to Kerry's plan for the future. It wouldn't be too costy in therms of fuel (since it'll only be pax, no cargo or bagage).

[Forkboy]

27. Flip Bush the Freedom Bird!

[artistforpeace]

32. And we're off....

Freedom train I mean plane.

I think a storm is a-brewing...

[trogdor]

40. Somebody needs to send JK one of these...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=...