What’s the cheapest fighter? And Ms. Mace

In the world of fighters, a million bucks is chump change. We all know the F-22 aand F-35 have eye-watering high prices – all in with support the F-22 cost around $350,000,000 each Compared with a list of $143,000,000 – still the most expensive) with the F-35 coming in around $109,000,000. Actually, the F-35 is out-priced  by the Euro Rafale and Typhoon fighters and the Chinese J-20. Aero Times.

But enough about the high end of the spectrum – here’s a candidate for the lowest ever price. How’s about the venerable F-16? Well, it takes the title – at  a bit under $0.06 each.

The Netherlands sold a batch of F-16 fighters to Romania for just over $1, formally giving its fellow NATO ally ownership of the jets that it has been using to train Ukrainian pilots. Insider

This actually undercuts the previous low-ball special when Poland acquired some MiG-29s for one Euro each.

All of the planes involved are for Ukraine, by the way – the F-16s are being used to train Ukrainian pilots.

Still….think I have a spare twenty in my wallet. I’m just not sure where to park my new fleet of 313 planes.

And we read a bit about Nancy Mace, the potty-mouthed Republican South Carolina representative. You may recall, she managed to get sideways with the security staff at Charleston International Airport  and was caught on video turning the air blue at them. One article saying her staff told the airport she would arrive at a specific airport entrance at 6 in a white BMW. She later was found on the airport CCTV to have shown up at a different entrance in a dark-colored car almost an hour later – and it’s THEIR fault.

Throughout hundreds of social media posts, Mace has claimed the report is politically motivated, accused the South Carolina attorney general of conspiring to create the report, and blamed “fake news” for peddling misinformation about it.

“Fake News” – where have we talked about THAT phrase lately? Hmmm. But Ms. Nancy is yelling it at high volume – and says she’s suing.

Mace said she plans to seek damages for defamation and reputational harm in addition to public correction for the false report.

Among those she plans to name in the lawsuit are the American Airlines Gate Agent; Elliott Summey, the CEO of Charleston International Airport; Austin Bruner, the chief legal officer for the Charleston airport; Chris Drummond; Alan Wilson, the South Carolina attorney general; Whitney Michael, the chief counsel to Wilson; Spencer Pryor, the deputy executive airport director at the Charleston airport; and Officers Yangco, Reed and Southers.  The Independent

Well, she is letting the custodial staff slide… although it seems she is threatening most of the other staff. Oh, did I mention she felt “endangered”?

The Independent says she has posed or reported about this 110 times since it happened. She did make a strategic error, though, asking if the staff would have treated  a Senator like that? Scott was not supportive:

“For reasons that are unclear, Rep. Nancy Mace invoked my name during and in the aftermath of her situation at the Charleston International Airport,” Scott wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday, going on to say that every interaction he has had at the airport “without exception – has been positive.”

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham echoed Scott’s statements, praising police officers and TSA agents at the airport: “The men and women I have encountered – from security to airport leadership – are professional and diligent in the performance of their duties and I am honored to represent them in the U.S. Senate.”The Independent II

Nancy, Nancy… drop the suit and shut up.

Category: "Teh Stoopid", 2024 Election, Politics