GOP Convention Spin, Part II

Palin: I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history. And when that deal was struck, we began a nearly $40 billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence.

Actually, construction hasn't begun on the pipeline, and the project isn't quite a done deal. Palin signed legislation just last week that authorizes the state to give a license in 90 days to TransCanada to start developing the project. The state also can provide $500 million as seed money. She gets credit for moving the pipeline closer to realization after many years of talks. Palin pushed for legislation that would allow a private company to build the 1,715-mile natural gas pipeline, instead of oil companies, which she said were moving too slowly on the issue.

In an Aug. 27 press release, Palin indicated that there was still work to be done before the project would become a reality:

Palin, press release, Aug. 27: After dreaming of a natural gas pipeline for more than 30 years, Alaskans have now created the framework for the project to advance. This legislation brings us closer than we've ever been to building a gas pipeline and finally accessing our gas that has been languishing for so many decades on the North Slope.

Washington Post energy correspondent Steven Mufson wrote that the major oil companies have opposed the pipeline project, saying it wasn't economically feasible. Yet, ConocoPhillips and BP have proposed their own gas pipeline that would compete with the state-backed project. TransCanada estimates it will take 10 years to finish the pipeline, according to its application to the state, and it will cost about $26.5 billion—not $40 billion as Palin said.

As for Palin having "stood up to ... the Big Oil companies," as she said in her speech, she has on this issue, not on others. Oil is, after all, incredibly important to Alaska's economy. About 80 percent of the state budget comes from oil and gas taxes and royalties. Palin is in favor of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore areas, a position she shares with oil companies.

Georgia on Their Minds
Before Palin took the stage, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the evening's keynote speaker, gave a factually challenged account of how Obama and McCain had responded to the Georgia-Russia conflict.

First, he said that "within hours" McCain had "established a very strong, informed position that let the world know exactly how he'll respond as president. At exactly the right time, John McCain said, 'We're all Georgians.' " McCain did release a strongly worded statement on the conflict on Aug. 8, the day reports of violence first surfaced, but he didn't say, "We're all Georgians" until four days later.

Giuliani went on to criticize Obama, saying his "first instinct was to create a moral equivalency — that 'both sides' should 'show restraint.' " It's true Obama's initial statement said, "Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war," and McCain called on Russia to "unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory." It's worth noting, however, that Obama's words echoed those of White House press secretary Dana Perino, who said on Aug. 8, "we urge restraint on all sides—that violence would be curtailed and that direct dialogue could ensue in order to help resolve their differences." Early reports also said Georgia may have triggered the outbreak of fighting. We'll leave it to readers to judge which candidate took the right tack.

Giuliani then said Obama "changed his position and suggested that the U.N. Security Council could find a solution. Apparently, none of his 300 advisers told him that Russia has a veto on any U.N. action." But Obama's very first statement called for U.N. Security Council action—and so did McCain's.

Obama, Aug. 8: …the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis.

McCain, Aug. 8: The U.S. should immediately convene an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to call on Russia to reverse course.

Apparently, McCain doesn't share Giuliani's concern for Russia's veto power either. In fact, in his third statement on Aug. 11, McCain said: "The United States and our allies should continue efforts to bring a resolution before the UN Security Council condemning Russian aggression. … We should move ahead with the resolution despite Russian veto threats, and submit Russia to the court of world public opinion."