Reality Check: Sarah Palin's Claims
CBS Evening News: How The Alaska Governor Really Stacks Up On Earmarks
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Sarah Palin's Political Past
As America gets to know Sarah Palin, harmful claims from her political history are surfacing and it is unknown whether the McCain campaign knew of them. Wyatt Andrews reports.
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Palin Pick Raises Questions
Sarah Palin's VP nod came unexpectedly, as did the news of her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy and her questionable involvement in unpopular Alaskan politics. Nancy Cordes reports.
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A VP And A Good Mom?
Many are questioning whether the "Hockey Mom" Sarah Palin can balance her family life with her VP commitments. Kelly Wallace reports.
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When Sen. John McCain introduced Gov. Sarah Palin as his choice for running mate, she claimed to agree with him on earmarks - but she's raked in millions in tax dollars for her own town. (CBS)
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Photo Essay
John McCain
Some call him a hero, some a maverick. Will Americans call him Mr. President?
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Photo Essay
Sarah Palin
Alaska's youngest and first female governor tabbed to be McCain's running mate.
"I told Congress, 'thanks, but no thanks,' on that bridge-to-nowhere," Palin said.
'No thanks' to that bridge? Here are the facts, as reported by CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews. Congress killed off the earmark well before Gov. Palin formally abandoned it. And while the bridge is in fact a dead project, the state still kept the money all $233 million in federal funds for other transportation needs.
The record also shows that two years ago, Palin supported the bridge.
"It's not true that she was always opposed to the bridge. If you go back to the things that she said when we was running for governor, she was an advocate," said Bill Adair, who edits PolitiFact.org and is the Washington bureau chief for the St. Petersburg Times.
Just like John McCain, Palin claims she's ending the waste that comes from earmark spending.
"And I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress," she said.
Maybe she is against abusive earmarks, but she has not been against all earmarks.
The facts are: Under Gov. Palin, Alaska applied for $197 million of earmarks for the 2009 fiscal year. And when Palin was Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, population 6,500, she was a champion of earmarks. In her second term, ending in 2004, Mayor Palin hired a well connected lobbying firm, with offices just outside Washington, which helped the town take in $11.9 million worth of earmarks.
"She used the system, she hired lobbyists with connections to the powerful members of Congress from her state, and she was able to obtain a lot of money," said TK Alexander of the non-profit tax watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense.
The McCain campaign responds that Governor Palin, as mayor, was only "working within the current system to get funding for her city." But as governor, "knew the system didn't work, and ordered cutbacks in the state's requests."
Palin also faces a state investigation into why she fired the Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan - the allegation being she fired him for personal reasons, because Monegan refused to fire a state trooper, the ex-husband of Palin's sister.
Here are the facts: The state trooper in question made threats against the Governor's family, and was suspended from duty. But Governor Palin insists the firing of Commissoner Monegan was a completely separate issue, that Monegan was fired but for professional reasons related to the budget.
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See all 183 Comments"I was for earmarks and the bridge money before I was against them".
"I changed my position so I could run for V.P."
Certainly, my dear. It just belongs to the taxpayers, after all.
Thanks, Uncle Ted.
Where is the Reality Check Hit Piece on Joe Biden?
She added, %u201CThat''s what we have to make sure that we are praying for: that there is a plan and that that plan is God''s plan.%u201D
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Sheesh, now talk about scary. This is one scary woman.
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Oops. Another flip-flopper. I am for it...no I am against it...no wait...
The botten line she is no different than any other conniving politician, but the difference is, this a conniving politician with NO experience.
If plagiarism and being a bald faced liar was sufficient to torpedo his run for the Democrat nomination against Dukakis back in 1988, why is it not sufficient to disqualify him for the vice presidency now?
What''s the difference?
Can you see the double standard?
The above is Obama changing his stance on ANWAR and offshore drilling... no difference, cut from the same cloth.
Let''s see if they can dig up any more dirt on her. On a scale of 1-10 I rate it a 3, it''s no different than Obama suddenly switching his stance on opening up ANWAR and drilling for oil.
I would like to see what her stance is on things like Affirmative Action, Social Reforms, Ending the War and getting our people back home, Abortion and immigration.
Earmarks are a problem but that''s not high in rank of what is tearing the fabric of this country.
Politicians always waffle when the vote is on the line and she is most likely a smoke-screen to help combat Obama''s rising popularity. He''s young, articulate, charismatic and black. She''s young, articulate, charismatic and female. It makes me think they are running for home-coming King and Queen, no real substance... just popularity.
More from Obama''s preacher, Paster Wright? No, this is from Pastor Kalnins, Wasilla Assembly of God. Sarah Palin''s church.
More from Paster Kalnins, on Sen. John Kerry: "I''m not going tell you who to vote for, but if you vote for this particular person, I question your salvation. I''m sorry."
Two ministers, both speaking their truth to their flocks, with strong opinions. Shall we see if the words of a white conservative minister get as much vitriolic media coverage as the words of a black liberal one?
A timeline with a collection of links to media reports about the allegations can be found here:
http://apocalyptickiwi.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/palin-vs-wooten/
A timeline with a collection of links to media reports about the allegations can be found here:
http://apocalyptickiwi.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/palin-vs-wooten/
Posted by HawkSprings at 07:32 PM : Sep 02, 2008--
HEY STOP THE WHINNING YOU REPUBLICAN CRY BABIES!!!!
THE HIT PIECES ARE IN YOUR HEAD...YOU WHINNERS!!!!!
It''s so funny that an "ABSENTEE MOTHER" is trying to sell family values to the people.
A timeline with a collection of links to media reports about the allegations can be found here:
http://apocalyptickiwi.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/palin-vs-wooten/
A timeline with a collection of links to media reports about the allegations can be found here:
http://apocalyptickiwi.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/palin-vs-wooten/
A timeline with a collection of links to media reports about the allegations can be found here:
http://apocalyptickiwi.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/palin-vs-wooten/
LOL. Party cohesiveness working well for ya?
McCain/Leiberman wouldn''t have been a bad ticket. Instead of the US going Muslim like the anti-O''s whine about, we''d be going Gaza Strip.
Sarah Palin is the compromise, who''ll bring God''s Plan to the White House... guess that is still Gaza Strip...
And these are the same born-again Proddies who called the Book of Mormon the works of Satan.
McCain-Palin, anybody?
Posted by calman5 at 07:54 PM : Sep 02, 2008
That "abstinance plan" working for ya, Ms. Palin?
"The Alaska state senator running an investigation of Gov. Palin says the McCain campaign is using stall tactics to prevent him from releasing his final report by Oct. 31, four days before the November election.
"It''s likely to be damaging to the Governor," said Senator Hollis French, a Democrat, appointed the project manager for a bi-partisan State Senate Legislative Counsel Committee investigation of claims that Palin abused her office to get the Alaska public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, fired."
The Bush Administration? Anyone for 4 more years of Bush Administration tactics by a fresh set of conservative "One set of laws for me, another set of laws for you" hypocrits?
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Posted by Voltaire777 at 07:43 PM : Sep 02, 2008
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LOL. That is kinda what I though, but at least McCain stays with the "beauty queens." :o)
Posted by kstar42 at 08:13 PM : Sep 02, 2008
Now you got to explain that one to me swastika breath! You fascist have call 90% of this nation "liberal" at one time or another... by the way isn''t that EXACTLY how we got the Bush''s?? Since everyone with a Brain KNOWS George W is the WORST in our history don''t you think you should stop putting people in a BOX. FDR? That was LIBERAL! Thomas Jefferson? THAT was RADICAL LIBERAL! Does that help? Now stand... let shooter and the fuhrer know you freaks are out here tonight. SIEG HEIL McSLIME
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/02/1327574.aspx?CommentPosted=true#commentmessage
Sarah Palin politics must have Rush Limbaugh scrambling for a double-speak, double-standard, and double-tongued theme for tomorrow''s show!!
Sarah Palin just painted her own theme - policy to nowhere - at your expense.
McCain could easily die of a heart attack or something else & Palin would be Prez.
Does that prospect make anyone feel good? Hmm?
How about you hardcore Republicans? Satisfied with the old man''s choice?
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Posted by Loobus at 09:55 PM : Sep 02, 2008
Way to go. That is in keeping with the spirit of what Hillary Clinton stands for.
That pretty much sums it up. It sounds alright to me. Of course, Democrats will still find reason to bittch.
Oh, by the way, she''''s hot. The Democrats have not been able to produce a female that looks like a woman. Democrat "women" are essentially men with vaginaz. That''''s a fact.
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Posted by mike071067 at 09:49 PM : Sep 02, 2008
Typical Republican sentiment. I am against it, except as it benefits me.
Clearly there is a double standard and hypocrisy%u2026Again, it should be about the best candidates and focus on issues.
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Posted by mike071067 at 09:49 PM : Sep 02, 2008
"She''s not bad looking. She looks like one of those women in the Van Halen videos who takes off her glasses, shakes out her hair, and then all of a sudden, she''s in high heels and a bikini. All of a sudden, I am FOR drilling in Alaska.
Even if so, which I don''t grant, at least Obama has Biden''s experience. If Obama dies in office, the country will have benefit of Joe Biden''s 35 years of experience.
What does the country have if McCain dies in office? He is, after all, 72 and a cancer survivor.
If McCain dies in office all of our enemies will eat our lunch with Palin in office. Are you willing to gamble that she can handle Putin and all the other tin pots if McCain dies? This "hockey mom from Alaska".
Country first! Vote Obama!
Clearly there is a double standard and hypocrisy%u2026Again, it should be about the best candidates and focus on issues.
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Posted by mojuan at 10:08 PM : Sep 02, 2008
Yes and just listen for the real issues at their convention. Guess what? You won''t hear any.
Even if so, which I don''''t grant, at least Obama has Biden''''s experience. If Obama dies in office, the country will have benefit of Joe Biden''''s 35 years of experience.
What does the country have if McCain dies in office? He is, after all, 72 and a cancer survivor.
If McCain dies in office all of our enemies will eat our lunch with Palin in office. Are you willing to gamble that she can handle Putin and all the other tin pots if McCain dies? This "hockey mom from Alaska".
Country first! Vote Obama!
Putin would spit out Palin and pass her on to Chavez. not a chance in hell would she survive or Mcsame.
Clearly there is a double standard and hypocrisy%u2026Again, it should be about the best candidates and focus on issues.
Campus Motto: Bottoms up, Mac
*Note: Palindromes are phrases which read the same frontwards and backwards.
This Palin-drome says it all:
Dogma: I am God
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