Earmarks
Posted by Matt Ortega on September 4, 2008 at 03:30 PM
John McCain has made earmarks a central theme of his campaign this election but it is just more of the same empty rhetoric.
Nevermind that he can't name any specific earmarks he would nix, and even admitted he wouldn't cut off aid to Israel, which is done through earmarks.
So when the McCain campaign introduced Sarah Palin to the ticket, it was no surprise that she attempted to portray herself as an ardent foe of earmarks. She continued to push the false claim last night, but too bad for her and the campaign that her record simply doesn't match the rhetoric.
Seattle Times: "Palin's earmark requests: more per person than any other state."
Just this year, she sent to Sen. Ted. Stevens, R-Alaska, a proposal for 31 earmarks totaling $197 million — more, per person, than any other state.
In fact, Palin supported the "Bridge to Nowhere" during her campaign for governor.
During her first speech after being named as McCain's surprise pick as a running mate, Palin said she had told Congress "'thanks but no thanks' on that bridge to nowhere."
In the city Ketchikan, the planned site of the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere," political leaders of both parties said the claim was false and a betrayal of their community, because she had supported the bridge and the earmark for it secured by Alaska's Congressional delegation during her run for governor.
The bridge, a span from the city to Gravina Island, home to only a few dozen people, secured a $223 million earmark in 2005. The pricey designation raised a furor and critics, including McCain, used the bridge as an example of wasteful federal spending on politicians' pet projects. [emphasis added]
Update: More pork! Palin also supported the "Road to Nowhere."
The "Road To Nowhere" is a $375 million "mega-project" designed to connect Juneau to the towns of Haines and Skagway via 50 miles of new road along the steep slopes of an avalanche-battered canal, ending at a ferry terminal at the Haines river.
As of 2005, Haines had a population of 2,400, while Skagway had 870 residents.
Comments (17) «
More lies about earmarks, false concern about families with special needs children (Palin's 62% cut to families with special needs children), God's crusade in Iraq, state spending in Alaska, deficits in Wasilla, abortion, sex education, creationism; we can go on and on, but who's to dictate these and so many other concerns are off base for reporters, why aren't journalists, whether they're labeled elitist or liberal or left wing, allowed to report or inquire about these issues?
There aren't too many questions which can be asked that I, for one, wouldn't have a mild interest in the answer. Many of us don't know Sarah Palin, and don't know what McCain really stands for since he's moved so far to the right to engage the right's evangelical base. It is pure politics and we want to know where they're headed, what plans they have for America, the country we all love and protect.
Why is Palin so accusatory of the "free" press, which I guess she and her republican co-conspirators obviously think is too "free?" Should they all have their questions pre-screened? Double talk and accusations about how a campaign should be conducted is not befitting a major party in a presidential election year; it is demeaning and seeks to prohibit a fair and open discussion of the serious issues which face us, or at least what seems to be the majority of us. At minimum, the majority of Americans support Constitutional protections afforded to the press, and demeaning the media strikes one as un-American.
Sarah Palin graduated from a non-elitist university, I presume, though we have yet to see the list of universities which carry the elitist label. We can assume the one attended by GW, Yale, might be included. Regardless, her degree was in communications/journalism. Why would someone who is so condescending of the press want to join their ranks when she was younger, have her values changed that much in such a short amount of time?
Matt, could someone at the DNC get up the video of Howard Dean and Tom Brokaw today. I hear it was great.
Also a book is out about Howard's brother, Charlie and his friends who traveled with him in the 70s to Asia, written by a lady who is a Vermonter. It sounds both emotional and a good read.
Book published about Charlie Dean and his death in Laos in 1974.
Found the video of Dean and Brokaw today. Thanks, Howard Dean for speaking out so powerfully.
Howard Dean and Brokaw today...Wow. Really speaking out.
Found the video of Dean and Brokaw today. Thanks, Howard Dean for speaking out so powerfully.
Howard Dean and Brokaw today...Wow. Really speaking out.
Thanks for the link, Sunny
Where is the darn commercial telling america over and over that she is a liar. At least it is the truth. I feel we are being swiftboated and the response is not strong enough.
Gee, I found this just after Palin told everyone that we do not have time for another "learning curve" regarding Obama's experience and knowledge and denigrading his years of public service, education, professional standing, and congressional duties. So what about McCain's learning curve? Country First??? Paleeeaaase!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGWoZqCf2Fk
Mark -
Important stuff.
Please add: She took the money! Congress removed the bridge's name from the earmark, but still gave Alaska the funds - she took the money and spent it elsewhere.
Also: $27 million in earmarks for Wasilla - after hiring Ted Stevens' chief as lobbyist.
Randi Rhodes has been hammering this home for a week now...Unfortunately the "liberal media" hasn't picked up on it
Randi Rhodes hit on this all week...unfortunately the "liberal media" hasn't picked up on it
What about McCain and Iran? Did he miss speak or did I miss understand the rattling of the saber at Iran in his acceptance speach? These guys aren't going to be happy until we have a world war to fight. I'm old and I remember the equally old saying that a war time economy is a fat economy and is therefore, 'good for the economy'. Is this why the republicans keep starting wars?
It seems Ms. Palin is no relative of Michael Palin, yet her political agenda is truly worthy of Monty Python. Given her talent for "Strewing the Chips" far and wide--(or is "broadcasting" the operative term?), and given her well-publicized propensity for disembowelling meese in the field, around my workplace we've started referring to her as "BULLWINKLE!!!!"
--It catches on fast!
It seems Ms. Palin is no relative of Michael Palin, yet her political agenda is truly worthy of Monty Python. Given her talent for "Strewing the Chips" far and wide--(or is "broadcasting" the operative term?), and given her well-publicized propensity for disembowelling "meese" in the field, around my workplace we've started referring to her as "BULLWINKLE!!!!"
--It catches on fast!
It seems Ms. Palin is no relative of Michael Palin, yet her political agenda is truly worthy of Monty Python. Given her talent for "Strewing the Chips" far and wide--(or is "broadcasting" the operative term?), and given her well-publicized propensity for disembowelling "meese" in the field, around my workplace we've started referring to her as "BULLWINKLE!!!!"
--It catches on fast!
We should be cracking jokes bigtime about McCain's earmark rants. Presupposing that he were to wholly abolish earmarks, this would alter the Federal budget by less than 1%. McCain's wasting half his time ranting about 1% of the budget.
Everything McCain says is a waste of our time.
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