LEBANON, Ohio (CNN) – Sarah Palin refuses to yield on her claim that she opposed the infamous Bridge to Nowhere earmark, despite charges by the Obama campaign that her assertion is a "lie."
"I told Congress thanks but no thanks for that Bridge to Nowhere," Palin said Tuesday in Lebanon, Ohio.
Earlier: Obama camp calls bridge claim a 'lie'
Though Palin recently came out against the completion of the Gravina Island Bridge, she initially supported the project as governor before it became a national symbol of wasteful pork barrel spending. In 2007, Palin’s office cancelled work on the bridge, but Alaska still kept the federal funds that were allocated for state transportation projects.
In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in earmarks, and in a Fairbanks newspaper column earlier this year, she wrote that federal monies, including earmarks, are “incredibly important” to the state. Palin also helped secure millions of dollars in federal money for her hometown of Wasilla while she was mayor.
Nevertheless, Palin told the outdoor audience in Ohio - many of whom came out in spite of the rain – that she was a champion of earmark reform in Alaska.
She then accused Barack Obama of using his role in the Senate to exploit the federal system.
“So as we reformed the abuses of earmarks in our state, our opponent was requesting nearly a billion dollars in earmarks as a senatorial privilege, as I was vetoing half a billion as an executive responsibility,” she said.
Palin said she and McCain “are ready to work together to end these corrupt practices once and for all in our Congress.”
From CNN Politics
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Really Palin??? How about all your earmarks? You wish you had all these responsibilites. Where did you find the time to do all this? In between firing everyone you believed to be against you? Go back to Alaska. How's that new stadium and road to nowhere doing? I forget, we can't ask you questions right? Hey nice gaffe about Fannie. You sure are ready on day one!!! NOT!!!!!!!
Put her record of earmarks up against Joe Biden, see who is more responsible.How abour the fact that with the Democrats holding the purse strings,- the National deficit has doubled in the last year. Obama is running scared.He knows that we are tired of business as
usual for the past 8 years, in fact we are tired of business as usual
for the past 200 years.No more exclusive boys club at the whitehouse,
no more bowling alley versus basketball court, a real person focused
on real issues that face the people living in America–that is Sarah
Palin.
Google this!! Washington Post . Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home
Reform ha right!!!!!
Vote Obama/Biden08
you repeat a lie enough times eventually the inbreeding rednecks will believe it. the rest of us call you out you phony.
Why would she say anything else but...it was scripted for her...to lie...more of the McSame.
She didn't say "Thanks, but no thanks". She said, "Thanks" and kept the earmark money. Even if she did change her mind on that bridge, she kept the money. That's the real point here.
Well if Palin and the group kept the money, it is the same thing. She wasted money. CASE CLOSED!!!
A governor "only requests" money from the government. Obama got almost a billion dollars in pork barrell/ear marks for Illinois in his extremely short time in the Senate. It comes to about one million dollars for each day he is in the Senate. He wasted tax payer dollars and Governor Palin only requested dollars. She had no vote on the money.
How can she claim to be a champion of earmark reform when she kept all that money for her state? She's lying with a straight face to all of us. She charged her state money for nights spent at her own home! People are so enamored by her good looks (men mostly), they can't see the truth! She doesn't want our children educated in schools about sex education! Come on, you see how well that worked!
SHE IS SCARY because of her lack on education and qualification, she will be a PUPPET for the extreme conservative Republican Party, JUST LIKE GEORGE BUSH!!
If women don't see it, then the rest of us do and we need to stop it?
You can't have it both ways Ms Palin. Keep trying tho. Soon it'll get shuved down your throat.
Palin is no different from Bush...flip-flopping and lying all over the place. What's even more worrisome is that the "more of the same" argument that the Obama-Biden camp are trying to stick to McCain, I think is actually more applicable to Palin, who, if McCain is elected President (God forbid) would be a heartbeat from the Presidency will likely continue if not advance the blind and hurtful neo-conservative agenda for America.
I don't know what Obama can do to dampen the influence of Palin, but he and his people have got to figure something out. I just cannot take 4 more years of this mess!
Democrats have no need to fear Palin, she will self destruct. The more Palin lies the more she has to lie. Palin will self destruct.
She believes in the old GOP adage, "if you keep telling people something long enough they will start to believe it, regardless if it’s true." She obviously thinks it’s ok to shoplift. They keep playing the song, "Barracuda" when she has been asked not to by the owners of the song. That is stealing; it is no different then if you steal the record in a store. Is this they type of people you want in the White House.
why did you keep the money then?
Ms barracuda is a liar. So much for the Sexist claim when it is clear that you were not vetted by the straight junk campaign. I now see why Campbell Brown had all that Venom you are setting legitimate female politicians back by your reckless lies and smear
Sarah Pallin obviously belongs to that segment of the population that believes that if you repeat a lie enough times, it eventually becomes the truth.
This is the scariest woman I've ever encountered. Not only does she believe she is ready to lead the free world. She believes she didn't support the "bridge to nowhere" when she obviously did. Can you say Pathological liar?
It would be REEEEALLLLY nice if she would take some direct questions on this and be afforded the opportunity to explain her position.
You've got my vote!
Go get them! Sarah Palin is an excellent choice!
Sarah Palin for President is in her future! And, as a college educated hispanic republican woman, I'm behind you this November 2008!
McCain/Palin '08!!!
More lies from the Palin camp. She thinks because she's yoing and pretty she can get away with smiling and winking through every bold-faced lie to the American people, but once the crush on caribou barbie wears off, she'll be going down.
another Bush in the making.............
There are those who put their careers ahead of their children.
And then there are those (Obama/Biden) who put the future of their children ahead of their careers.
Obama-Biden 2008.
"In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in earmarks, and in a Fairbanks newspaper column earlier this year, she wrote that federal monies, including earmarks, are “incredibly important” to the state. Palin also helped secure millions of dollars in federal money for her hometown of Wasilla while she was mayor."
"She then accused Barack Obama of using his role in the Senate to exploit the federal system."
She left that town 24 million in debt over the course of 6 years, which I find extraordinary for a town of less than 7000. All of the truth about this right-wing extremist will come to light.
She made the "conservative base" happy. That is the same demographic that approves of George W. Bush.
The Democrats may parse hairs on events prior to 2007..but this won't change the facts...and the fact is the bridge was nixed–and Palin is the one who nix'd it.
What small town mayor doesn't fight like hell for federal funds? Particularly, when you're trying to keep up the infrastructure and improve the quality of life for a town with a tax base the size of Wasilla.
Let's get beyond this bifurcation in reality-and hear a little of Obama lands response to claims that: increased education funding will be tied to even more federal strings–rather than empowering local school boards–more controls and mandates will be added that will likely be underfunded–as usual.