Incoming Speaker Takes Commercial Flight, but Skips the Pat Down [View All]

[FarCenter]

By JEFF ZELENY
Published: November 19, 2010
WASHINGTON — Representative John A. Boehner, the soon-to-be Republican speaker, pledged recently that he would fly commercial airlines back home to Ohio, passing up the military plane used by the current speaker, Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat. But that does not mean he will endure the hassles of ordinary passengers, including pat downs and other new security screenings.

As he left Washington on Friday, Mr. Boehner headed across the Potomac River to Ronald Reagan National Airport, which was bustling with afternoon travelers. There was no waiting for Mr. Boehner, who was escorted around the identification-checking agents, the metal detectors and the body scanners, and whisked directly to the gate.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/20/us/politics/20boehner.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a24