Oversimplification & misleading information is rampant on both sides. As we all know this is typical during elections.
Sarah Palin has been taken to task for flip-flopping and taking the money anyway and using it for undisclosed other things. The implications suggest corruption and her being part of the problem. Saying she eventually nixed the project only after Congress removed the earmark paints a picture that it Palin's burning desire to see this bridge completed at all costs and only gave in due to beltway pressure.
The facts concerning the bridge to nowhere: Alaska's government officials for over 10 years had been telling their constituents that the bridge was neccessary. Due to the propaganda push, the majority of the people of Alaska, not just Palin, trusted that their representatives were correct. With so much pressure, as a govenitorial candidate, running against it would have been political suicide. In 2003, the price tag for the two bridges was $130 million. By early 2005 it had jumped to $230 million. By November 2005 Stevens was estimating $350 Million. One of the first things Palin did when she took office in 2006 was to set a commission to review the 2 bridges. Before the end of the same month, the commission reported back that to finish the projects would require well over $400 million. Meanwhile, with DOT resources being diverted towards this boondoggle, the rest of Alaska's road infrastructure was in sorry state. It was December 2006, during her first month of office, not 2007 that she notified Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks." and worked out a compromise where the funds would be used towards alternate solutions and towards fixing Alaskas roads. Investigations also uncovered illegal activity with the road project that resulted in indictments against several individuals. The earmark's strongest proponent Senator Stevens who was asked to resign for corruption. Even then, the bridge project and all investments to date are not being thrown away as a dead issue, Sarah merely informed Congress that enough was enough, Those bridges would no longer be considered for earmarks in her administration and if Alaska want's those two bridges built, Alaska will pay to build them.
By the way, "Helping to push through a bill" is NOT synonimous to actually doing the 'grunt work' and research needed to successfully "Author a bill." The point I take away is there is a difference between "establishing policy", something a president needs to know something about to run an effective administration, and "jumping onto a political bandwagon". Which any hack politician can do.
GOP Convention Spin, Part II
Email To A Friend
Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.
Giuliani wrapped up his account by saying, "Finally Obama put out a statement that looked ... well, it looked a lot like John McCain's." It's true that Obama's statements became more forceful—as did McCain's—but Obama was calling for Russia to "stop its bombing campaign" and "withdraw its ground forces from Georgia" in his second statement, as well as his third.
Naked Gun
Giuliani also bungled a reference to McCain's Navy record:
Giuliani: And being a "Top Gun" kind of guy, he became a fighter pilot.
Actually, McCain wasn't a fighter pilot at all, much less "top gun" among that very specialized group. McCain was a bomber pilot, and he himself makes this clear on page 173 of his book "Faith of my Fathers": "I trained exclusively in the A-4 Skyhawk, the small bomber that I would soon fly in combat missions." The aircraft is formally called a "Light Attack Bomber" by Boeing, successor to McDonnell-Douglas, the company that made it. It's true that a few A-4s were flown by the Navy Fighter Weapons School at Miramar, California—but they played the role of "bogies," which the fighter pilots in training were supposed to intercept and shoot down.
Giuliani might be forgiven for his mistake, as he never served in the military himself.
Too Good to Check?
The biggest whopper of the night may have come from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who charged that Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States." It may sound like a great line, but it's not true—not even close. Palin garnered 651 votes in 1996 and 909 votes in 1999 in her two races for mayor of Wasilla, according to the city. Biden, despite withdrawing from the race after the Iowa caucus, got 79,754 votes in the Democratic primaries.
Reprinted with permission from Factcheck.org.
Sources
Bowlen, Scott. "Palin: It's about service to people." Ketchikan Daily News. 9 Aug. 2006.
Anchorage Daily News. "Where they stand; Running for Governor 2006." 22 Oct. 2006.
Taxpayers for Common Sense. "Wasilla, Alaska Benefited from Nearly $27 Million in Earmarks from 1996 to 2002." 2 Sep. 2008.
Hamburger, Tom, Richard Simon and Janet Hook. "McCain had criticized earmarks from Palin." The Los Angeles Times. 3 Sep. 2008.
Hamburger, Tom. "Palin relied on earmark system she now opposes." The Los Angeles Times. 1 Sep. 2008.
Long, Ray and Christi Parsons, "Campaign Finance Reform not Without Its Loopholes; Edgar calls Ethics Legislation 'Significant Step'". Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 1998.
Cooper, Helen. "A New Openness to Talks With That 'Axis of Evil'." The New York Times, 22 July 2008
Eggen, Dan. "U.S. Talks With Iran Exemplify Bush's New Approaches." The Washington Post, 20 July 2008
Sciolino, Elaine and Steven Lee Myers. "Policy Shift Seen in U.S. Decision on Iran Talks." The New York Times, 17 July 2008
Obama, Barack. "Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: AIPAC Policy Conference." Barackobama.com, 4 June 2008, accessed 4 Sept. 2008
The New York Times. "Transcript: Fourth Democratic Debate," 4 June 2007
Yen, Hope. "Two Senators Say U.S. Should Pursue Nuclear Talks with Tehran." Associated Press, 17 April 2006.
Bender, Michael. "Obama Would Consider Off-Shore Drilling as Part of Comprehensive Energy Plan," Palm Beach Post, 1 Aug. 2008.
DeYoung, Karen. "Gates: U.S. Should Engage Iran With Incentives, Pressure," The Washington Post." 15 May 2008.
Hall, Camilla and Mike Schneider. "Kissinger Backs Direct U.S. Negotiations With Iran." Bloomberg.com. 14 March 2008.
McCain, John and Salter, Mark, "Faith of my Fathers," Random House 1999; 173.
Williams, Roberton and Gleckman, Howard. "An Updated Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates' Tax Plans." Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, 15 Aug 2008.
Boeing Corp. "A4D/A-4 Skyhawk Light Attack Bomber," Web page giving description and brief history of A-4 Skyhawk, accessed 4 Sep 2008.
The Skyhawk Association, "Navy Fighter Weapons School, 'TOP GUN'" Web page accessed 4 Sep 2008.
Application for License, Alaska Gasline Inducement Act. Project Cost Estimate. TransCanada, 30 Nov. 2007.
"Palin Signs AGIA License Bill," press release. State of Alaska Governor's Office, 27 Aug. 2008.
Ordonez, Isabel and Cassandra Sweet. "Conoco Proceeds With Alaska Gas Pipeline; Wants Exxon To Join." Dow Jones Newswires, 8 Aug. 2008.
Mufson, Steve. "Sarah Palin and Big Oil." Energy Wire, PostGlobal, washingtonpost.com, 30 Aug. 2008.
Sutton, Anne. "Alaska gov. backs license for natural gas pipeline." The Associated Press, 23 May 2008.
1996 Election Results. City of Wasilla, Alaska. Cityofwasilla.com, accessed 4 Sept. 2008.
1999 Election Results. City of Wasilla, Alaska. Cityofwasilla.com, accessed 4 Sept. 2008.
2008 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses and Conventions. Democratic Convention. The Green Papers, accessed 4 Sept. 2008.
Vock, Daniel C. "Obama's record in the Illinois Senate." Stateline.org, 25 Aug 2008.
Vock, Daniel C. "Obama; He puts ethics on the agenda." Illinois Issues Online, Feb 2007.
with Brooks Jackson, Jess Henig, Lori Robertson and D'Angelo Gore
© 2008
Discuss