By Jim Johnson, Cannon Falls Beacon — Dec 30, 2021
Flying on Air Force One was a thrill for Congresswoman Angie Craig, who hitched a ride with President Joe Biden back to Washington, D.C., after the president’s visit to Dakota County at the end of November.
But the biggest thrill came mid flight.
Craig had asked the Air Force One operator to place a call to her mom. While she was waiting for the call to go through, Biden came back to the conference room where Craig and the rest of the Minnesota congressional delegation were sitting.
Biden perched on the arm of Craig’s chair, talking about the just-completed visit to Dakota County Technical College and legislative priorities for Minnesota.
The phone rang. The operator had Craig’s mom on the line.
“Hey, Mom,” the congresswoman said.
Biden took the phone from her.
“Hey, Mom, this is Joe Biden.”
He talked with her for about 10 minutes.
Craig puts the call in context.
Her mom raised three children on her own, living in trailer parks in Arkansas. This woman, who rose up from the poverty of a single-mother household, was talking with the president of the United States.
“That was the coolest 10 minutes on Air Force One,” Craig said.
Getting on the flight for Craig’s first trip on the iconic airplane took some logistics.
The day prior, Craig scrambled to get a COVID-19 test. Her chief of staff had to deliver her luggage to the airplane hours before take-off to go through the security screening.
The flight had practical implications for the delegation.
“We needed to get back to Washington for votes,” Craig said.
Accompanying Craig on the flight were Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Reps. Dean Phillips and Betty McCollum.
A recent story on the Axios website highlighted the importance of these trips with congressional representatives to Biden, conversations that are helping the president hone his message. The trips help lawmakers feel a part of his team, building goodwill for battles down the line. For the lawmakers, it’s a rare opportunity to share unfiltered thoughts with a president with a notoriously protective staff.
“The president relishes the opportunity these trips provide for him to talk directly with lawmakers about his legislative agenda and what’s on the minds of their constituents,” White House spokesperson Michael Gwin said.
With the president perched on the arm of her conference room chair, Craig pushed for a couple of her priorities – capping the cost of prescription drugs and highlighting the issues of rural Minnesotans.
“I managed to work in a few priorities while the president was sitting on my armchair,” Craig said.
The plane is not as opulent as you would expect. The 747 has 4,000 square feet of space, but the décor has not been updated in decades.
“It’s like being dropped into the 1980s,” Craig said. “It hasn’t been updated that much.”
It wasn’t all business with the president. Craig proudly showed off photos of her new grandson. Biden had photos of his own grandchildren.
“That was fun,” she said.
Craig has four boys who often seem indifferent to their mom’s political accomplishments.
That changed when Craig told them she was flying on Air Force One.
“This time I was able to get their attention,” she said.
Each found a souvenir from their mom’s trip in their stockings on Christmas morning – a box of M&M candies with the presidential seal.