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Wednesday, September 03, 2008
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Sarah Palin - Fighting for Your Money to Go to Alaska

So now that we've had some more time to actually examine the record, it would appear that the McCain campaign's talking point, that Sarah Palin fought against ear marks and fights for responsible government aren't very true at all.  Sarah Palin didn't just stand by and do nothing to stop the bridge, she fought for it:

"Palin said Alaska’s congressional delegation worked hard to obtain funding for the bridge as part of a package deal and that she 'would not stand in the way of the progress toward that bridge."
Ketchikan Daily News 9/2006

She only turned against the project after Ted Stevens was being investigated and public ire was drawn to the bridge.  There is also this picture where she sits defiant in fighting for it.  She's actually proudly holding a shirt that says "Nowhere Alaska 99901".  She didn't just fight for the money... she wanted a memento to prove it!

NowhereAlaska99901

To her benefit, she does look pretty in black.  There is also plenty of proof that when she was mayor of Wasilla Alaska, she made sure to haul in as much booty as she could:

In 2000, the city wanted money for a variety of public works and safety projects, plus “weapons” for its small police force:

"The city could use the assistance of a lobbyist to receive appropriations with a number of projects including: $6.6 million for Wasilla Water Utility Improvements, two 12-inch wells, well pump houses, 3-million-gallon reservoir and transmission mains; $3.2 million Urban Storm Retention and Lake Water Quality Improvements, three lift stations, oversizing for pipes (Parks Hwy), side road connections; and $90K for various Wasilla Police Department safety equipment, communication needs and weapons."

The hire was a smart move. Between 2000 and 2003, Wasilla received $11.9 million in federal money, plus another $15.9 million in money specifically for transportation improvements. During that time, Sen. John McCain, a strong opponent of the earmarking system, complained three times about specific earmark projects heading for Wasilla.

Apparently all is now forgiven... at least with John McCain.  I don't know if the rest of us should.

# Posted at 9:35 PM by Nick  |  Comment Feed Link 9 Comments  |  No Trackbacks

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Wednesday, September 03, 2008 11:17:48 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
So she re-evaluated the situation and changed her mind? John McCain changed his mind about domestic drilling. Kerry changed his mind about the war. Hillary changed her mind about the surge. Obama changed his mind about . . . well, nothing. He hasn't been decisive on anything in the past.

Anyway, the left will make a major deal out this and the right won't. Fact is, she did what she said . . . oppose it. Though, finally. She did favor it while campaigning and finally oppose when elected. It certainly looks like she pandered, though there's seems to be good reason for it.

In the end, she DID the right thing. It would be a lot different the other way around.
jimi
Thursday, September 04, 2008 9:08:51 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
The problem Jimi is that she didn't oppose it until Stevens was already under investigation, and the Bridge to Nowhere was so politically ugly that it would have been stupid not to oppose it. In other words, she waited until it was the politically expedient thing to do... which totally undercuts the value of what she did. It makes it practically meaningless.

The correct narrative, which I would support, but she has not come anywhere close to saying would have been to say:

"As Governor of Alaska it was my job to support the people of Alaska and represent them as best I could. Because the Federal government is so large, and takes so many tax dollars, that means that sometimes you have to fight for ear marks. I would much rather that the Federal government were smaller, so that fighting for ear marks were unnecessary. Unfortunately as Governor of a state, I have no control over federal taxes. As Vice President, I would be in a different position."

Of course, even that narrative is difficult to jive with reality since Alaska gets far more from ear marks than it pays into Federal coffers. The Governor of Massechusettes, for instance, would have a much better sell saying that. Not that he would say that either.

No... Sarah Palin pretended like she opposed it the entire time. Wrong.
Nick
Thursday, September 04, 2008 10:07:08 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
So she did the right thing but didn't say it right, huh? Isn't that a Carville quote? Everything else appears to be in line with her image. I doubt this will do much damage.
jimi
Thursday, September 04, 2008 10:42:35 AM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
Thats not what I'm saying at all. She didn't say right or do right. The timing of when you do something is just as critical, and as I said before, she didn't reject the Bridge to Nowhere until it was politically expedient. And even then, she didn't reject the money EVER. She merely redirected it to other pet projets.

As I said, the timing calls the motives into question. I was merely providing an alternative narrative that would have negated those questions. But instead she just lied.
Nick
Thursday, September 04, 2008 12:24:42 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
Gee, a mayor and a governor asked Washington for money. STOP THE PRESSES! This is a real scandal!

For anyone who actually wants to see the numbers, Citizens Against Government Waste publishes an annual report on every Member of Congress and their annual pork barrel spending, going back to 1991. If you want to look these figures up, take a look at http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reports_pigbook2008

FYI in 2007, Sen Kohl got 121 pork projects funded, at a cost to the taxpayers of $148.4 million. Sen Feingold got $0.

Tammy Baldwin got 19 pork projects through at a cost of $16.4 million. Gwen Moore got 20 projects at a cost of $8.9 million. Jim Sensenbrenner got 2 projects for $900,000. Paul Ryan got 2 projects for $4 million. Ron Kind managed to get 17 pork projects at a cost of $43.9 million. Tom Petri snagged 13 projects at a cost of $13 million. Newcommer Steve Kagen managed to get 26 pork barrel projects through at a cost to taxpayers of $25.4 million. And the grand old poobah David Obey grabbed $97.5 million for 65 pork barrel projects.
Kerry Thomas
Thursday, September 04, 2008 1:02:09 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
I agree Kerry. Pork barrel spending is obviously not localized just to Alaska. However, one of the reasons that McCain said he picked Sarah Palin was because she "fought against it". So it's not so much the spending itself, but rather that she is being sold as someone who fights it... when thats clearly not true based on the evidence.

As per usual, its not the crime, but the coverup... so to speak.
Nick
Thursday, September 04, 2008 1:46:48 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
It seems to me that when Democrats re-evaluate their positions its bad (Kerry 2004) but when Republicans do it, its ok, infact admired as being open to new information. The electorate should try to be consistent. I think that it is good to use new information and re-evaluate your position. The fact is that McCain has shifted his position to be more in line with the values voters. He at one time was fiscally conservative and now he supports tax cuts and a 10 trillion debt. Gov. Palin touts having a surplus when that money came from...taxing the oil companies and earmarks 500 billion in this budget alone. As VP or Pres she'll have a harder time budgeting.
d
Thursday, September 04, 2008 3:07:01 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
Yes... the term "flip flop" seems to only be deemed accurate when a Republican says it against a Democrat. When it occurs the other way, its merely "careful consideration" and "good governance".
Nick
Thursday, September 04, 2008 7:02:14 PM (Central Daylight Time, UTC-05:00)
She didn't say right or do right

She killed a bad project. She did right in the end. And, the evidence for her pick is there. She governed differently as Mayor than she did as Governor. Most of her "accomplishments" were as Governor . . . in charge of the entire State budget, not just a city.



jimi
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