Palin's Big Accomplishment: Pipeline That May Never Get Built

NY Times:

When Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska took center stage at the Republican convention last week, she sought to burnish her executive credentials by telling how she had engineered the deal that jump-started a long-delayed gas pipeline project.

...

The reality, however, is far more ambiguous than the impression Ms. Palin has left at the convention and on the campaign trail.

Certainly she proved effective in attracting developers to a project that has eluded Alaska governors for three decades. But an examination of the pipeline project also found that Ms. Palin has overstated both the progress that has been made and the certainty of success.

The pipeline exists only on paper. The first section has yet to be laid, federal approvals are years away and the pipeline will not be completed for at least a decade. In fact, although it is the centerpiece of Ms. Palin's relatively brief record as governor, the pipeline might never be built, and under a worst-case scenario, the state could lose up to $500 million it committed to defray regulatory and other costs.

Read the whole story: NY Times

Comments

[one4REALchange]

Palin's accomplishments to date include: abuse of power whereby she fired at least seven highly placed elected officials for calling her names and yet with a small smile still manages to convince the republicans that she will fight corrupt politicians! Best aerial killer of wolves, most drilling for oil in national wildlife refuges, largest recipient of pork ear marks.

The one however, that will be held in the archives of history is how in just ten days, in the guise of a Trojan moose, she has managed to distract the country from one big truth: the havoc that George Bush and the Republican Party have wrought, and that John McCain is committed to continuing.”

She is also the first political candidate that can have it both ways. She can viciously lash out lies and personal sleaze against her opponents, but calls in the troops (not Trooper-gate, they don’t like her) but the media to lash out when someone calls her names.

Sources have said that the Bush doctrine has recently been revised; the number of acceptable things candidates can say have been severely limited. Words not acceptable include: God, Trooper, Lipstick, Pig, Abortion, Abstinance, Prochoice, Viagra/Birth Control, Unwed, Pregnant, Economy, Iraq, Charlie, and Bush doctrine.

McCain’s campaign is focused on history, his war record, which includes: Distinguished Flying Cross (Vietnam War); Silver Star (World War II); Bronze Star (Crimean War) awards.

[CharlyF]

Just yesterday McCain was touting Palin's great pipeline accomplishment...could he have been duped? Was the story 'hyped' by speechwriters who didn't have time to do their homework in all the frenzy and Palin didn't have the experience/wisdom to know that her grossly exaggerated claims would face a reality check?
What doesn't make sense is why anyone running against Obama would intentionally tell such a whopper when it will eventually be found out and make her/him look like a fool or even worse - make their supporters feel duped. Is it possible that Palin could have so little foresight or is there some other explanation?

[Proudbutnodem]

At least she is trying what has Bar&ry Done besides suggesting we air up our tires and get tune-ups on cars that don't need them.

[Phil123]

And Obama's big accomplishment is?

[UncommonSenz]

Just scroll down a bit for a list of them. Read much?

[GerryS]

"In fact, although it is the centerpiece of Ms. Palin’s relatively brief record as governor, the pipeline might never be built, and under a worst-case scenario, the state could lose up to $500 million it committed to defray regulatory and other costs." as quoted directl from the story.

Nice executive level experience-

[sandiegoconservative]

I guess I could ask DimLibs what is it Obama has done during his tenure. I read a story last week about some garden he and others were going to fund and build to revitalize his district. A gazeebo was built, but is presently run down and the garden never happened.

So, I ask you, if he can't even influence the building of a garden and park in his own State, what makes you think he can do something on a national scale?

[UncommonSenz]

What has Obama done? Here is one issue:

Federal Ethics Reform: Obama and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took on both parties and proposed ethics legislation that was described as the "gold standard" for reform. It was because of their leadership that ending subsidized corporate jet travel, mandating disclosure of lobbyists' bundling of contributions, and enacting strong new restrictions of lobbyist-sponsored trips became part of the final ethics bill that was signed into law. The Washington Post wrote in an editorial, "The final package is the strongest ethics legislation to emerge from Congress yet."

As for the garden thing, source please? And if you think a garden that would "revitalize" a district, you really need to up the dosage...

[UncommonSenz]

Here is Obama's Education Record:

Obama has been a leader on educational issues throughout his career. In the Illinois State Senate, Obama was a leader on early childhood education, helping create the state's Early Learning Council. In the U.S. Senate, Obama has been a leader in working to make college more affordable. His very first bill sought to increase the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,100. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, Obama helped pass legislation to achieve that goal in the recent improvements to the Higher Education Act. Obama has also introduced legislation to create Teacher Residency Programs and to increase federal support for summer learning opportunities.

[UncommonSenz]

Some Healthcare points for you:

Health Insurance: In 2003, Barack Obama sponsored and passed legislation that expanded health care coverage to 70,000 kids and 84,000 adults. In the U.S. Senate, Obama cosponsored the Healthy Kids Act of 2007 and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007 to ensure that more American children have affordable health care coverage.

[Vern58]

Wow. Had to go back seven years to dig this one up, huh. Published in one of the most unreliable right wing trash blogs on the internets. You deserve a shiny gold star, trolllla

[Vern58]

Just dug up your source, tolla. One of the sorriest extreme right wing blogspots on the nets.
And it took a story seven years old, and unrelated to anything to mke your source for news?
Get a life and back to your trailer park, trolla.

[Yesnik]

Wow.
Palin signed a deal to get something built someday. She is the best ever.

Maybe Palin could get her First Dude to build it.
He seems to be good at laying pipe.

[DAdvocate123]

It took 30 years to get the pipeline built. Palin did it in 2 years.

[UncommonSenz]

Did you not actually read the article?

[dadw5boys]

IT APPEARS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THE USA WILL FAIL TO MAKE THE INTERST PAYMENT ON IT'S NATIONAL DEBT !!!!!!

DUE OCTOBER 1st ----- $ 511,000,000.000.OO BILLION DOLLAR INTERST PAYMENT !!!!!

GOVERNOR PALIN WHAT IS YOUR SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM ???
Governor?
YOO HOO GOVERNOR ?? WHERE ARE YOU ? COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!

If she could not keep a small town out of debt how could she ever handel this ?????

[FalconerHK]

So now we have pipeline to nowhere to go along with the bridge? Good for us.

[sueno]

Palin has lied from the start.
The pipeline exists only on paper! It dosen't even exist! and she kept the money!
She and her lobbyist friends profited and are using the American people to gain more.
McCain, Rick Davis met with a con-man on a boat to continue to rip us off-
Where's the justice?

[Palmz]

I want to know if the kid is deploying TODAY for Iraq?

Was that another tall tale to invoke the 9/11 emotion?

Well, P I G indeed. More L I E S, longer the snout grows. It is growing.

[rodajones]

watch the video of her church....they are singing

"there is nothing in this world for me"

talking about alaska as the safe place for them in the end of days
they think it is coming now.
that's why all the evangelicals love her.

my wife and i went to these churches as kids in the south
they are dead serious about this stuff...
they think she has been picked for a purpose.

laugh if you want to but this is scaring me and my wife to death
...her a heartbeat away from controlling nuclear weapons...

[LAB10]

There is a very grave situation in America and that is the scary possibility of a third Bush term. McCain is Bush all over again and Palin is even more of a right wing extremist than Bush or McCain. No one wants more of Bush, not even the republican party itself. McCain/Palin is a double down on the same old Bush failed policies. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

[debrouillard]

Poor Sarah!
She is gonna let GOD down on this one. Didnt she say it was God's will for the pipeline?