It may have been pure fiction, but one of the things that I really like about the Aaron Sorkin show The West Wing was it’s behind the scenes look at the White House and the movers and shakers that roamed it’s hallways.  While they took some creative license on the show, White House staffers were consultants and most of the quibbles from the first season or so were minor (the bullpen is much noiser and busier in the real White House etc…).

Newsweek and MSNBC just posted a similar behind the scenes article regarding the Vice President’s current foreign trip.  If you have caught at least some of the news over the past two weeks you’ve probably heard about this odd trip.  After heading to Australia the Vice President made headlines when it was reported that there was an electrical problem onboard his plane forcing it to divert to Singapore for repairs and fuel.  The headlines here breathlessly announced trouble on the VP’s plane…  which apparently was pretty minor, it just meant that those onboard wouldn’t get to watch the in-flight movie and had to settle for cheese and crackers for dinner instead of the planned chicken cordon bleu.

From Singapore it was off to Muscat, Oman for an overnight stay.  The next day instead of boarding the Vice President’s distinctive 757, instead he boarded an Air Force C-17 cargo transport to fly to Pakistan.  Unlike the posh interior of the 757, the VP spent the trip in an Airstream trailer chained to the cargo deck.  After Pakistan the VP headed off to Afghanistan for meetings with the Afghan President.   Thanks to snow, things were rescheduled forcing the Vice President and his contingent of aides, Secret Service agents, and press to spend the night at Baghram Air Base.

The problem was that Baghram wasn’t expecting overnight visitors and had to come up with lodging for the Vice President and entorage.  In an attempt to be good hosts, the military located bunks for the visiting press, as well as toiletries and a change of clothes… When I read this part though I got a crummy feeling in the pit of my stomach…  With no other options, soldiers and sailers at Baghram give up care packages that were sent from the US so that the visiting White House staffers and reporters could have toothpaste and clean socks and sweats to wear…