Ehrlich on Washington columns, January 28, 1996

( EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of January 28, 1 996 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: AUTHOR AND TRAVELER In 1991 Barbara Bush published Millie 's Book— a. book she “co-wrote” with the family dog. When Mrs. Bush toured the country to promote the book, she took commercial flights paid for by the book’s publisher. How times have changed. Recently Hillary Clinton published a book of her own. But instead of relying upon commercial airlines, Mrs. Clinton is-according to published reports-using a 12-seat Air Force jet as her private publicity shuttle. What’s worse, the American taxpayer is footing most of the bill. Mrs. Clinton’s defenders have argued that her alleged decision to use government aircraft during her whirlwind book tour is based upon Secret Service recommendations. While security issues must be addressed whenever a member of the First Family travels, I question the veracity of this statement. Mrs. Bush’s privately-funded book tour began not long after the end of the Persian Gulf War, during a time of heightened fears about possible terrorist reprisals against the Bush family. I cannot see how current circumstances justify an apparent shift in policy allowing taxpayers to subsidize private book sales. c According to established practice, the federal government is reimbursed from campaign