McCain and Graham Repeat False Claim That Palin Opposed The ‘Bridge To Nowhere’
McCain and Graham Repeat False Claim That Palin Opposed The ‘Bridge To Nowhere’
This morning on Fox News Sunday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) cited Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R-AK) 2007 cancellation of the so-called “Bridge to Nowhere” as one reason he selected her as his running mate. McCain repeated the increasingly common right-wing myth that Palin opposed the $400 million dollar project. Host Chris Wallace did not challenge McCain’s characterization.
On ABC’s This Week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) similarly argued that Palin is a reformer because she supposedly said, “I’m not going to build a Bridge to Nowhere.” This Week host George Stephanopoulos pointed out that Graham’s claim is false:
GRAHAM: To go in her state and say ‘I’m not going to build a bridge to nowhere’ — a $400 – $400 million appropriation that was passed by brute force in the Congress by two senior members of the congressional delegation, very powerful figures in Washington. And for her to say, ‘We’re not going to do this because its not necessary and its wasteful,’ to take on your own Republican party –
STEPHANOPOULOS: But Senator, she turned against that, only she campaigned for it in her 2006 race, and turned against it in 2007 only after it became a national joke.
Watch a compilation:
When she first introduced herself as McCain’s running mate, Palin also lied about her support for the project. But as Stephanopoulos notes,the claim made by McCain and Graham that Palin opposed the Bridge to Nowhere is patently false.
In reality, Palin strongly supported the bridge project. During her 2006 run for governor, the Anchorage Daily News interviewed Palin. At the time, federal funding for the bridge had been stripped by Congress. The paper asked if she was in favor of continuing state funding for the project. “Yes,” she responded, noting specifically her desire to renew congressional support:
Yes. I would like to see Alaska’s infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now — while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.
When Palin finally canceled the project in 2007, she expressed regret that Congress had not been more forthcoming with federal funding. Moreover, as recently as March 2008, her administration was publicly defending its frequent requests for the same kind of earmark spending that McCain himself often rails against.
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Well we didn’t actually think he was going to be truthful about anything did we?
August 31st, 2008 at 2:05 pmRepublicans…the party to nowhere.
August 31st, 2008 at 2:09 pm.
She wouldn’t be a Republican if she wasn’t FOR this “Bridge to nowhere” BEFORE she was against this “Bridge to nowhere”.
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August 31st, 2008 at 2:11 pmEagle River, Ak.: Morning, Gregg! I’ve suddenly being hearing a number of pundits credit Gov. Palin with stopping the “bridge to nowhere.” This isn’t how I remember it, though — in fact, I seem to recall that she was initially in favor of the bridge. Could you clarify? Thanks!
Gregg Erickson (columnist and reporter for the Anchorage Daily News): She did curtail state support of the “bridge to nowhere” connecting Ketchikan with its island airport. But contrary to her statement today in Dayton, OH, she didn’t send the federal money back. It’s available for use in other projects elsewhere.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003844476
August 31st, 2008 at 2:13 pmMcCain/Palin counting on the short bus vote to put them in power
August 31st, 2008 at 2:15 pmClearly, she’s cut from the same cloth as her running mate and his right-hand man, Sen. Graham.
no wonder the lovely Sen. McCain chose this “soulmate.”
August 31st, 2008 at 2:15 pmThe pundits are repeating the meme of Palin “standing up to Alaskans like Ted Stevens.” Is there any real evidence of her making any effort to call out the corruption that she is so clearly surrounded by and involved in herself? Like the
August 31st, 2008 at 2:15 pmbridge to nowhere” I assume Palin will see where the Stevens fiasco goes before she sees which “principled” stance to take.
More from my link:
August 31st, 2008 at 2:16 pm
And one last one from the same link:
August 31st, 2008 at 2:16 pm
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Q U E S T I O N:
Will Palin be impeached by election time?
Or will this political stunt to ascend to V.P. stave off further investigations?
.
August 31st, 2008 at 2:27 pmSo, Palin-as-VP is how McCain puts “Country First”??!!??!!?? I’d hate to see an example of him putting the country fourth and fifth — i.e., after his own political ambitions, after his part’s interests, after the right-wing conservative agenda, and after the evangelical agenda!!
BTW, did anyone notice how McCain had to read, word by word, his announcement of his VP pick? Even when it got down to the woman’s name, McCain had to read from his notes!!! I understand that the man couldn’t risk getting Palin’s name wrong! But the fact that there WAS a risk that he’d blow it, a risk substantial enough that he was reduced to reading from notes, now that’s scary!! But this is only the most recent instance of McCain’s iffy memory getting in the way. Remember Czechoslovakia? Remember the Iraq-Pakistan border? There’s a definite pattern. There’s also a petition [at Democrats.com] arguing that “McCain owes America a thorough test for Alzheimer’s and cognitive impairment long before Election Day” and insisting corporate media to push for it.
August 31st, 2008 at 2:57 pmRNC Memo
To: McCain Campaign; Steve Schmidt
From: RNC Headquarters
RE: Necessary Vetting Questions
Sen. McCain et. al.:
Sorry to continually be a side in your rear as it relates to the selection of your running mate. As I’ve explained earlier, the conditions of your candidacy dictate the RNC has ultimate veto power in your selection of a VP. Having declined you first 11 selections, we have prepared this rubric for your offices use in determining a VP candidate.
Each proposed candidate must:
1. Be a Shitbag Liar.
2. Have demonstrated a willingness to use the powers of office to intimidate and manipulate others.
Thank you and good luck in your selection.
August 31st, 2008 at 3:01 pmOr a rear in your side! WTF?
August 31st, 2008 at 3:01 pmhttp://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223
August 31st, 2008 at 3:03 pmWhat John McCain should have said is “Well, I have so much gol-dang experience that I just had to select a complete novice for my runnin’ mate so’s to slow me down a bit. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair, now, would it?”
August 31st, 2008 at 3:23 pmThe organized hypocrisy is working overtime.
August 31st, 2008 at 3:26 pmThis is one more area in which Obama must be tough. The selection of Palin shows a total lack of judgment on the part of McCain. She needs to be put down and put down firmly before these outright lies become the popular mythology.
It would not take much to do a commercial that uses her own words supporting the project, then flash up the numerous articles panning the project with her Dayton speech at the end.
You could even have the final voice over at the end with the announcer saying that Republicans decried Democrats for flip flopping as the ultimate sin. Now, it seems to be the primary qualification to run for office on the Republican ticket. Governor Palin – She was for it before she was against it.
August 31st, 2008 at 3:34 pmThe pejorative term, “the bridge to nowhere” is not quite honest. It was to be an Alaskan bridge from the city of Ketchikan to the Ketchikan International airport, which is housed on a nearby Gravina island. Level accessible land is in very short supply in the Ketchikan area, which is lodged between steep mountains and the sea. Current access to the Ketchikan airport is by a 7-minute ferry boat ride. The flight back from Ketchikan to Seattle is a beautiful ride, tho. Before leaving Ketchikan, you can sit and watch the float planes take off and land in the fjord.
August 31st, 2008 at 3:51 pmIt seems like the GOP would split into factions due to this pick. Are they all really just falling in line and pretending this is a good pick? Where’s that manufactured controversy in the media?
August 31st, 2008 at 4:02 pmGregg Erickson (columnist and reporter for the Anchorage Daily News): She did curtail state support of the “bridge to nowhere” connecting Ketchikan with its island airport. But contrary to her statement today in Dayton, OH, she didn’t send the federal money back. It’s available for use in other projects elsewhere.
Wasn’t the money for that bridge an “earmark”? I’m probably wrong, but I thought money like that could ONLY be spent on the project for which it was appropriated. Are governors allowed to keep money from Congress meant for one thing and use it for another? Wouldn’t that be an unautorized use of that money (our money)? (I also understand that this question is at the heart of the whole “Unitary Executive” theory.)
August 31st, 2008 at 4:20 pm“Palin opposed the bridge to nowhere” Seriously, has there ever been a governor that said no to $400 million in Federal funds? I don’t think so.
August 31st, 2008 at 4:21 pmI love this quote from McCain about Palin:
“Many years”? She’s been the governor for less than two years, my friend. You were maybe keeping tabs on her when she was the mayor of a little town in Alaska? Or maybe you watched her when she was the sportscaster on an Alaska tv station?
Does Cindy know about this?
August 31st, 2008 at 4:30 pmSo, when are we going to see a DNC ad with her saying numerous times she supported the bridge and then showing her lying by saying she never supported it?
These Republican ads just keep writing themselves.
August 31st, 2008 at 4:39 pmI just love the thought of a bumper sticker:
McCain/Palin – The bridge to Nowhere.
I’m going to get one of them if she survives the convention. I suspect she’s not going to survive.
August 31st, 2008 at 4:40 pmThat is pretty funny, Sam. In fact she did not say no to the money, Alaska got that $398 million. By 2007 she had spent $329 million of that money on other things and could not afford to build the bridge.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/675/
August 31st, 2008 at 5:22 pmThey jut make stuff up and the morons eat it up.
August 31st, 2008 at 5:46 pmHey, I saw the bridge to Nowhere once…
When Sideshow Bob was “elected” Mayor of Springfield on the Simpsons and Grandpa Simpson and his friend were above the Simpson’s home in a halfway built overpass, that was still under construction, due to the Simpson home being in the way.
The lesson here…McCain needs to get in a old Jalopy and wave his fist angrily with Palin by his side, recreate this scene as a viral video and go for the “maverick cool” look. Invoking the name of Grandpa Simpson may be the only way to look like a senile old fool and have some street cred with the young. Everyone likes a walking disaster…but I definitely know people would not want to see McCain’s crotch.
August 31st, 2008 at 5:52 pmIsn’t there a London Bridge in Arizona?
August 31st, 2008 at 5:56 pmCould be that’s what she was referring to> as in Arizona really is ‘nowhere’.
All this AND the baby (Trig) from Nowhere to boot.
She’ll be gone soon enough.
¶ AIO
August 31st, 2008 at 6:16 pmOnly in Alaska. I just read that the Mayor of Wasilla is a full time position and is paid $68,000 a year. And at the time that Sarah Palin was Mayor there was a population of around 5,000. Even with a current population of 8,000, how in the hell does this “burg” rate a full time well paid mayor?
I live in Corvallis, Oregon, population 53,000 and our mayor is very part time and is paid a stipend, not a salary. I know this to be the truth because I know the mayor.
August 31st, 2008 at 6:20 pmWas just reading a little blurb on Newsvine, and I guess that MR PALIN, had his nose in the affairs of the state a little too much. He was even “cc” on memos to others holding govt office. Corruption?? This thing STINKS!What happens when you act on your guts and not with forethought and vetting?? Scandal! Mark my words, if the media starts doing the job they’re paid to do and sniff this stuff out…she’ll be back in AK BEGGING to be left alone to do whatever crazy things she does up there while nobody’s looking…
August 31st, 2008 at 7:18 pmRUCerious….Why yes! We actually DO have London Bridge here:) Leave it to an Arizona guy to dismantle the damn thing and haul it over here to beautiful Lake Havasu! Weird, huh? Real tourist draw, I guess…though why in God’s name anyone would go there on purpose is beyond me….in the summer, it’s like an oven. College kids go for spring break..
August 31st, 2008 at 7:24 pmRuCerious…Arizona really is NOWHERE…as far as politicians go:) Great Gov, though!
August 31st, 2008 at 7:27 pmPaul68…Yeah, funny how she kept the money though…
August 31st, 2008 at 7:28 pmYo desertflower, my Mom & Dad used to be snowbirds at Havasu!
August 31st, 2008 at 7:48 pmPalin is governor of a state that the same population as Baltimore for Christ’s sake
August 31st, 2008 at 9:07 pmthe town she was mayor of had a population of 8400 This is just slightly more intense than being on a city counsel in Nowhweresville USA
Nobody can lie like a Republican. They even convince themselves they are telling the truth by lying over & over & over. It’s pretty sick.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:22 pmShouldn’t following McCain and GOP policies be called the road to ruin.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:29 pmI think the Democrats will be on the road to ruin if they don’t do what they should do and leave this alone, and let it play out.
She was for the “Bridge to Nowhere” until the political tide turned, and then she changed her mind. Most politicains change their mind when the tide turns, they are (unfortunately), politicians.
This is a big distraction, and the Democrats are getting distracted. Obama is their strength, and if they don’t start exploiting that they (and by they I mean me, and I don’t want that to happen again) will lose.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:12 amAre these people, Mr and Mrs Mcwars and the rest of the Reich really this retarded????? I want whatever their smokin!
September 1st, 2008 at 1:34 am#37 ,Google Leo Strauss,The noble Lie and neoconservative, that will make you sick.That`s why I call`em re-pukes.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:37 amIn fairness:
From Paul68’s link.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:19 amJ McCain – ” Ive been watching her ” ohhhhh . Is that right Johnny , that’s your EXCUSE for only meeting her one time before picking her or having her picked as VP . And since the News To No Where Media has been censoring her ” ABUSE OF POWER ” scandal in Alaska , an investigation authorized by both Reps & Dems and STEPHANOPOULOS seems to be the only one that challenged , all of her dirt is slow in coming out, in face of all the positive ” news” about her moose conquest , PTA and other huge accomplishments .
September 1st, 2008 at 1:42 pmTP – you are parsing words here. She’s supportive of overall infrastructure projects. You are parsing her words for specific support of a single bridge. C’mon… how desperate are you to smear someone?….
September 4th, 2008 at 3:20 pm