Sarah Palin famously said in her Republican convention speech that she told Congress "thanks, but no thanks" for the Bridge to Nowhere. Now, this has been discredited in just about every media outlet in the country. During the Charlie Gibson interview, she didn't even deny that she in fact lobbied for the bridge when she was running for governor.
This, of course, has not stopped her from making the same claim dozens of times since it's been discredited. But what's even more interesting is that she apparently kept as much of the money as the federal government sent her. What happened to thanks, but no thanks?
Though the entire financing for the bridge did not pan out, the US government has set aside $73 million for the project. So far, a lot of money has been wasted building access roads to bridges that don't exist and never will. Of course, people get rich off these projects, so they don't give a damn where they lead as long as the money leads right back into their pockets.
So, I'd like to start a simple campaign called "Give the Money Back." If Sarah Palin is going to claim how much she dislikes earmarks -- despite the fact that she asked for over $250 million in earmarks this year for Alaska and asked for more earmarks per capita for Wasilla than any other city in the country -- let her prove it. Why doesn't she give back the $73 million set aside for this useless project?
Remember that's our money. Republicans love to talk about how it's the taxpayer's money and they know how to spend it better than the government. In this case, I agree. I certainly know how to spend it better than the Alaskan government. So, give it back.
Pass this message on. Demand that Sarah Palin give back our money. That $73 million is now sitting in the bank account to nowhere. It's time that it be returned to its rightful owners -- us!