Bridge to Nowhere response

Vanity, research | Ilya Mourometz

[Ilya Mourometz]

There've been lots of thing written the past couple days about Palin's alleged flip-flop on the Gravina Island and Knik Arm Bridges (aka, Bridges to Nowhere). The Wikipedia articles, like most, need to be read with a grain of salt, but there are a number of sources listed and a good place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravina_Island_Bridge http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knik_Arm_Bridge

Let's summarize the salient points about the Bs2N and how it affects Palin's candidacy:

1) Palin did support the bridge projects when running for governor. No controversy there; it's well known and was a point, albeit a minor one, in the gubernatorial campaign. The key point--and it is a major one--is that Palin supported STATE funding for the bridge project. THIS IS CRITICAL:

http://www.adn.com/sarahpalin/story/510378.html

She did hope for congressional support, but it was already clear at the time (2006) that the bridge was not going to get sufficient federal funding. So she did support building a bridge or some link between Gravina Island and Ketchikan--two major points along the cruise ship routes.

2) Palin DID Cancel the Gravina Project; it was not merely that she refused the funding--obviously, that was not up to her, but up to congress. She cancelled the entire bridge project: http://web.archive.org/web/20071214143302/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=623&type=1

see also, http://subscript.bna.com/SAMPLES/trw.nsf/85256269004a991e8525611300214487/c32f2691e9d3eea18525735e00047099?OpenDocument

That last article is very important, by the way, as it also talks about other projects she cancelled.

3) The feds only allocated to $36M to the project at that time (September of 2007), most or all of which was general transportation funds through FHWA, etc.--NOT EARMARKS--that would normally be used on transportation projects throughout the state, at the state's discretion (which up to that point, they were going to use primarily for the bridge). So this is a NON ISSUE; the answer may be a bit wonkish, but that's the reality of how federal funds are allocated to the states.

She has the answers and believe me, she will deliver them at the time of her choosing, not Zero's.

[Ilya Mourometz]

I did also want to emphasize that the idea she kept the $236M is not correct; the total is $36M and that was FHWA general funds, NOT EARMARKS.

[nralife]

And this is also worth reading!

Obama ad: “No Maverick”(Guess who voted for the Bridge to No Where?)

Don't miss it!

[paudio]

She has the answers and believe me, she will deliver them at the time of her choosing, not Zero's.

I agree with you. The fact that the campaign mentions it in their ad today shows they're comfortable with the issue. Surely they're aware that people have been talking about it since Wednesday. They may put it as a bait... for what, I have no idea.

[Ilya Mourometz]

I put up a vanity post with several links and information on why this is a non-issue and why she’ll squash Biden if he brings this up:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2077758/posts?page=1

[Ilya Mourometz]

Oh wait, that is this post...I’ve been going without sleep lately.

[tx_eggman]

McCain voted against it, Lbama® and Biden voted for it

Once again -

[Ilya Mourometz]

Some other interesting stuff on Palin’s positions when she ran for governor:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2077758/posts?page=5

[igoramus08]

Obama and Biden voted for the bridge it 2 times. On the 2nd time, the funds would have been diverted to Katrina relief aid instead but they both still voted for the bridge.

[DJ MacWoW]

ping

[Iron Munro]

I did also want to emphasize that the idea she kept the $236M is not correct; the total is $36M and that was FHWA general funds, NOT EARMARKS.

Here it is in the Alsakan Democrat Party's own words:

Ted Earmarked Funds for Bridge that Goes Nowhere

"However, Gov. Sarah Palin said the $398 million bridge was $329 million short of full funding, and only $36 million in federal funds were set aside for it. She said it was clear Congress had little interest in spending any more money for it and that the state had higher priorities."

[midnightson]

The Alaska Democratic website gave Palin credit for killing the bridge, they apparently removed the post and then reassigned it to another link.

[raygunfan]

i love this woman, she is intelligent, funny, patriotic, pro life, pro guns....

.....(ok, she’s cute as hell too)

[badpacifist]

Obama and Biden voted for the bridge it 2 times. On the 2nd time, the funds would have been diverted to Katrina relief aid instead but they both still voted for the bridge.

Touche'........... winner!

[perfect_rovian_storm]

I presume that the purpose is to bait Charlie Gibson into concentrating all of his ‘gotcha’ on this one line of questioning and get blown out of the water. If they chum the waters with silly stuff like this, it’ll hopefully be less of an ambush.

I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with McCain’s campaign.

[PowerPro]

“They may put it as a bait... for what, I have no idea.”

Both Obama and Biden voted for the Bridge to Nowhere.

Then they come out in an ad attacking her for her initial support of the bridge, suggesting she’s a hypocrite.

I think we know who the hypocrites are.

[voxitar]

How about this from Ted Stevens himself? From the Washington Post:

Stevens: No Action for ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ by Palin
By Paul Kane
Count Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) as a defender of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s position on the controversial “Bridge to Nowhere” project.

Stevens, who once threatened to resign his Senate seat in 2005 if $223 million for the bridge project was defeated, told reporters today that Palin was never a supporter of the project, which has quickly become a bone of contention in defining the GOP vice-presidential nominee’s self proclaimed image as a maverick reformer who took on “the good ol’ boys network” of Alaska Republicans.

“I don’t remember her ever campaigning for it. As a matter of fact, she was very critical of it at the time. And she took the money and did not use it for the bridge, so you’re wrong, as far as I’m concerned,” Stevens said today.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/08/stevens_no_action_for_bridge_t.html

It is the WAPO, so of course the author feels the need to suggest Stevens might not want to say anything to piss off Sarah, since he’s both recently indicted AND running for re-election, but he seems pretty adamant that she was supportive of the bridge project.

[voxitar]

oops - that last sentence should read “he seems pretty adamant that she was NOT supportive of the bridge project.”

[ABQHispConservative]

I know this will be somewhat partisan, but if you go to this link for the new campaign ad http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/PressReleases/53253e8c-8a7e-42c4-9918-3b00f9e1daa7.htm , and go to about the middle, there are press summaries on this very issue.

I believe that they are cognizant of the issue and are waiting for the right time to pounce on the Obama/Biden campaign. Perhaps during the interview with ABC, but during the debate for sure.

[Ilya Mourometz]

Again, the point is that Palin was supportive of the bridge—in fact, she probably still supports the idea of linking the two points; she was not campaigning to get federal funds for the project. When it was clear that the state could not fund the project without state funds, she cancelled it. I don’t see that position as flip-flopping, contradictory, hypocritical, or anything of the sort.