Record Contradicts Palin's 'Bridge' Claims

WSJ ^ | September 9, 2008 | ELIZABETH HOLMES and LAURA MECKLER

[WillT]

The WSJ might want to fact-check the last line of the story where it say Palin “has requested $750 million in her two years as governor.”

If that is true, I would like to see the documentation.

And I notice that they don’t mention how much Obama requested in earmarks for 2005 and 2006. They mention 2007 and 2008 only. “In fact, the Illinois senator requested $311 million last year, according to the Associated Press, and none this year.”

What about 2005 and 2006, you ask? According to the NY Times from March 14, 2008: “Senator Barack Obama on Thursday released a list of $740 million in earmarked spending requests that he had made over the last three years, and his campaign challenged Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to do the same.”

I thought the WSJ was better than this. What a slanted, misleading story.

[SE Mom]

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/08/obama-ad-no-maverick/

WSJ MIGHT...want to dig a tad deeper...

MUST READ!!!

[WillT]

Check out this link for a fact-based list of all earmarks requested by Obama. This is priceless, literally !! This comes from the Chicago Sun Times.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/03/sweet_scoop_obama_after_initia.html

[dfwgator]

I’m just a bit confused here, someone please help me here, is Sarah Palin running for President? I could almost swear that I thought McCain got the nomination.

[ajwharton]

I agree. McPalin is running the narrative right now and Obama is on D. There is no reason right now to go into a defensive crouch. Press the attack!

[Blueflag]

I’ve been there, taken the ferry. the bridge wasn’t built ;-)

[jerod]

Joe Biden and Barry O voted for the Bridge to Nowhere twice.

[Ilya Mourometz]

No need to worry here. The McCain Palin camp is now in charge and they are driving the media coverage. This is not news and not something they did not know was going to come up. Palin will deal with this head-on in the Gibson interview coming up Thursday, though I suspect there will be small, yet specific responses to it before then. For sure she will be asked about it and for sure she will be more than prepared to respond in her own words.

[torchthemummy]

In fact, the Illinois senator requested $311 million last year, according to the Associated Press, and none this year.

And yet as your link points out Obama admitted himself that he had made $740 million in earmark requests in order to challenge Clinton to admit her requests. The writer only mentions $311 million in Obama earmarks in the last two years and conveniently ignores $429 million in earmarks in Obama's first two years in the Senate.

As to Palin's "earmarks" it would be nice if the writer enumerated the supposed $750 million that went to Alaska.

[Fred]

Palin is so ready

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/09/08/palin-hits-obama-on-earmarks/ Palin Hits Obama on Earmarks by Shushannah Walshe

Lee’s Summit, Mo.—

Governor Sarah Palin went after Barack Obama today for requesting earmarks while she touted her own budget cutting record at a rally here.

In front of several thousand inside the John Knox Pavilion and with an over flow of more than another thousand, Palin said she cut excess spending in Alaska, “I came to office promising to control spending by request if possible, but by veto if necessary. Today our state budget is in control we have a surplus. We put a veto pen to nearly half a billion dollars in wasteful spending.”

She then went on to attack Barack Obama for accepting earmarks for Illinois, “In just three years our opponent has requested nearly 1 billion dollars in earmarks. That is about a million dollars for every working day,” Palin said. “So we reformed the bases of earmarks in our state and I’m ready to help President John McCain end these corrupt practices once and for all.”

She didn’t mention the earmarks she has accepted for Alaska which amounted to 52 earmarks valued at $256 million in her first year and 31 earmarks valued at $197 million this year.

The crowds greeted her chanting “Sarah, Sarah, Sarah” and interrupted her at least once screaming her name. Wearing a blue jacket and flanked by her husband, Todd she touted her reformer credentials and how she “shook things up in Alaska.”

She also mentioned how transparent the government in Alaska is while she is in charge, “I put our government state checkbook. I put it online for the whole world to see. You’re going to see every penny that we spent up there. Doing that of course didn’t thrill all the bureaucrats.”

Like the television ad the campaign released today she stressed her running mate is the maverick in the race, “He doesn’t run with the Washington herd. He is willing to shake things up in Washington and that is just one more reason to send the maverick of the Senate to the White House!”

Palin will continue campaigning with McCain for a few more days before heading out to campaign solo for the very first time later this week.

let the B-=SLAPPING begin

[hosepipe]

The bridge is Ted Stevens baby.. not Saras..

[JMS]

Let’s talk about how B. Hussein Obama personally benefitted from the earmark to his wife’s employer leading to her $200K raise. Goes a long way when you’re paying for a mansion that you got on the Rezko discount plan.

[Fred]

Palin is the one in red, Obambi is the one in yellow

[Fred]

Palin is the one in red, Obambi is the one in yellow

[DJ MacWoW]

'Bridge to nowhere' abandoned September 22, 2007

Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday the project was $329 million short of full funding.

"We will continue to look for options for Ketchikan to allow better access to the island," the Republican governor said. "The concentration is not going to be on a $400 million bridge."

Palin directed state transportation officials to find the most "fiscally responsible" alternative for access to the airport. She said the best option would be to upgrade the ferry system.

snip

The town -- seven blocks wide and eight miles long -- has little room to grow. Local officials have said access to Gravina Island, population 50, is needed for the town and its economy to grow.

They called the state's decision premature, saying it came without warning.

"For somebody who touts process and transparency in getting projects done, I'm disappointed and taken aback," said state Rep. Kyle Johansen, R-Ketchikan. "We worked 30 years to get funding for this priority project."

Under mounting political pressure over pork projects, Congress stripped the earmark -- or stipulation -- that the money be used for the airport, but still sent the money to the state for any use it deemed appropriate.

[Twinkie]

That’s all the Obama bunch has done for the past week or so since she was named. Lie.

[hole_n_one]

Why deal with it now in a stump speech or a tv ad?

Wait until the debates (it will be brought up by someone), which will provide the largest exposure, then shove it back down their throats.

[4rcane]

look waht the media is doing, they’re circling the wagon for obama everytime the republicans accuse the democrats of something. MSN cries, lies! Everytime Democrats accuse Republicans of something, it always taken as fact and no further fact check are done

This issue is going to boomerang right back at obama just as attacking Sarah on the experience issue. Err hello? Obama voted for it. What they accuse Sarah of doing as a negative is done by Obama, but difference is Sarah actually killed it in the end

[longtermmemmory]

can we talk about the fact Obama and Biden voted for the bridge to nowhere? TWICE!

[longtermmemmory]

can we talk about the fact Obama AND Biden BOTH voted for the bridges (PLURAL) to nowhere? TWICE!