Plane Problems Delay Bill Clinton's Trip To Africa

ABC News:

ABC News' Kate Snow and Dana Hughes Report: It's becoming a running joke except it's not that funny. For the seventh time, mechanical failures are holding up former President Clinton's tour of Africa.

At first we were reluctant to write about it, after all it was only the press corps suffering. For more than 48 hours -- from Monday at 4pm until Thursday at 1:02am -- the small group of press who had signed up to cover Mr. Clinton's annual trip to the continent to visit the work of his Clinton Foundation was stranded in Newark, New Jersey. The former president was already safely overseas, having flown on a 767 reportedly owned by several Google executives.

The 727 that was to ferry the press to Ethiopia had breakdown after breakdown -- a broken air conditioner, a problem with the fuel tanks that led to an aborted take-off, a shattered cockpit window involving a small fire, a broken fuel valve. One of Clinton's advisors took to listing the problems on the back of his hand. He ran out of room and had to use his middle finger.

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[drddd]

11:45 AM on 08/01/2008

What is this? A STUPID TACTIC DRAWN BY THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN TO GET BILL TO CAMPAIGN FOR HIM? I WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT BILL CLINTON, AS HE HAS SHOWN HE IS A DECENT HUMAN BEING. BUT AFTER THE WAY THE CAMPAIGN WAS RUN BY OBAMA'S KENNETH STARR-LIKE SUPPORTERS IN THE MEDIA, I WILL NEVER VOTE OBAMA. I'M VOTING FOR JOHN MCCAIN

[eden4barack08]

11:23 AM on 08/01/2008

Who's hand is that on Bill's mouth in the picture?

[larry278]

11:13 AM on 08/01/2008

This problem with WJC's plane could be cited to prove that Slick Willy isn't flighty any more. But the ploy may not get off the ground.

[Concerned1]

11:03 AM on 08/01/2008

Oh now they are messing with President Clinton. Not surprised.