Politics: Can Democrats play the flip-flop card against Palin? Apparently, yes
Editor & Publisher is running some excerpts from Alaska newspapers’ reaction to the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate. Here’s one i found interesting:
“I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress,†Palin said at her first campaign appearance. “In fact, I told Congress — I told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ on that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, I said we’d build it ourselves.â€
That is not how Palin described her position on the Gravina Island bridge when she ran for governor in 2006.
On Oct. 22, 2006, the Anchorage Daily News asked Palin and the other candidates, “Would you continue state funding for the proposed Knik Arm and Gravina Island bridges?â€Her response: “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.â€
Palin’s support of the earmark for the bridge was applauded by the late Lew Williams Jr., the retired Ketchikan Daily News publisher who wrote columns on the topic. Williams wrote on Oct. 29, 2006, that Palin was the only gubernatorial candidate that year who consistently supported the Gravina Island Bridge, the Knik Arm Bridge and improvements to the Parks Highway.
In other words, she supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it.
August 31st, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Interesting that the media gave Barack Obama the exact same scrutiny on government spending he supported. Muntu Dance Theater, no one mentions it when Michelle Obama served on the board and raked in more than $10 million in taxpayers paychecks. Hundreds of millions to Tony Rezko, Allison Davis, Cullen Davis, Valeria Jarrett and other public housing multi-millionaire tycoons that let their properties rot to the point of iron gates falling on children and killing them.
From my reading of what you quoted, Palin supported building bridges on the Parks Highway, but doesn’t specifically say she supported the federal earmarks. “Palin was the only gubernatorial candidate that year who consistently supported the Gravina Island Bridge, the Knik Arm Bridge and improvements to the Parks Highway.” That doesn’t say or mean she supported the federal earmarks.
Shame on her if she did, and I have no doubt she spent plenty of money that was unneccesary. How about lets start holding Barack Obama to the same standard though? Will Barack Obama endorse Rickey Hendon once again for St. Senate, and his phoney after school program grants that went to campaign workers? Not a word from Obama about the graft in Illinois is there? Not. A. Word.
And weren’t those bridge to nowhere earmarks in the Bush Energy bill that Obama and Biden voted FOR and McCain voted against?
August 31st, 2008 at 6:34 pm
OMG, are you just copying and pasting your same ‘talking points’ on every blog and every post now? ROFLMAO At least it wasn’t $369 mil on a Bridge to an ice hut. Inner city KIDDS benefit under Obama. Oh the shame!
August 31st, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Please Linda, you should be the last person to criticize another for cutting and pasting mindless talking points.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:18 pm
TaxMeMore — cite your sources. I’d like to read up on this before responding.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:34 pm
All this appears to be saying is, she opposed federal spending (earmarks) regarding the bridge, but did not oppose state funding.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:47 pm
In fact, after reading stories from 2006 to 2008 on this topic, it appears to me Palin supported the bridge until she was in office and realized it wasn’t the best option. Once in office, she killed the project. So, saying she flip flopped on this is as accurate as saying she said she didn’t understand what a VP does, when her entire statement about VPs said something very different.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Charles, read it again, please
She said: “…The window is now — while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist…â€
It appears to me she did NOT oppose the feds helping out at that time.
August 31st, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Linda, it is possible for some people to have the intelligence and mental capacity for memory of events that happen while they are paying attention. I pay attention daily and have for years, including long before Barack Obama ran for US Senate.
Rickey Hendon and Emil Jones Jr after-school program. The same Emil Jones Jr. Barack Obama has never said anything bad about. Not a word from Obama about this while high schools in his district have a 40% drop out rate and under 50% graduation rate. Not. A. Word.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-afterschooljul20,0,6218298.story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-afterschool_felonsjul20,0,4743249.story
Politically connected public housing tycoons that did more to help their pocket books with Barack Obama’s earmarks than anything to help inner city KIDDS.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/27/grim_proving_ground_for_obamas_housing_policy/
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-cha-habitat-sunday-06-jul06,0,1187978.story
Grants to Barack Obama’s former church who will evidently take money from the same US Government that created AIDS to keep black people down.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/02/obamas-ex-church-has-won-15m-in-federal-grant-money/
Barely a mention of the Muntu Dance Theater, but a telling quote from Barack Obama himself.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0705030035may03,0,3860794.story
“My philosophy was that, if money was being distributed, then it would be inappropriate for me to not get my share for my district,” Obama, now one of the U.S. Senate Democrats’ leaders on ethics reform, said in an interview. “Did I think it was the best way to prioritize government spending? No.”
He didn’t think it was the best way to prioritize government spending but he did it anyway and ignored the graft Emil Jones Jr., Daley, Madigan, Blagojevich, etc. steal from Illinois taxpayers. I say again. If Barack Obama is too chicken to stand up to the corruption in his own party and state, how in the world will he be able to stand up to terrorists, Iran, China, Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, etc?
Besides McCain and Obama, there are 5 other candidates on the ballot in Illinois. Pick one. Or skipping that ballot line won’t hurt either. Obama’s gonna win in a landslide here. Put your fellow citizens first for once and send Obama and his Chicago Democrat cronies a message that you won’t vote for their corruption and lust for power any more. Change starts at home and with your vote. And voting for Obama is voting for more harm than good, exactly like he has done in Illinois as we can clearly see every day if we open our eyes.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:33 am
George Homer Ryan.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:14 pm
George Homer Ryan?
What is that supposed to mean? He was corrupt, therefore, it is OK to be corrupt?
And by the way, he’s not running. He’s in prison, or dead. Im not sure which one.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:31 pm
It has about as much to do with Obama as the links that TaxMeMore posted. I’m still trying to figure out how a story about “the state squandering taxpayer money on dubious after-school grants, including many that rewarded one lawmaker’s political supporters” in 2008 has anything to do with Obama, as a U.S. Senator, as well as the other links posted. Spin? Oh, I see…Obama is suppose to put on a Superman cape and begin a federal investigation. Oh, wait…he’s not Pres yet. Also, I just love when the conservatives start bandying about that corruption charge. Did anyone even bother reading the links taxmemore contributed above? He references Obama to them, but there’s no meat. I think that’s called FAIL.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I think I figured it out: he’s either a Libertarian or in the Constitutional party. Libertarians are basically social liberals with free market economic policies, no? (Bill, be honest) But when it comes down to the wire, they tend to break towards the Republican candidates. The evidence: surely I’m not the only one who has noticed how the GOP is always worried they’ll lose votes to Libertarians on the ticket.
Same goes for the Constitution party, for the most part anyway. Remember who went after Brad Carter’s candidacy? It wasn’t the Democrats. The GOP knows its demographics.
I find it mildly amusing that people are finally starting to disassociate themselves from “Republican,” “right-wing” and “conservative.” First there were DINOs and RINOs, now we have LINOs. Yeesh.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Postsimian: Centrists are starting to disassociate themselves from both the GOP and the Dems, and they aren’t all going to the Greens and Libertarians, which are just different flavors of the same.
September 1st, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I wouldn’t go so far as to disassociate myself from the Dems, though if there were a viable alternative for electing a non-major party candidate to a major office, I’d head that direction. Unfortunately, the only thing I have to choose from is right-wing and right-wing fringe.
Maybe I’m hedging my bets here, but it’s better than what’s behind door number two.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 am
Linda, its pretty obvious you didn’t read any of the links or have any ability to think for yourself. Those after school program grants were written by Rickey Hendon (endorsed by Barack Obama) as part of the budget passed by Emil Jones Jr. and Michael Madigan (endorsed by Barack Obama) and signed into law by Rod Blagojevich (endorsed by Barack Obama). And they weren’t caught until 2008 even though it has been going on for years, including under George Homer Ryan.
Funny you mention George Ryan, because as a sitting State Senator Barack Obama NEVER called for legislative hearings to start impeachment against George Ryan even though they had enough evidence to do so within weeks of his election in 1998. On Nov. 8, 1998 the Chicago Tribune ran an article proving George Ryan used his Secretary of State employees to do campaign work while on the state clock. This article and more evidence was sent to every member of the General Assembly within weeks. Barack Obama didn’t lift a finger. Why? Because he was more interested in the pork Ryan was throwing around and obeying Emil than in being an honest servant of the people of Illinois.
Linda, please expand your thoughts on the exact words from Barack Obama’s mouth that I quoted from one article. How can it be spin when it is Obama’s exact words? How can it not relate to Obama, when it is his exact words?
Linda, do you agree with Barack Obama’s exact words quoted from the article and truly believe that is how our country should be run? You don’t think well, so I will tell you already that your response FAILS.
As for the public housing multi-millionaire tycoons preying on the poor and disadvantaged article, well, that one is obviously over your head. Heres the crib notes. Rich people gave Barack Obama money. Barack Obama steered legislation to give them control of subsidies and running public housing projects. They pocketed the money (Tony Rezko is sitting in jail for this right now) and let poor people’s homes go to disrepair and closure once they were uninhabitable. Barack Obama went on his merry way still taking their campaign money and land purchase help without holding them accountable for screwing poor people.
And postsimian changes the subject ignoring irrefutable proof at his feet that Barack Obama is just another empty promise spineless politician and tries instead to attack the messenger when he knows he can’t argue the truth with any integrity. I’ve never been a Republican. Not a Libertarian and the Constitution Party is for Christians only where I wouldn’t fit in. I’ve never called myself a conservative. Never gave a Republican a penny. Never voted for a Republican for President or Governor or anything above county office as I recall. I voted for Clinton in 1992. I’m an independent, and you are correct, our ranks are growing because we see right through people like you and Linda that are ruining this country with blind loyalty to people that do the opposite of what you believe in.
You mentioned Palin and religion in schools, but were not specific with your gripe on that. Let me ask if you know anything about IL St. Rep. Monique Davis and Rob Sherman? Here’s a quote from Rep. Davis (endorsed by Barack Obama, advisor to his US Senate campaign, Vice Chair of a Senate Education Committee appointed by Michael Madigan – IL DEM State Chair., a former teacher and also currently a paid administrator for Chicago Public Schools WHILE a St. Rep.). Davis is talking on the floor of the Illinois House of Representives to Rob Sherman. Sherman is demanding a seperation of church and state and protesting a $1 million grant that went to a church that burnt down, but the $1 million was re-routed to a religious private school that has nothing to show for the money and now the church that was supposed to get the $1 million to begin still wants the money. Sherman was trying to tell them the state shouldn’t be throwing taxpayers money to churches and private Christian schools. He was also arguing against a mandatory moment of silence law – IMPLIED MANDATORY PRAYER IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS – that the Democrats in Illinois passed. I’m assuming that isn’t over your head, but Linda’s head is spinning now. This was national news and you can google monique davis atheist on your own.
Davis: I don’t know what you have against God, but some of us don’t have much against him. We look forward to him and his blessings. And it’s really a tragedy — it’s tragic — when a person who is engaged in anything related to God, they want to fight. They want to fight prayer in school.
I don’t see you (Sherman) fighting guns in school. You know?
I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where people believe in protecting their children.… What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous, it’s dangerous–
Sherman: What’s dangerous, ma’am?
Davis: It’s dangerous to the progression of this state. And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists! Now you will go to court to fight kids to have the opportunity to be quiet for a minute. But damn if you’ll go to [court] to fight for them to keep guns out of their hands. I am fed up! Get out of that seat!
Sherman: Thank you for sharing your perspective with me, and I’m sure that if this matter does go to court—
Davis: You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.
postsimian: Do you think Monique Davis should still be a State Representative AND the Vice Chair of the Elementary a CPS administrator? Do you think Rob Sherman (a candidate for and member of the Green Party) is doing more to stop religion in schools or Monique Davis? And since this was national news, Davis was Keith Olberman’s Worst Person in the World, might it be beneficial to the movement to keep religion out of our schools for Barack Obama to discuss it? You want to complain about a vague stance of Palin’s on religion in schools, so what do you have to say about Illinois Democrats (almost all endorsed by Barack Obama for re-election) passing a mandatory moment of silence LAW in Illinois for public schools? Who is doing more to keep religion out schools? Obama and Illinois Democrats or Rob Sherman? Don’t attack another candidate’s position on an issue unless you are prepared for the truth about your own candidate postsimina.
Yes, you can’t win against the truth so just go back to trying to attack the messenger. What do you gain by voting for Obama, assuming you would do that in Illinois? He’s not as bad as the other sell-out? Look where that gets us. People with the education level of Linda and nothing improving any time soon. Obama is a wasted in Illinois.
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 am
See, you keep drawing too many conclusions. That’s why you don’t have any credibility. The reason nobody is taking you seriously is because your absolutist stance on everything. “____ is 100% bad.” Hell, I’m arguably the most liberal person on the Peoria blog scene, and not even I’m willing to go that far against virtually anyone. Obama has his barbs, but he’s not the antichrist.
As for the “moment of silence,” I’ve made my opposition to that clear and feel no need to defend it against your meritless assumptions. See? You thought you hit a home run on that one and dedicated most of your response to it, but ended up with a foul ball.
If that’s “attacking the messenger,” so be it, but you’re expecting us to believe that this guy is the scum of the earth and the world’s going to fall apart if he gets elected because, what? Because he thinks his district should get money? WTF politician doesn’t think that, and who would elect them if they did?
“My philosophy was that, if money was being distributed, then it would be inappropriate for me to not get my share for my district,â€
You’re goddamn right. I’m going to vote for someone who brings home the bacon, not someone who doesn’t fight for a cut. I pay taxes like everyone else, I ought to see some of that spent in my area. How do they do things on your planet?
Sorry guy, but I have a built-in prejudice against absurdity.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 am
Taxmemore, trust me…I think just fine, thank you. As for your personal attacks, I would take them more seriously if you didn’t hide behind some moniker that gives away your biases and quit attacking my character or my ‘brain’. In other words, I just don’t have time to rebut your crapola. Some of us actually have better things to do with our time. So, attack me all you want. I really don’t care. To you, Obama is the most evil politician of our time and you are stuck on that. You should look at Bush/Cheney/McCain for a change. Now THERE’S the MEAT! Oh, and take a look at all the pork that Palin has taken for her state. Wow, it must be like $100k per capita there. But just keep trying to insult me with personal attacks. It really helps you validate your point, eh?
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:46 am
Oh, and just for the record, I was willing to listen to you. I actually read your references/cites and was willing to read more from you. But once the personal attacks started here , I’m out. I really hope you didn’t spend too much time on your last post because you just lost your audience in ME by doing that.
Use your caveman club on yourself now.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 am
Jeez Taxmemore, didn’t you read in “the rules” that only Linda is allowed to make attacks on people’s character and intelligence? God forbid you try to belittle her in the way that she has anyone else who disagrees with her.
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:18 am
So point out where I personally attacked someone here?
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:26 am
OK, it’s obvious this thread has degraded to where people are arguing over who’s insulted the most by the other guy.
I’m ending comments here now.