Outspoken Republican Senator breaks Air Force One 'rules', criticizes Bush

Outspoken Republican Senator Arlen Specter is said to have pulled out the stops on a recent Air Force One trip with President Bush, reports the New York times in its Friday, July 27 edition.

Bucking certain expectations about refraining from criticism of Bush and his cohorts, Specter talked not only to press on board, but directly to Bush, expressing his disdain for Attorney General Gonzales, citing "personal loyalty" as Mr. Gonzales' "job security." The Senator also brought up the touchy subject of unmet demands from Congress for testimony from former house counsel Harriet Miers and presidential adviser Karl Rove.

This came shortly after Gonzales' appearance at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, which Sen. Specter says was "devastating;" Gonzales stands accused of misleading Congress with conflicting testimony.

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Excerpts follow:

A spokesman for Mr. Specter had no further comment.

White House officials seemed none too pleased with Mr. Specters remarks, but had no comment, either.

Mr. Specter is something of a serial breaker of the unspoken rules aboard Air Force One. In 2004, in chatting with reporters on the plane, he went so far as to share election strategy as told to him by Mr. Bush and Mr. Rove.

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The entire New York Times article can be read HERE.



