Thursday, September 04, 2008

Here's a fact check for Palin's speech assertions and record

for those who emailed and asked (from Yahoo):

Attacks, Praise Stretch Truth

Example:
PALIN: "I have protected the taxpayers by vetoing wasteful spending ... and championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress. I told the Congress 'thanks but no thanks' for that Bridge to Nowhere."

THE FACTS: As mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a lobbyist and traveled to Washington annually to support earmarks for the town totaling $27 million. In her two years as governor, Alaska has requested nearly $750 million in special federal spending, by far the largest per-capita request in the nation. While Palin notes she rejected plans to build a $398 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport, that opposition came only after the plan was ridiculed nationally as a "bridge to nowhere."

4 comments:

SUSAN said...

Thanks for providing this link. It can be difficult tracking down what is true from either party. I think that is what I find most discouraging about politics, in general. There is so much spin on both sides.

I am listening to O'Reilly interview Obama. I do not like O'Reilly's style. He is so rude.

For some reason, I am feeling a little discouraged about the race right now.


Susan

Anonymous said...

Candidates promise to keep from negative campaigning and to talk about the issues every election. As voting day gets closer the speeches and ads almost always degrade into spin and half-truths. Ugh, the ads are the worst. It is discouraging.

Palin certainly did support the Ketchikan bridge. She was foolish and dishonest to say otherwise.

Why can't candidates run on the truth?

Anonymous said...

I meant to add in the previous comment that Palin's remark wasn't even a half-truth.

Unknown said...

Ads are the worst. I agree.

One of the things to notice in the ads, I think, is what kind of attack. Does it relate to the issues or the personality of the candidate?

I liked this fact check because it was clearly addressing both sides. I even like seeing how McCain's tax plan differs from Obama's.

In the end, though, for me, in addition to my enthusiasm for Obama, I can't reward the Republicans with four more years.