Republicans, and even in her own speech today, have been very quick to point out that Sarah Palin
's reformist credentials, with her supposed opposition to Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere".
But how hard did she really fight the project? Not very, it seems. Here's what she told the Anchorage Daily News on October 22, 2006, during the race for the governor of Alaska.
Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?
"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."
So she was very much for the bridge and insisted that Alaska had to act quickly—the party of Ted Stevens and Don Young might soon lose its majority, after all. By that point, the project was endangered for reasons that had nothing to do with Palin—the bridge had become a national laughingstock, Congress had stripped away the offending earmark, shifting the money back to the state's general fund, and future federal support seemed unlikely.
Finally, on September 19, 2007, she decided to redirect funds away from the project altogether saying.
"Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer," said Governor Palin. "Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it's clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island," Governor Palin added. "Much of the public's attitude toward Alaska bridges is based on inaccurate portrayals of the projects here. But we need to focus on what we can do, rather than fight over what has happened."
Maybe I've missed something, but it sure looks like she was fine with the bridge, never had a problem with the earmarks, bristled at all the mockery, and only gave up on the project when it was clear that federal support wasn't going to happen.
Now of course Governor Palin is much more fiscally conservative , her
anti-corruption instincts are fairly solid, she sold off the gubernatorial jet upon taking office, for one.
But I also want to point out this little statement released by
Palin's special counsel, John Katz, from March of this year for the Juneau Empire, assuring the Alaskan public that Palin was still very much in favor of earmarks, but sadly needed to scale back her requests somewhat, down to "only" 31 earmarks this year—down from 54 last year in response to "unwanted attention" from Congress and the press.
And that was in Alaska just think about what she can do in Washington D.C.
Here she is listening to Dubs address the Governors earlier this year., Makes me wonder how a first term Governor from Alaska (our 47th most populated state) gets to sit at the table with the Dubs, she must have some good connections already