The Link Although Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden routinely mocks his Republican counterpart, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, for her onetime support of the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere," Biden and his running mate voted to keep the project alive twice. Both Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama voted to kill a Senate amendment that would have diverted federal funding for the bridge to repair a Louisiana span badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina, Senate records show. And both voted for the final transportation bill that included the $223 million earmark for the Alaska project.
The Indian River Inlet Bridge is a vital link between two popular beachfront towns: Dewey and Bethany. Without it, the estimated 30,000 summer visitors would have to travel an additional 35 minutes to get to the towns. "We need a new bridge, and we are fortunate to be at a place where it is finally going to happen," said Carol Everhart, the chief of the Chamber of Commerce. The existing bridge has some erosion problems, and if it ever collapsed, Everhart said, it would cause an economic disaster in the community. But it's safe for now. "The bridge, as it is, is perfectly safe," she said. Still, Biden asked for $13 million to help shore up the existing bridge and begin construction of a new one. And that's what troubles the Sunlight Foundation's Allison.
They where actually trying to redirect those funds to katrina victims and Biden and Obama blocked that too.
You must have forgotten to include the link showing that Obama and Biden lied repeatedly to the public by claiming that they said "thanks but no thanks" to federal money for the bridge.
I'm curious, where in that article does it say that Biden lied? You know. That he said "no, thanks" to his earmarks even though he supported them?
Palin's problem is not that she supported the bridge, which she did. Her problem is that she blatantly lied to the American public about it.
Yes Please let's get as much focus as possible on Palin, her hypocrisy and the Bridge to Nowhere, that she was for, then against, then sepnt every last dime allocated to it, but she says she rejected it.... PLEASE let this be something the GOP want's to distract with trying to blame on Biden and Obama... PO...LEASE!!!!
I'd rahter someone lie to me about a stupid *** bridge that while incredibly wasteful is a drop in teh bucket than someone lie to me about how much more of my **** he wants to take to pay for his socialism.
brtorng, in this case the read is right- what's so insidious about the way earmarks work is that they are inserted into bills that are pretty much guaranteed to pass, and you can't really vote against them without being also against puppies and jesus. The responsbility for earmarks lie with the representatives of the localities that receive them and with We the People for tolerating the system. If you don't like it, vote against incumbents.
Attempting to compare Obama and Biden's votes to Palin's lobbying for pork is laughable. Obama and Biden voted on bills and amendments that involved hundreds of other issues and items. Palin lied through her teeth to the entire nation about her role in seeking and acquiring funds for the bridge to nowhere.
brntorng- I think that senator is actually going to jail, for another reason but still. And the best thing you can do to change the system isn't to vote for McCain (although it wouldn't hurt) but to also vote against your congressman and senator and everybody else.
