The truth about Palin and the Bridge to Nowhere

Popeye

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Caribou Barbie has been going around claiming she stopped the Bridge to Nowhere. The McCain campaign has released an ad to that effect. Here's the truth:

Record Contradicts Palin's 'Bridge' Claims
By ELIZABETH HOLMES and LAURA MECKLER
September 9, 2008

The Bridge to Nowhere argument isn't going much of anywhere.

Despite significant evidence to the contrary, the McCain campaign continues to assert that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told the federal government "thanks but no thanks" to the now-famous bridge to an island in her home state.

The McCain campaign released a television advertisement1 Monday morning titled "Original Mavericks." The narrator of the 30-second spot boasts about the pair: "He fights pork-barrel spending. She stopped the Bridge to Nowhere."

Gov. Palin, who John McCain named as his running mate less than two weeks ago, quickly adopted a stump line bragging about her opposition to the pork-barrel project Sen. McCain routinely decries.

But Gov. Palin's claim comes with a serious caveat. She endorsed the multimillion dollar project during her gubernatorial race in 2006. And while she did take part in stopping the project after it became a national scandal, she did not return the federal money. She just allocated it elsewhere.

"We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge," Gov. Palin said in August 2006, according to the local newspaper, "and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative."
The bridge would have linked Ketchikan to the airport on Gravina Island. Travelers from Ketchikan (pop. 7,500) now rely on ferries.

A year ago, the governor issued a press release that the money for the project was being "redirected."

"Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer," she said. "Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it's clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island. Much of the public's attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened."

On Monday in Missouri, Gov. Palin put it this way: "I told Congress thanks but no thanks for that bridge to nowhere. If the state wanted to build a bridge we would built it ourselves."

Senior adviser Mark Salter pointed to her role in killing the project while in office and allocating the money elsewhere. When pressed further that it was actually Congress that stopped the earmark, Mr. Salter said: "She stopped it, too. She did her part." Mr. Salter added that he welcomed a fight over earmarks with the Obama campaign.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama used a town-hall style event in Flint, Mich., to attack Gov. Palin over the "Bridge to Nowhere" debate. He accused the vice presidential nominee of lobbying for the bridge and then hiding her initial position when she ran for governor and the project became unpopular.

"You can't just make stuff up. You can't just recreate yourself. The American people aren't that stupid," he said. It's like "being for it before you were against it," Sen. Obama said, a reference to a damaging statement John Kerry made in 2004.


Why is this one issue such a big deal? Sen. McCain's anti-earmarks stance has been paramount to his campaign. The Arizona senator has blamed everything from the Minneapolis bridge collapse to Hurricane Katrina on Congress's willingness to stuff bills full of pork barrel spending.

As such, Gov. Palin's image as a "reformer" is part of the storyline the McCain campaign needs to complement the top of its ticket. Her quip about passing on the bridge and "building it ourselves" has been a staple of her stump.

But she's drawn considerable fire as result. Sen. Obama's campaign released an advertisement pointing out her original support of the bridge. And on Monday, an Obama staffer emailed a photo of Gov. Palin holding up a T-shirt that was made shortly after the bridge caught national attention. It reads "NOWHERE ALASKA" and "99901," the zip code of Ketchikan.

The McCain campaign jumped back with spokesman Brian Rogers calling the attacks "hysterical."

"The only people 'lying' about spending are the Obama campaign. The only explanation for their hysterical attacks is that they're afraid that when John McCain and Sarah Palin are in the White House, Barack Obama's nearly $1 billion in earmark spending will stop dead in its tracks," Mr. Rogers said.

At a rally today, Sen. McCain again asserted that Sen. Obama has requested nearly a billion in earmarks. In fact, the Illinois senator requested $311 million last year, according to the Associated Press, and none this year. In comparison, Gov. Palin has requested $750 million in her two years as governor -- which the AP says is the largest per-capita request in the nation.

I guess this is all just politics but to say she singlehandedly stopped the bridge is a bit of a stretch if not an outright lie.

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB122090791901411709.html
 
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REPOST from the OTHER, or should I say, ONE of the other "bridge" threads. I guess when it's the only thing that the Libs can remotely find to complain about a candidate on, 3, 4, 5, or even 6 threads just aren't enough.:rolleyes:

Oh, and just to rub some salt into the wounds I've inflicted on all of the Libs who have been complaining that Palin didn't do enought about "the bridge", or was somehow "flip-flopping" on it, weeeelllllll it would appear that both Obastard and Obiden voted NO to diverting the funding for the bridge, to the clean up and rebuilding in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita!! Seems that they thought that a bridge in Alaska to serve a community of 7,000 was more important than an 5 States that had just been devastated by one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever strike the US. :mad::mad:

SOURCE

Oh, and Poopeye, did she, or did she NOT, stop the bridge project? It's a very simple question, one of those YES or NO ones, or are you going to pull an Obama and answer "present"?
 
REPOST from the OTHER, or should I say, ONE of the other "bridge" threads. I guess when it's the only thing that the Libs can remotely find to complain about a candidate on, 3, 4, 5, or even 6 threads just aren't enough.:rolleyes:

Oh, and just to rub some salt into the wounds I've inflicted on all of the Libs who have been complaining that Palin didn't do enought about "the bridge", or was somehow "flip-flopping" on it, weeeelllllll it would appear that both Obastard and Obiden voted NO to diverting the funding for the bridge, to the clean up and rebuilding in the aftermath of Katrina and Rita!! Seems that they thought that a bridge in Alaska to serve a community of 7,000 was more important than an 5 States that had just been devastated by one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever strike the US. :mad::mad:

SOURCE

Oh, and Poopeye, did she, or did she NOT, stop the bridge project? It's a very simple question, one of those YES or NO ones, or are you going to pull an Obama and answer "present"?

Oh. you like yes or no questions, ok I've got a real simple one...Was she for the bridge before she was against it, yes or no?

Here's another...Did Gov. Palin request $750 million in her two years as governor -- which the AP says is the largest per-capita request in the nation, yes or no?
 
Oh. you like yes or no questions, ok I've got a real simple one...Was she for the bridge before she was against it, yes or no?

Popeye,

Why do you care about this topic? Obama has done so many pork deals its not even funny. Two of them are questionable on if they are even legal or not. when he gave the millions to his wifes job while she was working and it ended up advancing her pay by thousands of dollars a year and when he gave to the various real estate people including tony reszco that he got a sweetheart of a house deal from.

on top of that there is litterally millions of dollars in pork he brought home to his state, so why are you so into this one thing that started before Palin became govenor. Even if she herself did it, why are you harping on it when its a grain of sand in the sand dunes of obamas pork?

Its not that you care about pork because you would be mad at Obama for his, so what is it then?
 
Oh. you like yes or no questions, ok I've got a real simple one...Was she for the bridge before she was against it, yes or no?

Here's another...Did Gov. Palin request $750 million in her two years as governor -- which the AP says is the largest per-capita request in the nation, yes or no?

Damn you're a rude one! Didn't your mamma ever teach you to never answer a question with a question?

Answer mine and I'll answer yours.
 
Popeye,

Why do you care about this topic? Obama has done so many pork deals its not even funny. Two of them are questionable on if they are even legal or not. when he gave the millions to his wifes job while she was working and it ended up advancing her pay by thousands of dollars a year and when he gave to the various real estate people including tony reszco that he got a sweetheart of a house deal from.

on top of that there is litterally millions of dollars in pork he brought home to his state, so why are you so into this one thing that started before Palin became govenor. Even if she herself did it, why are you harping on it when its a grain of sand in the sand dunes of obamas pork?

Its not that you care about pork because you would be mad at Obama for his, so what is it then?

Uh, NO O, that's HUNDREDS of millions ($300 million to be precise) in PURE pork, in 2007 alone!
 
Popeye,

Why do you care about this topic? Obama has done so many pork deals its not even funny. Two of them are questionable on if they are even legal or not. when he gave the millions to his wifes job while she was working and it ended up advancing her pay by thousands of dollars a year and when he gave to the various real estate people including tony reszco that he got a sweetheart of a house deal from.

on top of that there is litterally millions of dollars in pork he brought home to his state, so why are you so into this one thing that started before Palin became govenor. Even if she herself did it, why are you harping on it when its a grain of sand in the sand dunes of obamas pork?

Its not that you care about pork because you would be mad at Obama for his, so what is it then?

It's not the pork, it's lying about the pork. Palin and McCain portraying her as a reformer, when even the WSJ (link to the OP) questions such a claim.

Palin is anything but a reformer...she was for the Bridge to Nowhere until it became politically unpopular and Alaska.

Obama requested requested $311 million in earmarks last year, according to the AP, and none this year. In comparison, Palin has requested $750 million in her two years as governor -- which the AP says is the largest per-capita request in the nation.

Geez, if you go by those number, the real reformer is Obama.
 
It's not the pork, it's lying about the pork. Palin and McCain portraying her as a reformer, when even the WSJ (link to the OP) questions such a claim.

Palin is anything but a reformer...she was for the Bridge to Nowhere until it became politically unpopular and Alaska.

Obama requested requested $311 million in earmarks last year, according to the AP, and none this year. In comparison, Palin has requested $750 million in her two years as governor -- which the AP says is the largest per-capita request in the nation.

Geez, if you go by those number, the real reformer is Obama.

She did take on her own party in other ways. Maybe they are meaning she is a reformer in other ways.

McCain never took ear marks, he is untouchable in this area, but I can see where she is touchable. I have heard that it was normal practice for small towns like hers to get help and she ended it when she stoped being the mayor and they still dont do the pork there but Its so hard to know who is telling the truth.

on the ear marks it should be obama vs mccain

it seems to me. and I see nothing wrong with questioning her on what exactly she is a reformer on and then point out her earmarks.


ABC is going to interview her soon, maybe they can ask her about it.
 
What Poopeye fails to comprehend is the difference between legitimate earmarks, and PORK BARREL SPENDING.

Also, the $750 million number is total BS. It's $1.744 BN in earmarks that have been requested by the State of Alaska for 2008. That's the problem with you Libtards, you chug the Kool-Aide that's put out by any idiot in the lamestream media, and never bother to actually FACT CHECK!

Now, we'll let him go cross-eyed going through that, and see how much of it he comes up with that's legitimate earmarks, and how much is pork. Then we'll compare his list and use the same metric to analyze Barack Obama's requested earmarks and see who actually has more "pork" and who has more legitimate earmarks.
 
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She did take on her own party in other ways. Maybe they are meaning she is a reformer in other ways.
It certainly is possible. I think this whole rendition of her being a reformer is being blown way overboard by both sides. Ultimately, in Alaska, she is a poppulist.
McCain never took ear marks, he is untouchable in this area, but I can see where she is touchable. I have heard that it was normal practice for small towns like hers to get help and she ended it when she stoped being the mayor and they still dont do the pork there but Its so hard to know who is telling the truth.
Touchable? Hired Lobbyists? Wasilla never had a paid DC lobbyist until Palin became Mayor. Her and Uncle Ted, especially Don Young go back a long ways. You want to talk earmarks...We need to travel to Wasilla and look at what has happened since she took office 12 years ago. A hospital that is going to have her name on it, a sports arena that will have Todd's name, or maybe Track's. Major blunders in road improvements, Wal Marts literally right across the street from another. Box stores killing long standing local businesses, and all bought and paid for by lobbyists and done on her watch.
ABC is going to interview her soon, maybe they can ask her about it.
I am sure it will be interesting to watch. Because we havent heard anything of substance from her since she was picked.
 
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