McCain Campaign Lies About Palin’s Record In New Ad: ‘She Stopped The Bridge To Nowhere’
McCain Campaign Lies About Palin’s Record In New Ad: ‘She Stopped The Bridge To Nowhere’
As ThinkProgress has documented, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) has repeatedly lied about her support of the Bridge to Nowhere, claiming to have told Congress “thanks but no thanks,” even though she campaigned in support of the bridge and repeatedly pushed Alaska’s congressional delegation to secure the funding.
Today, in a new campaign ad declaring Palin and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “the original mavericks,” the narrator declares of Palin, “She stopped the Bridge to Nowhere.” Watch it:
The McCain campaign seems to know it is lying. The ad cites an article from the Anchorage Daily News (”Palin flies high as reformer,” 12/27/07) as proof of its claim:
But that article says nothing about Palin “stopping” the bridge. In fact, in the sole mention of the bridge, the article suggests only that Palin “ordered her administration to seek fewer congressional earmarks after Alaska’s ‘bridge to nowhere’ became a national symbol of pork barrel spending.”
Perhaps now that Palin has finally agreed to take questions from the press, she’ll be held accountable for her less-than-straight talk.
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Held accountable? By ABC?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…
September 8th, 2008 at 9:42 amGidget & The Geezer ‘08!!!
September 8th, 2008 at 9:45 amSpeaking of flying high, is there any truth to the story that she sold the governer’s jet to a campaign contributer rather than on EBay?
September 8th, 2008 at 9:46 amABC has already agreed to ground rules that heavily favour political puffing over actual journalism- the interview will be done in stages. If ABC isn’t puffy and nice enough, they don’t get the next stage. Plus, I suspect, Mrs. Palin gets to prep for each topic separately.
What a disgrace the American media has become.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:46 amMcPutz: Sarah Palin opposed the “Bridge to nowhere when I was a POW>”
September 8th, 2008 at 9:47 amObama/Biden’s response…McSame is a hero and Palin gave a really great speech..When are they going to hammer Grampa and the Bimbo on their lies?
September 8th, 2008 at 9:49 am“Perhaps now that Palin has finally agreed to take questions from the press, she’ll be held accountable for her less-than-straight talk.”
Don’t bet on that.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:51 amIf she’s so tough — like a “hockey mom” and a pit bull, right? — then why is the McCain camp PROTECTING her? She’s capable, right? “Ready to be President”, right?
If she is really ready, then why is she hiding?
September 8th, 2008 at 9:53 amWho could have ever imagined in these days that Republicans are lying and stealing and cutting throats..we the people are SHOCKED!
September 8th, 2008 at 9:54 amUnless Gibson asks her about her ‘administrative experience’ including a hired ‘administrator’, and her leaving Wasilla 20 million in debt (spend now, leave the bill for your kids), then this’ll just be a pucking puff piece.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:56 amHeld accountable by ABC? Isn’t ABC the broadcast entity that broadcast the very untruthful conservative screed called the Path to 9/11??? That ABC?
Yeah, I’ll be holding my breath that REAL questions will be asked.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:57 amRick O. Says:
Speaking of flying high, is there any truth to the story that she sold the governer’s jet to a campaign contributer rather than on EBay?
The Independent has the news
September 8th, 2008 at 10:03 amWell already this morning I have heard 2 polls. One on CNN, a so-called “poll of polls”, which had McCain and Obama tied.
Then on NPR which has McCain winning by more than the margin of error.
Obama should have run on fighting Bush/Cheney corruption and restoring civil liberties. And Pelosi should have not taken impeachment off the table.
We are so screwed.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:06 amOf course their ads are nothing but lies — they’re republicans, aren’t they?
And I agree with Lungman — when in the world are we gonna start seeing the Obama campaign hitting the McSame campaign hard, calling them on all this crap? This is starting more and more to look like Gore ‘00 and Kerry ‘04 — trying to stay on the high road while having faith in the wisdom of the American electorate to see through the smoke-and-mirrors that is the RNC. Of course, with that kind of faith in the electorate, we’re doomed to more repuglican mismanagement come November… It’s time the dems recognize that the repugs keep lying BECAUSE IT KEEPS WORKING!!!
September 8th, 2008 at 10:06 amSo McStain cancels an appearance on Larry King, and Palin has gone into “Michael Jackson/Neverland” hiding.
If they can’t face the press, how can they face the issues facing our country and the rest of the world?
Gibson’s interview will be heavily edited, plenty of retakes, softball questions that have been prepped in advance.
Obama’s team needs to take these ads, and make their own with the stamp “LIES” in big red letters on each statement. I’m starting to feel like we’ve taken a knife to a gun fight.
The whole thing just stinks!
PEACE
September 8th, 2008 at 10:07 amMs.Palin is just another pretty face for the re-pukes and that`s all,she has lied about Obama raising taxes,she lied about selling her corporate on E-Bay and she wanted and got the bridge to nowhere and then flip flopped on it just like her sugar daddy Mcwars.To think that this religious zealot who believes in theocracy over common sense and democracy could be second in command is quite scary.This pick of Mcwars has helped boost democratic voter registration up two to one over the repukes and also the same in contributions.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:07 amToday, in a new campaign ad declaring Palin and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “the original mavericks,”
Um, actually, the original maverick was a Texas rancher named Samuel Maverick, who refused to brand his cattle so he could claim any unbranded cow he found as “Maverick’s.”
Another lie by the McCain/Palin gang…
September 8th, 2008 at 10:07 amI think the biggest and most glaring problem is the lack of MSM coverage about all of the lies coming from the Mcwars camp and the protection they are giving to Mcwars and now Palin.It is quite a shame and a stain on our media and it`s lack of hardball questions put to Mcwars and Obama gets raked over the coals.The media will not have it any other way because they need a tight race to make more money from ads and higher ratings, how disgusting.Obama needs Hillary`s brass and go after the Mcwars camp on the lies and half-truths.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:15 amThe Dogfather Says: And I agree with Lungman — when in the world are we gonna start seeing the Obama campaign hitting the McSame campaign hard, calling them on all this crap?
When the MSM starts airing their stump speeches. Both Obama and Biden have been doing a great job, but it only gets aired on CSPAN.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:16 amCharlie Gibson is going to fawn all over her like a groupie. Nothing but fluff. Its going to be absent of anything resembling substance and nothing short of sickening.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:18 amThis just isn’t getting air time:
September 8th, 2008 at 10:21 amRead this from CBS News.
Like Rachel Maddow said… it’s time to stop dancing around the truth and start calling it for what it is: LIES
September 8th, 2008 at 10:22 amThe Repugs have learned that - for them - there is NO downside to outright lying. The press and Congress give them a pass everytime, and the public buys it wholesale. There is also NO downside to the average American for being an idiot. They are also given a pass - such as ‘they have been so intimidated’ or ‘they don’t have access to info’. Give me a break!
Fighting with facts is not going to work. We have to make them look like the conniving little sleeze bags they are, and also humiliate the average American for being as ignorant and complicit as they are.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:22 amAnother shot:
September 8th, 2008 at 10:24 amObama’s Speech to the AARP Convention
And since he’s not offering much change, that’s why you didn’t hear much about his plans for the future this week. You didn’t hear much about their health care plan that would actually tax your benefits for the first time ever, or about their plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement, or how they plan to fix the economy they’ve ruined or help you live comfortably in your later years. Because, in the words of John McCain’s campaign manager, this election “isn’t about the issues.”
And securing your future starts with protecting Social Security - today, tomorrow and forever. Now, John McCain said that the way Social Security works is, and I quote, “an absolute disgrace.” Wrong. For millions of Americans, it’s the very difference between a comfortable retirement and falling into poverty. More than half of seniors depend on it for more than half of their income. And as the first baby boomers become eligible for benefits this year, there are steps we can take to secure its future for generations to come.
That doesn’t mean embracing George Bush’s failed privatization scheme, as John McCain has. Privatizing Social Security was a bad idea when George Bush proposed it, and it’s a bad idea today. It would take the one rock-solid, guaranteed part of your retirement income and gamble it on the stock market. That’s why I stood with AARP against this plan in the Senate, and that’s why I won’t stand for it as President.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/ articles/ 2008/ 09/ obamas_speech_to_the_aarp_conv.html
September 8th, 2008 at 10:30 amInstead of complaining that the main stream media is for McCain or has an interest in a close race,why don’t we just accept that as a fact,( In the last 40 years when hasn’t the MSM not been in the repuglican’s back pocket)and do something about it…Obama could run ads from now until Gibson’s interview on all the BS coming out of the McSame/VP Bimbo’s camp and ask…When are these questions going to be asked and answered? No we’ll just putz along and be outraged by the questions like…What’s your favorite moose burger recipe? or Wow, you’re so pretty and tough…you must feel awfully fortunate to be able to have a grandchild while still be so young and vibrant?
September 8th, 2008 at 10:31 amIt’s just part of the new advertising roll-out of the Repubs latest production. Here, let me explain.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:34 amAll the fabrication about Failin’ Palin being opposed to earmarks is doubly ironic.
First of all, she is anything but opposed to earmarks. She has been on the dole ever since she was Princess of Wasilla. She is merely a political opportunist who now sees the benefits of reducing (not eliminating) the number of earmark requests in Alaska — the biggest pork barrel state in the nation.
Secondly, the whole issue of eliminating earmarks is a phony issue. McNumbNuts has somehow made this out to be an issue that will salvage the federal budget . . . but it won’t. I am not advocating earmarking but, for goodness sake, let’s be realistic about this. Doing away with them is no “magic bullet” for balancing the budget. The Pentagon wastes (or loses track of) more money each day than earmarks cost per year.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:34 amFrom Tom Hartmann’s radio show:
“What does it mean to say that John McCain is a maverick?
Maverick is one of those eponymous words that is based on a person’s name, and which captures something of the essence of what they were or did. Crapper (Thomas P., 1836 - 1910) a plumber and inventor is another such word.
Back in the days before barbed wire, millions of feral cattle roamed the wild-west. They only needed to be rounded up to make a fortune. In order to identify what cattle belonged to which rancher, they were branded with distinctive icons. In a move that some might call brilliant, it is said that Samuel Augustus Maverick (1803-1870) declared that his brand was no brand at all. This allowed him to claim any unbranded cow as his own. Clever in a Rovian sort of way, but (and by definition?) not exactly honest or conducive to living peacefully in a law abiding society.
John McCain is attempting to rustle the mantle of the candidate of change and reform from Barack Obama. This is after a disastrous eight years of Republican control of the executive branch of government (during six of which Republicans also controlled Congress). It can truly be said that John McCain is a maverick.”
Given that Palin took the money for the bridge to nowhere, and then kept it anyway, I’d say she’s the same “brand” of maverick.
PEACE
September 8th, 2008 at 10:42 amDoes anyone think there’s a chance she’ll refuse to debate Biden?
September 8th, 2008 at 10:43 amAre they going to ask her if she thinks the earth is 4000 years old? I’m serious, that question needs to be asked.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:44 amLess than straight talk is putting it mildly, she was the queen of earmarks.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:45 amDid anyone else notice the weekend showcases of McCain the POW and Paling the mother and wife and straight shooter, or was it just nightmares for me?
#27 Tagg
September 8th, 2008 at 10:48 amGood article in Washing Post. IF the american people vote in McCain, this empire that is crumbling at the feet will fall and we deserve it.
bigeugene Says: Are they going to ask her if she thinks the earth is 4000 years old? I’m serious, that question needs to be asked.
Unfortunately, the people voting for her would agree that it’s only 4,000 years old…
September 8th, 2008 at 10:49 amdareme Says: Did anyone else notice the weekend showcases of McCain the POW and Paling the mother and wife and straight shooter, or was it just nightmares for me?
Oh yeah, if someone did a study, I’d bet he gets 10 hours for every 30 seconds Obama gets…
September 8th, 2008 at 10:51 amYou people stand around wondering why this is happening to the Democrat (slur intentional to wake people up)once again. We have failed to learn the lessons of the last four elections. These are:
1. The media long ago became slanted towards the conservatives due to a long process of wearing them down with complaints of the “liberal” media and the generation of an internal propaganda channel “FAUX” News as well as taking over the radio waves with right wing talk shows. We sit back respectfully while our candidates are savaged and the opposition out and out lies.
2. We want to take the “high” road and abjure low road attacks. However, we confuse taking the low road with making legitimate attacks on our opponents character and credibility. The airwaves should have been burning with sharp ads on Palin’s credibility the day after the election. McCain’s flip-flopping and pandering should have been attacked from day one to destroy the Maverick myth.
3. Our base needs to get aggressive with our own candidate to push him in the right direction.
This started with Dukakis and the attacks on him to show weakness. He lost when he should have won based upon the policy preferences of all the electorate. Same with Gore and Kerry. Only Clinton realized the important of giving as good as you got. He knew how to fight and fight hard while at the same time addressing the policy issues and connecting with the problems of ordinary men and women.
Obama was the best candidate for policy and truly bringing a new form of politics on stage. However, reigning in the media from its partisan stance, exposing lies and honestly questioning the lying images present by these candidates must be stopped. It is the most fundamental step that must be taken to change Washington.
75 -80% of the electorate will be Low Information Voters. What are they learning during this election cycle? They are not flooding the internet.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:01 amRick O. Says:
——————————————————————————–
Speaking of flying high, is there any truth to the story that she sold the governer’s jet to a campaign contributer rather than on EBay?
Does a bear shit in the woods?
But in fact, the jet did not sell on eBay. It was sold to a businessman from Valdez named Larry Reynolds, who paid $2.1 million for the jet, shy of the original $2.7 million purchase price, according to contemporaneous news reports, including a story in the New York Times.
Dan Spencer, the director of administrative services for Alaska’s Public Safety Department, said that the Republican speaker of the Alaska House, John L. Harris, brokered the deal. Reynolds made campaign contributions to both Palin and Harris in 2006 and 2007.
http://www.dailykos.com/ story/ 2008/ 9/ 7/ 4855/ 57570/ 84/ 588761
September 8th, 2008 at 11:12 amWill Charlie be sufficiently deferential? Rick Davis will take his toy and go home if Gibson doesn’t genuflect properly.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:13 amCuz she’s a mav’rick, doin’ mav’ricky things.
If you are interested, there is a blog by a freelance journalist that lives in Alaska that is giving very insightful information about all things Palin. Very interesting reading.
http://mudflats.wordpress.com/
September 8th, 2008 at 11:18 amWhy does a state with a $5B surplus need anything from U.S. taxpayers? That $250M bridge is a drop in the bucket.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:21 amPalin would rather take the oil taxes she extracted from oil companies and bribe Alaskans with it than us it for public works. Uncle Ted can get the lower 48-ers to pay for infrastructure with his earmarks.
I hear Charlie stocked up on 10 cases of cotton balls so he could gently toss them to dear Sarah. Mustn’t smear her shiny lipgloss!!
September 8th, 2008 at 11:21 amHere’s a photo that say’s everything you need to know about the John McCain campaign tied to the hip, with Bush!
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4562/stc2eg8fz4.jpg
September 8th, 2008 at 11:24 amRachel Maddow said it best: They lie, they are lying and they are liars! It’s not mendacity or other cute little not often used words that drive me crazy. THEY ARE LYING!
The big question is whether anyone else in the MSM will call them out on it.
I am not holding my breath!
September 8th, 2008 at 11:31 amWhat annoys me the most about the Palin media blackout is this:
She has given one, yes that is ONE national speech in her entire political career. This speech was written by former Bush speech writers and read off of the teleprompter by Palin. This begins to form public opinion and discussion about Palin’s credentials. As what? A speech reader? Every appearance that has followed by Palin has consisted soley of abridged versions of the same speech (that was written for her). Now she is in seclusion, far from the media and any possibility that she may be asked a question that she may have to formulate her own answer for. In seclusion the GOP machine is feverishly coaching her on talking points and as much foreign policy as she can absorb before the VP debates(McCain is also being kept from the media as of late so he can’t stick his foot in his mouth yet again).
McCain has admitted that he spoke with her only once, briefly, in his life before calling her about the possibility of the VP spot. On the floor of the Rep. Convention and in the press, EVERY Rep senator/congressman that has been asked say that they never heard of her or had had a conversation with her prior to the convention, yet throw out a talking point or two and go on to rave about how great she is. So far all we know about her is what the GOP machine has written for her to say followed by MANY unanswered questions about her questionable credentials as a “maverick”. If this woman is supposedly ready to be a 72 year old heartbeat away from the presidency then why the need for all this sequestering and coaching?
September 8th, 2008 at 11:31 amBecause she’s another GOP puppet for the corporations and neocons to continue their reign over our Country who will do exactly what they ask and say exactly what they tell her to say? Your damned right! So far her job has been on a par with a GOP press agent. I would like to see her face an open press conference and answer ALL the questions that should rightfully be posed to her, not puff pieces and regurgitation of the same talking points that were covered in the speech that she read. What a bold, open joke the Republican Party is trying to pull on the American people! I only hope that we have the tenacity and drive within our party to bring this fight to the people. Otherwise this Country is in for a deeply troubled future.
raynman Says:
Read this from CBS News.
Good for CBS. They called them lies. Maybe this will be the start of some real news reporting.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:39 amThe McCain/Palin ticket IS a bridge to nowhere!
September 8th, 2008 at 11:43 amIn other news, Each eligible man, woman, and child in Alaska gets their annual oil rebate check — this year it is $3269!!! Most people will be using it to spend on fuel…
This for a state that does not have an income tax or a state sales tax… yipee!
September 8th, 2008 at 11:50 amthe “bridge to nowhere” seems an apt metaphor for the McStain/Pallid campaign…
September 8th, 2008 at 12:59 pm“Perhaps now that Palin has finally agreed to take questions from the press, she’ll be held accountable for her less-than-straight talk.”
No. Now Charles Gibson will accept her further coverup lies and spin in his fake “interview” with her.
September 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pmThe original mavericks? What about James Garner?
September 8th, 2008 at 2:24 pmBaxterJ
Thanks for the memories…
September 8th, 2008 at 2:43 pmI could probably make this comment to each post on this site all the way through the election.
The Republicans know that the majority of Americans will NEVER hear the truth of this. The ones who do are democrats who can’t or won’t do anything about it or intellectually dishonest Republicans who think it is a good thing to lie to America to save it for their version of God and the rabid nationalism they push off as patriotism. The Moonies who have been the number one financiers and molders of today’s right over the last 30 years, call this type of lying, “Heavenly Deception.”
Conservatives know they can lie their way into the WH and have every intention of doing so. Your story is that.
1)they are going to lie and have decided they have enough control over their cult following and the media so therefore they can get away with it.
2) that the left has no way to prevent this, the left has no dedicated effective infrastructure to fight back. Blogs and Olberman are not push back. The Republicans know a quick fax to Rush and millions fall in line.
The nation is no longer any kind of democratic republic, that claim is a huge fraud. That is your story but none of you want to admit or talk about it.
September 8th, 2008 at 3:34 pmI know McCain Campaign. She runs a flower shop in DesMoines.
When you say the “McCain Campaign Lies,” don’t you mean John McCain lies?
He approved the message so that means him, not JM Campaign, who hates all politicians and never told a lie in her life.
September 9th, 2008 at 1:47 am