Palin Repeatedly Professed Desire To Renew Federal Funding For 'Bridge To Nowhere'

During the unveiling of his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) tried to cast her as a "reformer" and "fiscal conservative." She boldly claimed that with regard to Sen. Ted Stevens's (R-AK) infamous "Bridge to Nowhere," she told Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks":

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[NancyDrew50]

John McCain has been "bad-mouthing" PORK for years. So much so, that when it was clear he would win the Republican Presidential nominations, many large corporations and lobbying committees began giving RECORD amounts of money to Obama's campaign. Do you know why? Because in all the speeches Obama has given he has never claimed, as John McCain did, that he would veto ANY bill that came to him as President, if it was filled with earmarks or "PORK"! Do you really think Obama is getting ALL that money from rich democrats and the piggy banks of the underclass? Come on folks. Research what PORK is - Understand its helping to bankrupt all of us taxpayers, both Republican and Democrat.

[barackobama4prez]

she's another woman who will lie to you with a clear conscience and straight face. I'm done with Palin already.

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

The GOP is secretly praying for Hurricane Gustav to make landfall so they can cancel their Convention

[keepemhonest]

Palin has no CREDENTIALS - forget "Experience."

Interesting how the GOP are twisting the 'experience' word and omitting the "Credential" word.

She has no CREDENTIALS in dealing with:
* ethnic groups (there are none in Alaska)
* foreign policy
* national economics
* national border control
etc.

It will interesting to see if the media, in print & tv, spotlight on Palin's lack of credentials to be a heart beat away from a 72 year old President.

[angelbravo]

If she lied on her first stump speech. What other things is this so-called christian capable of???
NO WAY, NO HOW. NO CHANGE McCAIN!

[NancyDrew50]

Do any of you folks bother reading: Where do you get your news? Try
reading things you won't get on slanted networks or blogs:

There are some who are coming to her defense. As reported by the Post's Paul Kane, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, one of the biggest backers of the bridge and a man now under indictment for bribery, said he never thought Palin was a supporter of the bridge.
"She was never really behind this," Stevens said today, reminding reporters of his impassioned defense of the project in 2005: "I defended it in the Senate. She did not support that. She did not support that."

And ABC's Jake Tapper reported on his blog that Alaska Democrats once credited Palin for stopping the bridge. During the 2006 election, they wrote: "Gov. Palin recently cancelled the Gravina Island Bridge near Ketchikan that would have connected the Alaska mainland with
Gravina Island (population: 50)."

[Budokan]

You mean she's both a Republican AND a hypocrite? Who would have thought....

[OlderBudWeiser]

More Republican insight, Read it here.

http://www.republicanoffenders.com/

[GabrielXL]

I wonder what "Ah-nuld" is thinking right now?

"Yuh godda git rid uv hu now Jahnnie! Now! Doo it now!"

[ebanks84]

Well, he got one thing right by picking p alin, she can lie just like him.

"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"....said p alin.

The new VP said "thanks, but no thanks" but originally, she was saying 'bring it on'. A flip flopper and a liar. He couldn't have picked a better choice.

[helonias]

Well JM did takl with her for a whole 2 hours and even met her once.

Need I say more

[IowaKid]

It's all about oil..... Drilll, Drill, Drill, Drill.

[pupbayer]

But she is the only one who ever stood up to the oil companies. She has regulated them and increased taxes on them. She then gave the taxpayers some of the tax money to alleviate their fuel costs.

She also stopped the bridge over a year ago when she would have had no idea she would be considered for national politics.

You may disagree with her on a lot of issues, as I do, but you have to be honest and give her her due. Well, only if you're an intelligent, unbiased individual.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

"Palin initially expressed support for the Gravina Island Bridge project,[48] commonly known outside the state as the "Bridge to Nowhere." However, once it had become a nationwide symbol of wasteful earmark spending and some federal funding was lost, Palin cancelled the bridge because Alaska's congressional delegation was unable to prevent the state of Alaska from having to pay for part of the bridge's construction.[24][49] Alaska still kept the federal money."

Please explain, using your alleged intelligence

[dutchman]

You know, if a Democrat did what you claim, Republicans and their talking heads would be howling about socialism and taxing "successful" corporations. And the money she gave back to the residents of Alaska came from the Alaska Permanent Fund, not something that she'll be able to raid in Washington.

So even if there is something noble about what she did (I actually think it's stupid to subsidize energy costs, except for the poor, since it discourages conservation and alternate forms of energy), it's not something she can do again. And even if she wanted to, as veep to McCain, I doubt very much she'll have the authority to pull it off.

I think McCain is using Palin like a trophy wife. He'll show her off to make him look good, but I can't see him treating her well once the honeymoon/election season if over. Especially since it's come out that he really wanted his mentor/fellow conservative Lieberman as veep.

[dutchman]

sorry - "is" over.

[TroubleNYC]

"She then gave the taxpayers some of the tax money to alleviate their fuel costs."

That has been going on since 1982. She did that when she was head of the PTA? Impressive.

[loax]

Palin is the Flip on McCains Flop! Birds of a feather.......................

[IowaKid]

McCain and Palin are a perfect match, I voted for it before I voted against it. Why did she take down her support for Ted Stevens and the Bridge to NoWhere off her website. Wonder how long it will last on you tube.

[Marlyn]

No, but she is for earmarks and McCain isn't.

[keepemhonest]

Mr. Morain,

Palin has no CREDENTIALS - forget "Experience." Interesting how the GOP are twisting the 'experience' word.

She has no CREDENTIALS in dealing with:
* ethnic groups (there are none in Alaska)
* foreign policy
* national economics
* national border control
etc.

It will interesting to see if the media, in print & tv, spotlight on Palin's lack of credentials to be a heart beat away from a 72 year old President.

[TeddyRoosevelt]

Palin and McCain are making a big deal about her stopping the "Bridge to Nowhere." Below is the current Wikipedia description. Yesterday, however, the Wikipedia report included reference to payment of $1200 to every citizen in Alaska. In other words, Palin didn't return the money from US taxpayers, she used it to bribe her voters. Claiming she stopped the "Bridge" is very misleading. She didn't return the money. I don't see how this could be legal. If US tax payers (via congress) authorized a bridge that was never built shouldn't the money have been returned to the US Treasury instead of going to cash payment of Alaskans?

"Palin initially expressed support for the Gravina Island Bridge project,[48] commonly known outside the state as the "Bridge to Nowhere." However, once it had become a nationwide symbol of wasteful earmark spending and some federal funding was lost, Palin cancelled the bridge because Alaska's congressional delegation was unable to prevent the state of Alaska from having to pay for part of the bridge's construction.[24][49] Alaska still kept the federal money."

[Marlyn]

"If US tax payers (via congress) authorized a bridge that was never built shouldn't the money have been returned to the US Treasury instead of going to cash payment of Alaskans?"

Yeah. Really! This can't be legal.

[NancyDrew50]

There are some who are coming to her defense. As reported by the Post's Paul Kane, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, one of the biggest backers of the bridge and a man now under indictment for bribery, said he never thought Palin was a supporter of the bridge.
"She was never really behind this," Stevens said today, reminding reporters of his impassioned defense of the project in 2005: "I defended it in the Senate. She did not support that. She did not support that."
And ABC's Jake Tapper reported on his blog that Alaska Democrats once credited Palin for stopping the bridge. During the 2006 election, they wrote: "Gov. Palin recently cancelled the Gravina Island Bridge near Ketchikan that would have connected the Alaska mainland with
Gravina Island (population: 50)."

[GabrielXL]

Not that I care about John McCain's candidacy, but I suspect that there are some in the Republican party that won't forgive him for this choice. Being a maverick is one thing. Being a maverick with good sense is another. Let's face it, John McCain's maverick image wasn't that great to begin with. One can speak and act in contrast to the established schools of thought, but whether or not that's a good idea or is based on sound judgment is another. On which side of the table this choice falls, remains to be seen.

[Bluesue]

The only reason she canceled the bridge is that they were $390 million short of funding. Plus, she didn't return the money to the feds. Alaska kept the money for use on other road projects.

Both McCain and Palin made it sound as though she did an extraordinary thing.

Also, it isn't like she rejected earmarks. She still requested 31 earmarks for Alaska. It is fewer than in prior years, but that was because of the political climate and the scrutiny of Stevens.

John Katz, director of State-Federal Relations and Special Counsel to Gov Palin, wrote an article in March about Alaska"s earmarks.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/031808/opi_258953362.shtml