Palin didn't lie about the Bridge to Nowhere.....She just had a creative interpretation of the truth

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:



Palin Backs Off Bridge To Nowhere Lie, Admits She Supported ‘Infrastructure Being Built In The State’»

During her interview with ABC’s Charlie Gibson tonight, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) seemed to admit that she has repeatedly lied to the American public. Palin has repeatedly claimed that she had said, “Thanks, but no thanks” to Congress for money to build the infamous Bridge to Nowhere.

Tonight, Palin did not object as Gibson explained that “it’s now pretty clearly documented that you supported that bridge before you opposed it.” She defended the earmarking process saying, “It’s not inappropriate for a mayor or for a governor to…plug into the federal budget”:

GIBSON: But it’s now pretty clearly documented. You supported that bridge before you opposed it. You were wearing a t-shirt in the 2006 campaign, showed your support for the bridge to nowhere.

But you turned against it after Congress had basically pulled the plug on it. (…)

PALIN: I was for infrastructure being built in the state. And it’s not inappropriate for a mayor or for a governor to request and to work with their Congress — their congressmen, their congresswomen, to plug into the federal budget along with every other state a share of the federal budget for infrastructure.

What I supported was the link between a community and its airport. And we have found that link now.

Watch it: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/12/palin-bridge-lie/


As ThinkProgress has documented, Palin was a strong backer of the project and expressed her desire to renew federal funding for the project on several occasions.

According a ThinkProgress count, Palin and the McCain campaign have repeated the Bridge to Nowhere lie 31 times since August 31, when McCain first announced his pick. Palin repeated the lie herself 8 times to both national audiences and at smaller campaign stops.

Will Palin apologize for having misled the public?


http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/12/palin-bridge-lie/

[iamjoy]

1. She Misses The Point

It's not that she supported the bridge - she's right when she says there's nothing wrong with a mayor or governor trying to get federal money.

The point is, she and the McSame campaign lied about it, repeatedly. They made it one of her signature lines. Of course, this was a deliberate ploy to repeat it often enough to build up her reputation as an earmark fighting maverick. Now, the truth is out, but fewer people are paying attention and she's already got the rep. Now, she defends her actions in Alaska, and of course, the McSame campaign points to all the earmarks Obama has requested as if the earmarks themselves are the issue.

[Fridays Child]

2. Did he follow up with, "So, you're now saying you're IN FAVOR of earmarks?"

Or did he let her "have her cake and eat it, too?"

[gulliver]

3. Too stupid too just be stupid. It smells like graft/corruption to me.

At the very least, Obama should demand that she pay the money she kept back to the U.S. government. If she is such a maverick, if it is an embarrassment, then how does she justify keeping the money?

But I think there is a really good chance this is just a bit too stupid. Maybe its not just a flip flop or a lie. Maybe it is her participating with Ted Stevens in defrauding the U.S. government using a tiny little town (aka nowhere, no newspaper, no Democrats, no lawyers) as the "work site."

Columbo would want to know.

[ColbertWatcher]

4. Well, if any one knows about graft and corruption it's Tubes Stevens. (EDIT)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtOoQFa5ug8

(EDITED TO ADD link)