Palin Backs Off Bridge To Nowhere Lie, Admits She Supported ‘Infrastructure Being Built In The State’
During her interview with ABC’s Charlie Gibson tonight, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) seemed to admit that she has repeatedly lied to the American public. Palin has repeatedly claimed that she had said, “Thanks, but no thanks” to Congress for money to build the infamous Bridge to Nowhere.
Tonight, Palin did not object as Gibson explained that “it’s now pretty clearly documented that you supported that bridge before you opposed it.” She defended the earmarking process saying, “It’s not inappropriate for a mayor or for a governor to…plug into the federal budget”:
GIBSON: But it’s now pretty clearly documented. You supported that bridge before you opposed it. You were wearing a t-shirt in the 2006 campaign, showed your support for the bridge to nowhere.
But you turned against it after Congress had basically pulled the plug on it. […]
PALIN: I was for infrastructure being built in the state. And it’s not inappropriate for a mayor or for a governor to request and to work with their Congress — their congressmen, their congresswomen, to plug into the federal budget along with every other state a share of the federal budget for infrastructure.
What I supported was the link between a community and its airport. And we have found that link now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T25ctQMsJcAs ThinkProgress has documented, Palin was a strong backer of the project and expressed her desire to renew federal funding for the project on several occasions.
According a ThinkProgress count, Palin and the McCain campaign have repeated the Bridge to Nowhere lie 31 times since August 31, when McCain first announced his pick. Palin repeated the lie herself 8 times to both national audiences and at smaller campaign stops.
Will Palin apologize for having misled the public?
http://thinkprogress.org/