By James Wynbrandt
NBAA Convention attendees interested in next Tuesday’s Presidential election in the U.S. received insightful thoughts on the outcome during this morning’s second-day general session from James Carville and his wife (and political polar opposite) Mary Matalin.
“If Romney were to win Pennsylvania, he would be your next President,” Carville told the audience, “but if Obama wins either Virginia or Florida, it’s over.” Matalin, who preceded her husband to the podium, boldly called the winner outright. “I think it’s going to be a 21st century blowout–three to five points” in Romney’s favor, Matalin said.
The general session also featured Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), one of the staunchest advocates for general aviation in Washington. He told attendees, “We have been on offense,” noting this year’s passage of the FAA Reauthorization legislation and the Pilots Bill of Rights. “[But] we are on defense on a lot of issues,” he continued, citing avgas, TFRs, regulations for UAVs “and the biggest issue: user fees.” Graves said the government will continue to push for user fees regardless of the administration, and urged the business aviation community to remain vigilant and united in its opposition.
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2012-10-31/politics-take-center-stage-nbaa-2012