Bidding For Palin Pipeline Contract Flawed

Contract To Build Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Awarded Through Process That Narrowed Field To Company Tied To Administration

(AP)  Gov. Sarah Palin's signature accomplishment - a contract to build a 1,715-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48 - emerged from a flawed bidding process that narrowed the field to a company with ties to her administration, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Beginning at the Republican National Convention in August, the McCain-Palin ticket has touted the pipeline as an example of how it would help America achieve energy independence.

Despite Palin's boast of a smart and fair bidding process, the AP found that her team crafted terms that favored only a few independent pipeline companies and ultimately benefited the winner, TransCanada Corp.

And contrary to the ballyhoo, there's no guarantee the pipeline will ever be built; at a minimum, any project is years away, as TransCanada must first overcome major financial and regulatory hurdles.

In interviews and a review of records, the AP found:

Instead of creating a process that would attract many potential builders, Palin slanted the terms away from an important group - the global energy giants that own the rights to the gas.

Despite promises and legal guidance not to talk directly with potential bidders, Palin had meetings or phone calls with nearly every major candidate, including TransCanada.

The leader of Palin's pipeline team had been a partner at a lobbying firm where she worked on behalf of a TransCanada subsidiary. Also, that woman's former business partner at the lobbying firm was TransCanada's lead private lobbyist on the pipeline deal. Plus, a former TransCanada executive served as an outside consultant to Palin's pipeline team.

Under a different set of rules four years earlier, TransCanada had offered to build the pipeline without a state subsidy; under Palin, the company could receive a maximum $500 million.

"Governor Palin held firmly to her fundamental belief that Alaska could best serve Alaskans and the nation's interests by pursuing a competitive approach to building a natural gas pipeline," said McCain-Palin spokesman Taylor Griffin. "There was an open and transparent process that subjected the decision to extensive public scrutiny and due diligence."

There were never more than a few players that could execute such a complex undertaking - at least a million tons of steel stretching across some of Earth's most hostile and remote terrain.

TransCanada estimates it will cost $26 billion; Palin's consultants estimate nearly $40 billion.

The pipeline would run from Alaska's North Slope to Alberta in Canada; secondary lines would take the gas to various points in the United States and Canada.

Building such a pipeline had been a dream for decades. The rising cost and demand for energy injected new urgency into the proposal.

When Palin was elected governor two years ago, she vowed to take on Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips and BP, the multinational energy companies that long dominated the state's biggest industry.

Palin ousted fellow Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski, who negotiated a secret pipeline deal with the "Big Three" energy companies. That deal went nowhere.

The new governor tackled the pipeline issue with gusto, meeting with representatives from all sides and assembling her own team of experts to draw up terms.

Palin invited bidders to submit applications and offered the multimillion-dollar subsidy. Members of her team say that without the incentive, it might not have received any bids for the risky undertaking.

Palin's team was led by Marty Rutherford, a widely respected energy specialist and veteran of state government. Rutherford solidified her status when, in 2005, she joined an exodus of Department of Natural Resources staff who felt Murkowski was selling out to the oil giants.

What the Palin administration neglected to mention in its announcement of Rutherford's appointment was that in 2003, Rutherford left public service and worked for 10 months at the Anchorage-based Jade North lobbying firm. There she did $40,200 worth of work for Foothills Pipe Lines Alaska, Inc., a subsidiary of TransCanada.

Foothills Pipe Lines Alaska Inc. paid Rutherford for expertise on topics including state legislation and funding related to gas commercialization, according to her 2003 lobbyist registration statement.

Palin has said she wasn't bothered by that past work because it had occurred several years before. But Rutherford wouldn't have passed her new boss' own standards: Under ethics reforms the governor pushed through, Rutherford would have had to wait a year to jump from government service to a lobbying firm.

Rutherford also has downplayed her work for Foothills.

"I did a couple of projects for them, small projects," she told a state Senate committee examining the TransCanada bid earlier this year. While a partner, Rutherford said, she "realized that my heart was not in the private sector, it was in the public sector."

At one point, Palin's pipeline team debated Rutherford's role, but concluded there was no problem, said Revenue Department Commissioner Pat Galvin, another team member.

Patricia Bielawski, Rutherford's former partner at Jade North, spent last summer in Juneau, the state capital, serving as TransCanada's lead private lobbyist. While the Legislature debated

and ultimately approved - the TransCanada deal, Bielawski met with lawmakers and sat in on the public proceedings, several legislators said.

Bielawski told AP that Rutherford never directly lobbied the Legislature for Foothills, and that Rutherford broke no rules.

But others say it's a legitimate question.

"I'm not saying someone's getting paid off for a sweetheart contract, but it's very hard to ignore that this is your former partner and your former client standing there before you," said Republican Sen. Lyda Green, a Palin critic who in August voted against awarding TransCanada the license.

Tony Palmer, the TransCanada vice president who leads the company's Alaska gas pipeline effort, rejects the suggestion that his company benefited.

"We have gained clearly no advantage from anything that Ms. Rutherford did for Foothills some five years ago on a very much unrelated topic," he said.

Rutherford did not respond to interview requests. But McCain-Palin spokesman Griffin said Rutherford "had no decision-making role or authority," and contended that such matters were handled by others on the Palin pipeline team.

TransCanada also had a connection to the team hired by the Palin administration to analyze the bid. Patrick Anderson, a former TransCanada executive, served as an outside consultant.

In January 2007, Palin spoke the first of at least two times to Vice President Dick Cheney, the Bush administration's point person on energy issues, according to calendars obtained by the AP. Cheney's staff pressed the Palin administration to draw in the energy companies, said current and former state officials involved in those discussions.

As the governor's approach unfolded in the spring of 2007, Palin said she saw problems if the firms that own the gas also owned the pipeline. They could manipulate the market or charge prohibitive fees to smaller exploration firms, discouraging competition.

Several important requirements in the legislation were unpalatable to the big oil companies. In the talks under Murkowski, the firms asked that the rates for the gas production tax and royalties be fixed for 45 years; Palin refused to consider setting rates for that long.

Under her process, pipeline firms had an advantage because they simply pass along taxes paid by oil and gas producers.

Oil company officials warned lawmakers they wouldn't participate under those terms. Still, in a near unanimous vote, the Legislature passed the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act in May 2007, as generally written by Palin's pipeline team.

Once the state issued its request for proposals on July 2, 2007, the level of communication between the government and potential bidders was supposed to decrease drastically. State lawyers advised public officials to keep their distance, and bidders were told to submit questions on a public Web site.

But Palin had conversations with executives at most of the major potential bidders during that period, according to her calendars, which indicate that the pipeline was the subject of the discussions, or that the conversations occurred immediately after a briefing with Palin's pipeline team.

TransCanada's Palmer described communication with state officials as nonexistent.

According to the governor's official schedule, however, Palin called TransCanada President and CEO Hal Kvisle on Aug. 8, 2007. Palmer said the call was to clarify the bidding process.

Griffin said that in keeping with legal guidance, Palin never spoke in any of the meetings about the competitive bidding process.

By the Nov. 30 submission deadline, there were five applications. But the state disqualified four for failing to satisfy the bill's requirements.

That left TransCanada.

The Canadian giant had been pursuing an Alaska pipeline since at least 2004, when the company negotiated a deal with Rutherford that the state ended up shelving. While the details remain confidential, six people familiar with the terms told the AP that TransCanada was willing to do the work then without the large state subsidy.

In testimony this July before the state Senate, Rutherford described the 2004 deal as presenting different trade-offs.

Others who reviewed the deal think much of the $500 million will be wasted money.

"Most definitely TransCanada got a sweetheart deal this time," said Republican Sen. Bert Stedman, who voted against the TransCanada license. "Where else could you get a $500 million reimbursement when you don't even have the financing to build the pipeline?"

[heidimt]

What a corrupt individual Ms. Palin appears to be. I have only known of her for two months, and the magnitude of the lies and deception that she is connected with leaves me speechless.

John McShame surrounds himself with......Sarah Failin, Joe the Plumber, and his brother Joe.

Be afraid.

[keljacks2]

She is a very manipulative sneak who can''t get a lie right. We see right through her. What''s sad is she keep saying we end the abuses in Washington. She need to reform herself because she can reform anything else. Clean up your own back yard before you go snooping around in others.

[karronna]

this story is just the tip of the iceberg with this pipeline fiasco. more....

there is no guarantee that any of the gas will make it to the lower 48 (but BILLIONS in federal loan guarantees for Alaska)

the line ends in the Alberta tar sands (oil shale drilling - environmentally devastating but now VERY lucrative for the oil companies

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/8/12517/55971

There is a non-competition clause in the contract that states that if Alaska "faciliates" a contract with a competitive firm - the state owes TransCanada
what they would have expected to get in on-going revenues based on the expected volume to flow through the pipeline. Since the state has been unable or unwilling to estimate the volume this is an OPEN ENDED non-competition clause.

[veteranx-2009]

This is Sara Palin''s idea of redistributing wealth, to her friends of course.

[veteranx-2009]

FromTexwLove: it''s called reporting the news. Sounding awful bitter, aren''t you?

[heidimt]

Two things come out of Texas.

Being as democrats are proponents of both animal rights and gay rights.......I''ll leave your ignorant post alone.

Just keep in mind that if it wasn''t for the "Elite Liberal Media".........you wouldn''t have a venue in which to post your hateful comments.

[heidimt]

Tex......no way I want to shut you up. Keep up the good work.

You are a posterchild for the McShame/Failin ticket.

[veteranx-2009]

FromTexwLove: get a clue pal, communism departed the scene back in 1990s.

I volunteered to serve my country, and put my life on the line to protect and defend the constitution, including your right to babble nonsense. What you believe doesn''t concern me. Your intolerance towards your fellow American does. Let me remind you, this country by founded by people fleeing intolerance.

[policrypt]

Palin did something unethical?

SURPRISE!

[veteranx-2009]

FromTexwLove: Your country? You don''t own this country. It''s not "your" country, it''s "our" country, that''s what democracy is about. Nobody''s "hijacking" anything, we''ve got an election coming up, and you will have to accept the results, just like everybody else. Even if you can''t get over your bitterness.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Contract To Build Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Awarded Through Process That Narrowed Field To Company Tied To Administration"

Resembles Iraq, now we know why she was picked for VP.

Corrupt to the bone.

[veteranx-2009]

This is how Republicans "share" the wealth - among their wealthy buddies!

[rjames0423]

FromTexWLove
You are the only trash on this site-why don''t you go back where you came from the ghetto slum you bi((-you want someone to kiss your arse? Are you sure you have one you miserable old lonely desperate for a d(( -a man is what you need. Maybe Todd can find you one from the AIP-I''m sure you would keep each other good company. Who gives a s(( who you won''t vote for-you''re so illiterate you wouldn''t vote for yourself IF you were on the ballot. You get on here and spew your racist views when you should be sitting in that demonic church you praise over and over. Do you even have a conscience? Your PHILOSPHICAL ARSE needs to see a psychiatrist and by the way, get your philosphical spewing hate racist idiot arse off this site. Your restless nights are coming ***. Are you in a Ph.D program? Yea right, you''re a McCain reject and a Ph.D. wanna be. Anyone out there a shrink? This fool needs to see you ASAP. Obama doesn''t need or want your vote you ********! Go back into your hole and come out in 2010-it''ll be a nice reflection period for you after your visit with the shrink. You''re ghetto KKK trash so what''s the difference, Professor

[rjames0423]

FromTexwLove
Where is that ghetto trailer you live in? You''re a ********* who wants someone to kiss/his/it''s arse-since you are poor from the slum you probably don''t have much of one. Obama the Muslim will be just fine WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR IGNORANT ARSE. After the election, you and GetRealTex and McCain should go and see that SHRINK together! My ARSE will be LMAO all day and night! Tissue for this idiot. The slime will be McFlip and Lying Sarah in a few days. Contact your shrink wiccan-things are looking good for the Muslim you abhorr!

And too bad your Oslime-a wouldn''''t even know how to begin to bid out a contract for an oil pipline that would help get the energy we need down to the lower 48.

Especially since the bastward wants to keep us funnelling billions to his Arabic/Muslim brethern so they can get strong enough to get a nuke!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by FromTexwLove at 06:02 PM : Oct 25, 2008

[pjc27]

The only gasline McPalin has going is the hot gas they spew from their mouths. Send them both to Antarctica.

[irmcvet97]

AGAIN, you take these new pinko commie democraps who have hijackeed the democrapic party! They don''''t represent democracy, they represent communism!

Re-distribute the wealth my arse! That the first article of the communist manifesto...coming straight out of the mouth of this Arabic-Mulim piece of trash from the worst political ghetto in the US.

Posted by FromTexwLove at 06:07 PM : Oct 25, 2008

You wouldn''t know a Communist if one jumped up and bit you! Enough of the Joe McCarthy Look Alike Garbage! We MUST and WILL change! I know you don''t like that but hey that''s always been the problem with you "NEVER change the way we do anything" Folks! By the way Capitalist LOVE communism Sparky... just ask the ones doing business in China!!

[pjc27]

Having her on the ticket has make this election so much fun. She''s a one woman circus. Thanks for the laughs Sarah.

[biggcheese1]

rjames0423:
Where in the world do you get Barrack Obama being a muslim? He''s a Presbyterian. Why don''t you knock off al the rhetoric about "Muslim, "birth certificates," and Ayres, and just admit to yourself and everyone else that you''re a racist? Try it. Go ahead. Just look in the mirror and say, "I am a racist and proud of it." Now, give yourself the finger, go drink a beer and then untie the rope holding the door of your trailer shut and go for a nice walk. Afterward, come home, fry a steak, have four or five more beers and go to sleep. Oops... don''t forget to tie the door shut.

[raknyc]

let''s save our tax dollars and put her in jail now..

[rjames0423]

biggcheese1
Apparently you CAN''T READ I was responding to a message FromTexWLove

This part was from FromTexwLove
And too bad your Oslime-a wouldn''''''''t even know how to begin to bid out a contract for an oil pipline that would help get the energy we need down to the lower 48.

Especially since the bastward wants to keep us funnelling billions to his Arabic/Muslim brethern so they can get strong enough to get a nuke!

THIS WAS MY RESPONSE TO FromTexwLove

Where is that ghetto trailer you live in? You''''re a ********* who wants someone to kiss/his/it''''s arse-since you are poor from the slum you probably don''''t have much of one. Obama the Muslim will be just fine WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR IGNORANT ARSE. After the election, you and GetRealTex and McCain should go and see that SHRINK together! My ARSE will be LMAO all day and night! Tissue for this idiot. The slime will be McFlip and Lying Sarah in a few days. Contact your shrink wiccan-things are looking good for the Muslim you abhorr!

You need to READ THE MESSAGE THOROUGHLY before you respond to something you apparently know NOTHING about. You continue to being the RACIST you admit you are. As for the beers and such, no I''ll leave that up to you-I''m certain you do a much better job while you''re kickin'' it with your racist buddies. Check out the full story NEXT TIME!

[rebelrepubli]

Flawed? Flawed? Any "little guy" who has ever tried to break into government contracting has learned that it''s a joke. In most cases the government has already decided who they want to do the work before they issue a request for bids. It''s not flawed - it''s a joke!

[firststate]

This is Palin''s version of welfare, corporate Welfare for very friendly companies. The easiest way to rip off the taxpayers on a project where bids are actually accepted is to rig the terms to fit only the desired company. The taxpayer subsidy up to $500 Million may have been necessary to cover the extra work involved in rigging the specs since it wasn''t needed before Palin. $500 Million could go a long way toward making everybody involved feel appreciated for their efforts.

This one oversees the State of Alaska sending checks to every Alaskan, every year for energy royalties and then has the chutzpah to call Obama''s tax refunds policies Socialist. Of McBush/Palin, she has the bigger ones.

[cariboubarbi]

PALIN THE REFORMER?

What a joke!

[holdfam1]

I laugh at this. Why did I see this coming. It so amazing to me. All we hear is we need energy independence. Someone is doing something about it.. and it''s flawed. For years they''re trying to get a pipeline. Palin gets one, and the process is "flawed" Wish we could learn about a flawed Obama policy.. thats right,, he doesn''t have any.

[likeitis5050]

If only the press would apply the same drive to getting to the bottom of all of Obama''s secrets!!! Let''s take a look at an original birth certificate...how about that? Let''s uncover the truth about his relationships with high profile anti-Americans he swears he doesn''t know ''that well'' or was too ''little to know about''. The press like to dig...just not too close to any thing that might spark discontentment in the Obama camps!!!

[likeitis5050]

Palin has backstabbed her mentors in Alaska on her way to the top.

Now you''''re about to get the shiv between the ribs.

Serves you right, you idiot.

You gambled, and now you''''ve lost.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by johnbrown888

And how do you think Obama got into politicis to begin with? Here''s a clue....if it''s a politician it knows how to bite and scratch and claw to get what it wants. But when it comes to Obama the mantra is ''may the best man win''! Get over it. Obama is not squeaky clean....by any stretch of the imagination. The press has just signed an oath to make him look like that until it''s too late to do anything about it.

[holdfam1]

amazing to me that we''ve learned EVERYTHING about Palin in 2 months, but can''t seem to answer what Obama was doing with Ayers, Wright, Resko and ACORN in 2 years. Wow, the press is really running this election. I''m not a Palin phanatic by any means. But this is really starting to **** me off. I''ve never ever seen the press favor a ticket like they have Obama''s. Let''s face it, they want to report a historic presidency and will do anything they can to get it.

[pastdue1]

The most unnerving information is her conversations with Cheney - the person most responsible for our current energy crises. The information in this article has long been known and has made everyone snigger whenever the campaign mentions her energy expertise, as always, she was following orders in this deal. TransCanada will benefit and there will be no pipeline. And, palin got to be vp candidate out of the deal.

[targaray-2009]

Let Blame Games Begin!!!

The McCain Camp versus The Palin Camp

Got to love Country First politics...

[rjames0423]

holdfam1
Just where have you been, hiding in FAUX NEWS'' ***? The relatinships you mentioned have been addressed over and over.McFlip turned the script-
TAKE ONE OF YOUR WEEKLY SHOWERS and hear me well-the relationship with Ayers was a Board appointed by Annenberg, a rethug such as yourself.Obama wasn''t the ONLY member of the board that had an education focus.Rev. Wright was SO RIGHT in his condemning American because he as well as I were raised during the Civil Rights era where BLACKS HAD NO RIGHTS. Separate pisses, separate water fountains, separate churches so he was ABSOLUTELY CORRECT in his assertions of racism-you act as though racism just started when Rev. Wright preached it in his pulpit. *** dude the man KNOWS FIRSTHAND about racism just like you. As for Rezko and your FOX NEWS junkies, Obama ALSO addressed this. You see, Rethugs such as yourself HEAR ONLY what you want to hear.

[rjames0423]

holdfam1
I need you to prepare yourself to read the article coming out in the NY Times about the Making and Remaking of John McCain. What about the Alaskan Independence Party? What about Ethics violations? What about Keating 5?
What about the rape scandal/library scandal in Alaska? What about the b**ch refusing to meeting with the NAACP? What about no minorities in her cabinet in Alaska? Need I go on? You''re speaking BS compared to Ken and Barbie. Take a good shower next time-but again you''re a typical RETHUG who wants to continue to want answers to the questions that have ALREADY been answered.Do you wonder why the one-armed man doesn''t mention ACORN anymore? He spoke to the group a few years ago AND it appears the Rethugs were fradulent in registering voters, not the Democrats. Get your facts straight, O''Reilly WANNA BE

[dbor77]

Palin sure has dug herself a very deep hole in just a couple months. Now she''s breaking from the McCain campaign. That''s scary..to think that McCain can''t control his own campaign. Palin is running her own campaign.

[rjames0423]

likeitis5050-

Like it ain''t-it seems you have NOTHING else to hold on to. Why hasn''t SP turned over her medical records after saying she would. You must be the DUMBEST person in the world-do you HONESTLY believe that anyone including you can run for President UNLESS they''re a naturalized citizen of the U.S.? Tell O''Reilly he''s making you look like an illiterate lonely person for lying to you. Stay the hell off FOX NEWS and these TROLL buddies of yours. SP went to 6 colleges in 5 years do you have her transcript? What about her birth certificate? What about her marriage license-she got married the had her first child two months later-looks like a who*re to me-what about McCain first wife-the woman waited for him but he went for someone 17 years younger who was much hotter and LOADED. Oh that''s the same reason he chose dummy pailin-that''s right, isn''t it? You are dumb! A Harvard Law degree just may be the answer for you

[karronna]

Wow rowdy is imploding tonight big time.

[holdfam1]

rjames0423. You seem angry.. referring to me as a RETHUG. Don''t really know what that means. If you don''t see a media bais in this, you''re drinking the cool-aid on your side as much as you think I am on mine. Anyone can tear anyone down and that is all this is with Palin.. pure and simple, NYT is about as reliable as the Fox channel at this point.. Just a matter of who your targeting. All I''m saying is a guy with a lot of really left leaning friends is going to lead with an extremely left leaning congress. Don''t know if you remember the Carter administration, but get ready for it again.

[nearl4511]

I bet the Canadians really like all of our Alaskan oil. Pipeline goes there first if built, doesn''t it.

[skydotcom]

I tell ya... Sarah Palin has a bright, Republican future; She''s a narrow-minded, Bible-thumpin'', unsophisticated, manipulative crook!

Palin 2012!!!

[holdfam1]

I just figured out that rjames0423 is referring to me as a racist... LOL. Sir. I''m truley sorry if you lived through those terrible times. I''m only 30 and have lived in NE all my life. I didn''t live through those times. I can''t imagine what it was like, but because I dared to question Obama''s qualifications.. I''m the racist. Just like Obama did to Bill and Hillary and now the republicans. I''m truely sorry for this countries past, but I''m more concerned about the future so please don''t get nasty with me. I''m questioning Obama''s liberal connections, not his race.

[missingamerica]

Man, does Obama ever have an unfair advantage.

When the Republicans seek to accuse Obama of links to corruption, they have to make stuff up about ACORN and on and on.

When the Democrats seek to accuse McCain of links to corruption, all they have to do is grab any newspaper and point at Palin''s picture.

Hope this doesn''t destroy McCain''s faith in the Republicans'' ability to scam America....

[holdfam1]

"When Palin was elected governor two years ago, she vowed to take on Exxon Mobil Corp., ConocoPhillips and BP, the multinational energy companies that long dominated the state''s biggest industry.

As the governor''s approach unfolded in the spring of 2007, Palin said she saw problems if the firms that own the gas also owned the pipeline. They could manipulate the market or charge prohibitive fees to smaller exploration firms, discouraging competition.

Several important requirements in the legislation were unpalatable to the big oil companies. In the talks under Murkowski, the firms asked that the rates for the gas production tax and royalties be fixed for 45 years; Palin refused to consider setting rates for that long" seems to me she took on big oil and gave the contract to someone else. Actually impressive if you read the article.

[sf91b2s]

Does anything coming out of Alaska on Palin surprise anyone? Thank God that the Democrats have shown tremendous restraint in not beating her to death with all the baggage this Sax 5th Avenue Soccer Mom has done unethically. We all know you can hide behind well, it didn''t break the law. Yes and No, the legislative branch will have to decide that. Yet, this is not new politics. It is the same stuff we have all been complaining about for years and done nothing about. I was voting for McCain all the way. I told myself we are not ready for a black president. He was too good to be true. Well, sorry my republican friends. I too am jumping ship. I cannot in good conscience vote for John McCain. I have seen poor judgement on his pick of a running mate. I have along with millions of others have no clue what are platform in the party is. What do we stand for. First we say early, Obama hasn''t done anything. Then we say everything is his fault along with President Bush. Remember this, it is our fault too for this fiasco. When the Democrats did not want to finance and involve us in Iraq. Our party went to the American people and said basically that the Dems were unamerican. So they went along with us to keep their congressional and senate seats. The day of non-partisian politics is done. Sad is that we are not going to have a chance for bipartisianship for many years. The Dems are doing to control everything. I to be honest. For my 5 childrens sake. I hope they succeed.

[holdfam1]

sf91b2s, I agree with your sentiments 100%. Last 8 years have been terrible. Bush has done a number on us. But with this economy I''ll still take my chances on the party that is supposed to be more conservative (fiscally). I don''t know that McCain will spend like Bush, but I''m sure an Obama admin would (if only because of the Democratic controlled congress). Do what you think is right.. But be increased spending is not the way to go at this time. As for this story, if you read it, it''s just a political hit job. She gave the contract to someone other than big oil she had a lobbiest... They all do. I think bi-partisanship is lost... sadly....

[lucasnico]

If only the press would apply the same drive to getting to the bottom of all of Obama''''s secrets!!! Let''''s take a look at an original birth certificate...how about that? Let''''s uncover the truth about his relationships with high profile anti-Americans he swears he doesn''''t know ''''that well'''' or was too ''''little to know about''''. The press like to dig...just not too close to any thing that might spark discontentment in the Obama camps!!!

Posted by likeitis5050 at 09:13 PM : Oct 25, 2008

still banging that drum about the birth certificate lie......check out snopes....and those general "high profile anti-americans he swears he doesn''t know."
Specifically who?? And don''t bring the same old Ayers *** which holds no water. Want to get specific? Al Queda endorsing McCain...there''s your terrorist connection.

[lucasnico]

sf91b2s, I agree with your sentiments 100%. Last 8 years have been terrible. Bush has done a number on us. But with this economy I''''ll still take my chances on the party that is supposed to be more conservative (fiscally).
Posted by holdfam1 at 12:30 AM : Oct 26, 2008

and what party would be the fiscally responsible party? The one that got us into an irresponsible war AND currently has this country over $800 Billion in debt on an economy bailout alone.....now throw in the $$ spent on the war.....if you plan on voting republican, then you are an absolute fool!!

[brianbwb-2009]

Bush has cast his vote for the candidate he felt would best follow his agenda, so by that it is clear that if you want more Bush, vote McSame.

[inventagod2]

McSame
McShame

[gdmoore2]

This Alaskan will not be supporting McCain-Palin.

This story by the AP, however, is hack journalism, and has the history of the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) and the Transcanada bid all wrong. In truth, the petroleum producers - ConocoPhillips and British Petroleum - have dominated Alaska politics for years through corrupt political practices. By going out to open bid for the natural gas pipeline, Alaska forced the petroleum producers to bid on a level playing field with natural gas transporters. ConocoPhillips and British Petroleum did not bid because they wanted to dictate the terms of the pipeline and the terms of taxation to Alaskans - the same old corruption scheme. In the end, Transcanada submitted a compliant bid to an open public process, and cleanly won the contract. The problem is, this is the first time Alaska has done business this way , through an open public process, and it was unfamiliar and awkward first time. Though it hurts my lips to say it, due to all the other *** Palin has totally wrong, Palin got this one right. What a cheap shot from the Associated Press.

[smurfcrusher]

"Despite promises and legal guidance not to talk directly with potential bidders, Palin had meetings or phone calls with nearly every major candidate, including TransCanada."

********** How else would she be able to custom tailor the conditions of the bid to suit the target company? Give a girl a break...

"The leader of Palin''s pipeline team had been a partner at a lobbying firm where she worked on behalf of a TransCanada subsidiary. Also, that woman''s former business partner at the lobbying firm was TransCanada''s lead private lobbyist on the pipeline deal. Plus, a former TransCanada executive served as an outside consultant to Palin''s pipeline team."

********** But Palin says as long as she personally doesn''t benefit financially, it''s OK to violate Ethics Law.
Maaaaybe we should look closer to ensure Palin doesn''t have another massive lakefront home miraculously spring up, without the required permits and accountability.

"Under a different set of rules four years earlier, TransCanada had offered to build the pipeline without a state subsidy; under Palin, the company could receive a maximum $500 million."

There''s a maverick for ''ya *wink* Well, if she can''t get elected and provide massive tax breaks for Big Oil, this is the next best thing!

[whodotcom]

Palin, Greg Stillson, can you tell them apart

[anya136]

The more I read about Sarah Palin the more I realise what a fraud she is.

It would be awful to have her in power committing these sorts of unscrupulous actions on the national stage.

Alaskans should also kick her out. They deserve better.