Heartache: Sequester Grounds Air Force Two

Oh, the humanity:

As sequestration budget cuts start phasing in today, Vice President Joe Biden and members of Congress will have to find new ways to get where they’re going after the military aircraft they normally fly aboard were ordered to stay on the ground.

In the case of the vice president, his decision to stop flying on Air Force Two for trips between Washington and his Delaware home was voluntary. Instead, he’ll be taking the train.

Members of Congress, meanwhile, won’t be allowed to travel on military airplanes now that the forced spending cuts have kicked in. House Speaker John Boehner informed Republican House members of the new policy during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday.

It’s all part of the across-the-board belt tightening that starts today as the federal government slashes its budget by $85 billion, the result of automatic cuts put in place after Congress and the White House failed to hammer out a budget deal.

The military not serving Congress, and the executive branch, as an air shuttle service?

Sounds like a good thing to me.