In an interview with WILK radio's Steve Corbett, Luzerne County controller Walter Griffith called Wilkes-Barre/Scranton airport brass to the carpet for allowing Vice President Joe Biden free use of a hangar during a campaign stop for Senator Arlen Specter. We're usually on board with Griffith in watchdog mode but he kinda lost us when he proclaimed that he is just as important as the vice-president of the United States.

Shades of Ed Meese proclaiming himself king!

His point (we think) was more egalitarian than egotistical. At least we hope it was. We'll make some presumptions here about what Walt meant: if the V.P. gets an airport hanger gratis, then anyone should be entitled to use the same location without charge. This was a partisan event, but c'mon dude, it was the veep! (Bear in mind, Griffith is a Republican.) And this was basically one of those rah-rah photo-ops with school kids, veterans and beauty queens waving flags and listening to Sousa marches. Visitors from the White House are a bit different than expecting the county to foot the bill for a wine and cheese soirée with contractors and politicians. Biden shilling on CNN raises the local profile in important circles.

And maybe the Democratic machina should be expected to kick in for some overtime but at the time of the Biden brouhaha, no policy was in place to take care of the costs involved. Hopefully that will change.

But Walt still sounded a bit like a self-aggrandizing tool.

Either way, Walt just joined the ranks of people we would be hate to be seated next to on a cross-country bus trip.

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