Chris Wallace Fact-Checks Sarah Palin’s Bogus ‘Bridge To Nowhere’

Posted by SlamDunk

Posted: September 7, 2008 - 5:46 pm

Chris Wallace Fact-Checks Sarah Palin’s Bogus ‘Bridge To Nowhere’ Claims
Since accepting Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) offer to be his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) has lied about her supposed opposition to the Bridge to Nowhere in nearly every single campaign appearance:

Palin claimed she “championed reform of earmark spending by Congress, and I told the Congress thanks but no thanks on that ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’” she said, ommiting [sic] mention that she’d campaigned for governor supporting the bridge. [Albuquerque, NM, 9/6/08]

PALIN: And I’ve championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress thanks, but no thanks, on that “Bridge to Nowhere.” [Dayton, OH, 8/29/08]

PALIN: I told the Congress “thanks, but no thanks,” for that Bridge to Nowhere. [St. Paul, MN, 9/3/08]

This is demonstrably false. Campaigning for governor, Palin visited the town of Ketchikan to promise action on the bridge. She “said the bridge was essential for the town’s prosperity,” and that “she could feel the town’s pain at being derided as a ‘nowhere’ by prominent politicians.” She said the time to secure the funding was now, “while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.”

Today on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace tried to pin down a straight answer on Palin’s bridge position from McCain campaign manager Rick Davis. When Davis refused to acknowledge Palin’s misleading statements, Wallace detailed her support for millions of dollars in earmarks, including the bridge:

WALLACE: During her 1.5, 2 years as Governor, Alaska continued to get more federal money for pork-barrel projects per capita than any state in the country and…she supported the Bridge to Nowhere. And it was only after the federal government dropped it out, killed it, the Congress killed it that she then opposed it. And in fact she still got the money for the approach, the ramp to the Bridge to Nowhere

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6 September 8, 2008 - 2:52am | anhcskier

What is your source?

What is your source for the statement "She said the time to secure the funding was now, “while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.”
"?

Other than that statement (which conveniently has no source listed), I don't see anywhere in this post that states that she supported federal money for the bridge. Her statement when she was announced as the VP candidate continued on to say basically that "if we want the bridge, we will build it ourselves". She never said she didn't support the bridge, just that she didn't support federal funding for it.

5 September 7, 2008 - 7:24pm | nslopeofw

So Obama claims to not be Muslim, yet..........

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/07/obama-verbal-slip-fuels-his-critics/

Oppps. Which should we believe? 1.) Radical "i hate whitey" christian, 2.) "normal" christian, or 3.) muslim?

I guess we should not let him change his mind without roasting him first.

September 8, 2008 - 2:15am | trahilcal

It's okay to change your mind

but don't keep lying about it. She can say yeah I voted for it, but when I realized it wasn't good for us I changed my position. She continues to lie and say that she didn't vote for it and "thanks but no thanks"...there is a difference and she should be held accountable just like everyone else.

September 7, 2008 - 7:38pm | swingstatevoter

I believe that was an honest slip of the tongue

and shouldn't be held against Obama.

But you raise a great point. If a politician changes their position because they've seen the light, should we hold it against them, or praise them for repenting?

How do we apply this in a fair-minded way to someone who hasn't been in politics for a lifetime?

I say even politicians should be allowed to learn from HONEST mistakes.

Now someone who changes their position based merely on who they are talking to, or how they think the polls are swinging is another matter.

Sometimes it's not easy to tell the difference between the two types. That's why we have to take the time to dig a little and find unbiased info.

4 September 7, 2008 - 5:09pm | Frozentech

I like to remember the other bridges to nowhere

Other famous bridges to nowhere

Golden Gate Bridge
Columbia River Bridge at Astoria
Boston Big Dig (well this one was a tunnel )

The list goes on...

The per capita argument really doesn't apply to the Great Land. If you want to go by per capita, we also produce over 20,000 gals of oil per capita too.

I guess since Washington D.C. is not a state, they get a "by" from Wallace. They have more per capita Federal Pork than any state does.

September 8, 2008 - 4:21am | donrntfrw

LETS NOT FORGET

the bridge from Juneau over to Douglas Island....

3 September 7, 2008 - 5:01pm | misterblueveins

That's a good girl sarah, obey john, good dog.

Basically, palin called herself a bitch.

September 8, 2008 - 3:19pm | kattyjones

misterblueveins

Yep we are, we have you keep you men in line. I ain't no lady.

September 8, 2008 - 3:23pm | pitterpatterofpaws

We never accused you of BEING one, Chuckles!!

September 9, 2008 - 7:41pm | kattyjones

pitterpatterofpaws

Joke is on you!! (CHUCKLE,CHUCKLE)

September 9, 2008 - 7:56pm | pitterpatterofpaws

Silly girl! Did one of your multiple personalities just tell you a joke? Was it all in your mind? (Because I don't see any joke in your post...) But on one hand, if I HAVE to have a "joke on me", I suppose I would rather it be an imaginary one. Have a good night, Linda, katty k jones, katty jones, wildfirewoods, Chuckles the Clown...

September 10, 2008 - 4:47pm | kattyjones

Sarah Palin

Please excuse this idiotic behavior of PITTERPATTEROFPAWS!!!

She gets off on making fun of people.

September 10, 2008 - 5:37pm | pitterpatterofpaws

Sorry to burst your bubble, www, but you need to quit praying to Palin. She is NOT a god....

September 11, 2008 - 9:07am | kattyjones

I think she is a great woman. You must have a screw loose.

go to this web site and listen to what a black Preacher says about OBAMA.

http://www.atlah.org:801Broadcast1ndhr09-03-08html

he was supposed to be praying for Bristol Palin

anyway he called Obama's 17 year old mother white trash and Obama's father an alcoholic

September 11, 2008 - 9:39am | Alaskin

You are offically a REPUBLICAN!

Now for all the trashy negative campaigning!

September 9, 2008 - 8:01pm | BengalTiger

LMAO!

Thank's for the laughter before I retire for the evening! :)

September 10, 2008 - 12:16am | pitterpatterofpaws

My pleasure! ;)

September 8, 2008 - 2:59am | trahilcal

Pitbull

A pitbull with lipstick to be exact.

2 September 7, 2008 - 5:06pm | swingstatevoter

ADN has a decent article on this very topic

http://www.adn.com/politics/story/516743.html

Excerpt:
Why the gradual move away from earmarks? Palin recognized that Alaska's coffers were overflowing with revenue from oil profits and it was almost unseemly for the state to press so aggressively for federal money, said John Katz, who heads Gov. Palin's Washington, D.C., office. In December of 2007, Palin's budget director put out a memo urging state officials who were assembling their department spending plans to reserve earmarks for compelling needs only, in an effort to "enhance the state's credibility."

"When she took office, we talked about the state's reliance on federal earmarks and she made it clear for several reasons she wanted to significantly cut back on that reliance," Katz said.
...
But like many elected officials, it's not always clear where she stands on earmarks, Ellis added.

"I think she's somewhere in between," he said. "If you look at her more recent comments, it looks like she's seen the light about the process of earmarks and wants to wean the state from its addiction.''

Ironically, shortly after taking office as governor, Palin got an unambiguous forecast on earmarks from Stevens, who signaled in 2007 in a speech to the Alaska Legislature that federal budget writers were taking note of the state's budget surpluses and "the billions of dollars in our Permanent Fund" from burgeoning oil revenues. The earmark era was coming to an end.

Please read the whole thing.

1 September 7, 2008 - 4:49pm | rfn

I must ask.....

does anyone really think they're going to change the mind of any Alaskan voter with rhetoric at this point?

Except for the very insecure and confused, each voter pretty much loves Ms Palin or hates her. Trying to change most minds at this point is an exercise in futility and needless raising of blood pressure.

September 7, 2008 - 5:00pm | SlamDunk

another point...

Obama zeros in on Palin’s early earmark acceptance
She questions Biden as ‘agent of change’

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Barack Obama turned up the heat on John McCain and Sarah Palin at a rally here Saturday, accusing McCain of hijacking his campaign theme and being surrounded by lobbyists, and charging that Palin, as governor of Alaska, accepted federal pork “when it’s convenient.”

At an event held in a show barn on Terre Haute’s Wabash Valley Fairgrounds, Obama employed the strongest language he’s used since McCain and Palin formally accepted the GOP nomination for president and vice-president. He also accused them of hijacking his message of change.

“Since the beginning of this campaign, we’ve talked about change,” Obama said. “That’s been the theme of this campaign. We must be onto something because I’ve noticed everybody’s talking about change now.

“John McCain has said that, ‘change is coming.’ Now think about this. This is from the party that has been in charge for eight years. They’ve been running the show.” Obama said. “And suddenly, he’s the change agent.”

Then Obama opened a line of attack he hasn’t used recently on the trail.

“He says, ‘I’m going to tell those lobbyists that their days of running Washington are over.’ Who’s he going to tell?” Obama said. “Is he going to tell his campaign chairman, who’s one of the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington? Is he going to tell his campaign manager, who was one of the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington? Is he going to tell all the folks running his campaign, who are the biggest corporate lobbyists in Washington?”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/ news/ nationworld/ chi-campaignsep07,0,3325394.story

September 7, 2008 - 5:02pm | rfn

To test these theories

an excellent method is to stand on the mudflats of Cook Inlet (look it up on Google Earth), command the tide not to rise, and if it doesn't halt, try to run to shore.

September 13, 2008 - 4:51am | SlamDunk

...

How many times can you lie about something? I guess if you say it over and over enough times people will finally believe it!

Chris Wallace Fact-Checks Sarah Palin’s Bogus ‘Bridge To Nowhere’

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