Powerful people are flying around the country in expensive private jets and threatening underlings? Well, a Congressional hearing is in order. Oh, wait. It is the Speaker of the House:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly requested military aircraft to shuttle her and her colleagues and family around the country, according to a new report from a conservative watchdog group. . . Judicial Watch said that Pelosi was notorious for making special demands for high-end aircraft, lodging last-minute cancellations and racking up additional expenses for the military.

The e-mails showed repeated attempts by Pelosi aides to request aircraft, sometimes aggressively, and by Department of Defense officials to accommodate them.

“I think that’s above and beyond what other members of Congress are doing and what is expected of our elected officials,” said Jenny Small, a researcher with the group.

In one e-mail, aide Kay King complained to the military that they had not made available any aircraft the House speaker wanted for Memorial Day recess.

“It is my understanding there are NO G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable … The Speaker will want to know where the planes are,” King wrote.

In another, when told a certain type of aircraft would not be available, King wrote: “This is not good news, and we will have some very disappointed folks, as well as a very upset Speaker.”

This is just one small example of the rank hypocrisy infesting most of what Congress does. Remember those hapless auto execs strung up in front of the congressional committee for taking private jets? Well, I bet those were a lot cheaper to fly than military aircraft. I know this suggestion would result in “a very upset Speaker,” but how about flying coach? The notion that she needs all this special service for “security” is absurd. Besides, I’m sure she’d benefit from the hours and hours spent each year encountering TSA.