That Bridge, Again

The Anchorage Daily News has (8/31/08) an objective article summarizing Sarah Palin's record as governor in the context of her claims on the campaign trail. Approximately $398 million had been designated for the Gravina Island bridge ($223 million) to Ketchikan and for a crossing ($150 million) at Knik Arm at Anchorage. It appears Palin turned against the "Bridge to Nowhere" proposal sometime in 2007, after her election as governor (for which she had campaigned), shortly after Congress "had removed the earmark but allowed the state to keep the money and direct it to other transportation projects."

When the projected cost of the Ketchikan bridge project rose to nearly $400 million, the Palin administration began to turn against it. Ultimately, Palin officially nixed the bridge idea, construction of which obviously would have cost the state well over $150 million. But the state still had the money and $25 million has been appropriated for a three-mile road on
Gravina Island, meant to connect the airport and the bridge which no longer is going to be built.

Still, Governor Earmark, caught in the lie she first told when John McCain appeared with her to introduce his new running mate, keeps repeating the falsehood. Thinkprogress.org notes these seven (7) occasions in which Palin pushes the myth in which she stood up against the big, bad federal government:

"I told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ for that bridge to nowhere.” [Rally in Lancaster, PA, 9/9/08]
“I told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ for that bridge to nowhere.” [Rally in Lebanon, OH, 9/9/08]
“I told Congress thanks but no thanks for that bridge to nowhere. If the state wanted to build a bridge we would built it ourselves.” [Rally in Lee’s Summit, MO, 9/8/08]
“I championed reform of earmark spending by Congress, and I told the Congress thanks but no thanks on that ‘Bridge to Nowhere.” [Rally in Albuquerque, NM, 9/6/08]
“I told the Congress ‘thanks, but no thanks,’ for that Bridge to Nowhere.” [GOP Convention, 9/3/08]
“And as the senator said, I told the Congress thanks but no thanks for that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted to build a bridge, we would build it ourselves.” [Rally in O’Fallon, MO, 8/31/08]
“And I championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. In fact, I told Congress — I told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ on that bridge to nowhere.” [Nomination speech, 8/29/08]

Of course, the presidential nominee and the campaign surrogates have been on message, pushing the same discredited narrative. Nevertheless, Governor Earmark's persistence does provide some insight into her character, what little there is of it.