USA Today: Palin backed 'bridge to nowhere' in 2006

[PolNewf]

By Ken Dilanian, USA TODAY
ST.PAUL — In her nationally televised speech accepting the job as John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said she "championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress" and opposed federal funding for a controversial bridge to a sparsely populated island.
"I told Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' on that bridge to nowhere," Palin said Friday in Ohio, using the critics' dismissive name of the project. "'If our state wanted a bridge,' I said, 'we'd build it ourselves.'"

While running for governor in 2006, though, Palin backed federal funding for the infamous bridge, which McCain helped make it a symbol of pork barrel excess.

And as mayor of the small town of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002, Palin also hired a Washington lobbying firm that helped secure $8 million in congressionally directed spending projects, known as earmarks, according to public spending records compiled by the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste and lobbying documents.

Wasilla's lobbying firm was headed by Steven Silver — a former chief of staff to Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, a key proponent of the bridge project.


-snip-

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-31-palin-bridge_N.htm

[GOPNotForMe]

1. Boy am I glad this is getting MSM coverage!

Keith was on it Friday night, but he is often ahead of the MSM curve!

[Democrats_win]

2. Flip Flop. Maybe she should stay in Alaska and make up her mind.

[krkaufman]

23. And with such a minimal record, this should be that much more damaging

('twould be the death of her candidacy were she a Dem)

[eleny]

3. And McCain tells Fox's Wallace she was against it

[krkaufman]

24. Hell, everybody's been echoing her lie that she was against it.

The quality of our news media is damn poor.

[Klukie]

4. Kickety Kick...

Thank god it is getting some coverage nationally. I wonder how they will spin lying during your acceptance speech?

[Motown_Johnny]

5. I guess they picked up that AP piece... nice

[Arrowhead2k1]

6. Haha, her first VP speech and she fucks up royally.

She's gonna be great for the next two months.

[Historic NY]

7. So she told Ted Stevens to bugger off...she didn't want his cash.

[eshfemme]

8. Yes, finally the MSM is actually switching on their critical thinking caps

Maybe it's because she's from Alaska and to them, that's like chasing the mystical white hart or something. I don't know-- they sure did go crazy over Obama's VP pick before they found out it was Biden. Just the act of concealment just sets their shark sense off and they go into a feeding frenzy or something.

[democrat2thecore]

9. Now this is a REAL issue! -nt

[BlueIdaho]

10. Palin - Pro-earmarks, anti-paygo.

Palin was only against the state of Alaska paying for the bridge. Pro-Earmarks? Now that's some maverick!

[Purveyor]

11. Yet just another 'sexist post' on the DU forum...

:)

:sarcasm:

[MadrasT]

12. Sweet. I feel better already. nt

[my2sense]

13. Well she has one thing in common with McCain - they're both liars n/t

[BeyondGeography]

14. Dopey

but the fundies and her wingnut fan base won't care. She's pro-life, don't you know? Does make it harder for McCain to sell his bogus reform angle though.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

15. Freakin, THANK YOU MSM.....FINALLY...

[DeadManInc]

16. Liar liar pants on fire Sarah. Typical rethug,

couldn't tell the truth if their life depended on it.

[AzDar]

17. Kick...

:kick:

[Towlie]

18. Here's what I don't understand:

They built the airport across the waterway from Ketchikan, knowing that ferry service would be the only access to it. That's how it was planned and that's how the airport operates today. Why does Alaska suddenly want the federal government to buy them a bridge now? Why didn't they find a better place for the airport?

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=55.354965,-131.691999&spn=0.042109,0.104713&t=h&z=14

[DangerousRhythm]

19. YES, now this is the stuff I like to see.

Good on you for posting it here amongst all the drivel. :patriot:

THIS is a story we can actually use.

[NotThisTime]

20. Now they need to inform the public the deficit she gave the town which had 5700 people when she was

mayor of it.... so much for an economic steward IMHO....

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

21. I just took a stroll over to freepville and probably the thing about

Failin that is worrying them the most right now is this issue.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072172/posts


I agree.
She’s not perfect and we have to stop the fawning Obama-like worship.

I like her, don’t get me wrong, but this appears to be a “finger in the wind” decision on her part - she changed her mind when it was politically convenient to do so.

---

As an Alaskan I nearly threw up when I heard her tirade against spending for the bridge in her acceptance speech. My wife and I just looked at each other with disgust at her blatant lie. However in the current effulgence of Sarah glory it will not go far.

---

I've read everything presented so far. At issue is her statement from the other day:
"And I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress -- I told Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks," on that bridge to nowhere."

Based on the information on this thread, that was a lie. Sorry, but that's what it looks like to me. I don't know Sarah Palin from a hole in the wall. She made a very good first impression.

You can do what you like, but I'm not going to pull the wool over my own eyes. Palin worship is on a trajectory to be even worse than Fredmania was. There was a group of people completely unwilling and unable to see reality. Trust but verify, the saying goes. You can drink the kool aid if you want. I'm keeping my eyes wide open.

I like Palin. I wish this story weren't what it is. But someone will have to somehow figure out a way to explain this to me. Sounds like she fudged the facts at her national debut. I'm still voting for McCain. But this story, for me, signifies the end of the honeymoon. That was quick.

---

[krkaufman]

26. So the freeps recognize they've been lied to, refuting a major piece in her resume ...

... but they'll still vote for McCain, knowing Palin's just a shell. She could be sworn-in as President on January 20th, yet they're OK with her complete lack of integrity and less than meager qualifications.

[votetastic]

22. so she and McCain are perfect for each other.. both say the politically expedient thing - always

[TheDonkey]

25. David Gregory will probably say this is "cool" too

[RNdaSilva]

27. Knut says "NO" on Palin. Protect my relatives in Alaska.