Media All Over The Map On 'Bridge To Nowhere' Story

UPDATE: A round of thanks is due Homer, Alaska's Charlie Stock, who notes that the original image I provided totally Swift-Boated the wrong bridge! I regret the error. A correct map has replaced the erroneous one.

As all politics are local, it makes sense that the most plainspoken account of VP nominee Sarah Palin's involvement in the famous "bridge to nowhere" fiasco is found in the Anchorage Daily News:

"I told Congress, thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere," Palin told the cheering McCain crowd, referring to Ketchikan's Gravina Island bridge.

But Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it.

The Alaska governor campaigned in 2006 on a build-the-bridge platform, telling Ketchikan residents she felt their pain when politicians called them "nowhere." They're still feeling pain today in Ketchikan, over Palin's subsequent decision to use the bridge funds for other projects -- and over the timing of her announcement, which they say came in a pre-dawn press release that seemed aimed at national news deadlines.

This morning's Washington Post actually takes the story a step further, with this statement, attributed to Palin:

While campaigning in Ketchikan in September 2006, Palin indicated support for the bridge project, assuming there was no better alternative. "This link is a commitment to help Ketchikan expand its access, to help this community prosper," she told the local chamber of commerce, according to an account in the Ketchikan Daily News.

Again, that's Palin, supporting the bridge. Yet somehow, Post editors gave this piece the headline, "Democrats Say Palin Initially Backed Bridge," and began the story by reporting, "Democrats accused Gov. Sarah Palin (R) on Sunday of misrepresenting her role in scuttling a controversial bridge project to a remote island in southeast Alaska." But what "Democrats say" is entirely irrelevant when you have what Palin said staring you straight in the face.

The New York Times went even farther in obscuring the story, which has Dan Kennedy wondering:

So why does the New York Times today weigh in with a weak story, headlined "Account of a Bridge's Death Slightly Exaggerated," that leaves you thinking that maybe she did, maybe she didn't?

Comments

[MrKINOKO]

great job

[emncaity]

All you d#$@ liberals. Lemme tell you something, Palin is Jesus's nominee, and besides, I'll tell you where there was a bridge to nowhere--that bridge they had the POWs building in Vietnam, where John McCain was a prisoner.

(See, I can do the GOP thing too.)

[marcomillions]

You really should look in at the Daily Howler's post for Sept. 1: http://www.dailyhowler.com/ (title: "The Lie to Somewhere"). The fundamental lie in SP's claim that she "told Congress 'thanks but no thanks' " is that the bridge earmark had been terminated a year before she became governor, with the money being sent to the state for whatever uses it wanted. She told Congress nothing. She just took the money.

[saltysea]

i wrote the larry king show, to tell them, but i hope others write other media outlets, as well. i didn't hear it discussed today, but it should be, every time the other side tries to label her a reformer.

[08Barack08]

McCain exercised poor judgment by choosing the inexperienced Sarah Palin to lead the free world if he were to become incapacitated.

Agree? Join the movement:
http://www.IMPALIN.com/
Impalin' the McCain-Palin machine of distrust.

[NorthernMan]

What's worse? Us paying for a bridge to nowhere or Us not getting a bridge but still paying for one? What did you do with the money?

[Vermontah]

This isn't flip-flopping. This is outright lying. In her very first appearance as the nominee. It defies belief. This whole thing defies belief. Read Elizabeth Bumiller's piece in NYT about the non-vetting of Palin. McCain wanted either Lieberman or Ridge. Karl Rove and the Christian right wouldn't let him. Rove was insisting on Romney, whom McCain despises. McCain apparently had no say in the decision. Palin's choice, then, was the result of a snit. It's not serious. It's most certainly not presidential. It simply defies belief.

[cbates]

I j ust had the thought that if J. McMock wins with his girl Sara, I will not ever have to worry about voting again. The time used to stay current on issues could be used for other things. Makes me say hummmmmm

[ObamanextPresident]

"The time used to stay current on issues could be used for other things."

Yeah, like having food, shelter, clothing. We will all be very busy.

[8yearsoffear]

experience without good judgement is useless!

[95flhtcu]

The point, that the MSM are going to ignore, is that she blatently lied during her first public statement as the VP candidate. Did I mention that McFudd is a POW?

[LWkcma]

flippity / floppity...flippity / floppity

[bluesjones63]

EVEN NOW, The RNC Convention is featuring 2 RICH, WHITE WOMEN seeking for hurricane relief.

Where were LAURA BUSH & CINDY MCCAIN during KATRINA? When people in New Orleans needed bottles of water, where were LAURA BUSH & CINDY MCCAIN? When people in New Orleans WERE seated on their roof tops, seeking RESCUE, where were LAURA BUSH & CINDY MCCAIN? When people in New Orleans needed to help to save their homes, where wereLAURA BUSH & CINDY MCCAIN? When peopleDIED in New Orleans, where were LAURA BUSH & CINDY MCCAIN?

We know where LAURA BUSH & CINDY MCCAIN were. THEY were delivering a birthday cake to JOHN MCCAIN.

Sad commentary for people in the Gulf Coast during Katrina. Even more sad NOW. GWB, LAURA BUSH, JOHN MCCAIN, AND CINDY MCCAIN have just realized the region's importance to OIL.

[tony2008]

They were eating cake.

[LatinoVoter89]

is it true that Palin has more executive experience than McCain as well, being that he was never a mayor or governor?

If that's true, it means that Palin has more executive experience than McCain, Biden, Obama, and the majority of the senators in the USA combined.

She has to be "The One"!

Wow! that is awesome.

[NoSandwiches]

I'm pretty certain he was never in the PTA either.

[bwilder]

Breaking News - -- - -
Monday Sept. 7, 2008

Sarah Palin has make the difficult decision to return to Alaska to see her daughter through a very difficult time.

John McCain is very saddened to see her go but understands her deep commitment to her family.
While he will miss his 'soul mate' he will persevere.

Now that McCain is getting a do-over he has asked Senator Joe Leiberman to join him in
his run, (slow crawl ) to the Whitehouse.

[cindyw]

Would that be good news or bad news?

[DavidK08]

It would be good news because the "judgement" issue would be sunk for McCain.

[DavidK08]

I was just thinking/hoping the same thing. I didn't want to jinks it. Now its your fault.

[NYC07]

According to McCain, They already knew this and discussed it with Palin. This would mean that Johnny Mc would have to come up a really big excuse as to why Palin took the job in the first place.

[ObamAtomic]

,(slow crawl ) to the Whitehouse.,under the rock?

[seedyrum]

The world is watching

INCOMPETENCE IS STRIKING A THIRD TIME

WORSE WE AS CITIZENS ARE ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN

We have the power to stop this madness HOLD OUR ELECTED IFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE OR DONT VOTE THEM BACK INTO OFFICE

DONT WATCH THE STATION THAT PROMOTES LIES BUT FIRST GET INFORMED ON THE ISSUES

DONT BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS ON THOSE CHANNELS OR STATIONS

YOU HAVE THE POWER BUT WILL YOU DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE

YES IT WILL HURT>>>BETTER TO HURT NOW THAN SEE OUR COUNTRY GO THE WAY NEW ORLEANS AFTER BUSH FLYOVER

MCCAIN PUT LIES AHEAD OF HIS COUNTRY

The world is watching