Obama & Biden's Bridge To Nowhere

[Shady]

Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive

DEWEY BEACH, Delaware (CNN) -- 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.

CNN

So when is the media going to get around to asking these hypocrite about their support for the bridge? At least Gov. Palin came to the right decision by killing the project. But these guys wouldn't even let the money be diverted for repairs from Hurricane Katrina. I want Barack Obama to have to explain himself, in front of a hundred million people, friday night during the debate. McCain should ask him directly, and put him on the spot.

[Riverwind]

This comment by Biden surprised me:

When the stock market crashed (in 1929), Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.’

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/f...-look-good.aspx

It was a great sound bite except for two things – Herbert Hoover, not Roosevelt, was president at the time, and commercial television didn’t exist.

If Palin had made a similarily uninformed comment the media would be all over her. That fact that Biden gets a pass from the media over those remarks is perhaps the biggest evidence of media bais that I have seen so far.

Edited September 24, 2008 by Riverwind

[guyser]

That fact that Biden gets a pass from the media over those remarks is perhaps the biggest evidence of media bais and/or sexism that I have see so far.

Gets a pass?

Hmm...considering I saw it on numerous TV news shows means.....?

[Riverwind]

Hmm...considering I saw it on numerous TV news shows means.....?

As a passing comment. The coverage is nothing compared to what Palin got for the stupid 'bush doctrine' question or the 'i can see russia' comment.

[stevoh]

So when is the media going to get around to asking these hypocrite about their support for the bridge? At least Gov. Palin came to the right decision by killing the project. But these guys wouldn't even let the money be diverted for repairs from Hurricane Katrina. I want Barack Obama to have to explain himself, in front of a hundred million people, friday night during the debate. McCain should ask him directly, and put him on the spot.

What it the reason for Obama's and Biden's support of the bridge? Could it have been the same reasons that Palin initially supported the bridge before she changed her mind? Don't you think we should ask this question before getting outraged?

There is more to this than we are being told.

Edited September 24, 2008 by stevoh

[Shady]

What it the reason for Obama's and Biden's support of the bridge?

Probably to protect their own earmarks.

This year, Delaware has requested 116 congressional earmarks through Biden, its longtime senator, at a cost to taxpayers of $342 million.

CNN

Senator Barack Obama on Thursday released a list of $740 million in earmarked spending requests that he had made over the last three years

The New York Times

[stevoh]

Analysis of this issue is here:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/ar...bridge-nowhere/

Key facts:

1. The bridge to nowhere was a tiny portion of a much larger transportation bill that included many other projects.

2. The ammendment to the bill that would have rerouted the bridge to nowhere money to a Katrina damaged bridge in lousina was not voted on by McCain either, he abstained.

3. Palin also supported the bridge to nowhere at this time. She continued the support for over a year after the bill had been passed. She changed her mind only after the bill had passed and she became governer.

But most importantly, when Obama was asked directly about the bridge his response was:

Others intent on cutting spending have pointed to Alaska’s ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ as a wasteful project," Obama wrote. "I agree and believe that it represents the first type of project we should cut. But it’s wrong to single out one state’s pork project. If we’re serious about shared responsibility, let’s eliminate all pork projects in all states.

[Shady]

Analysis of this issue is here:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/ar...bridge-nowhere/

Key facts:

1. The bridge to nowhere was a tiny portion of a much larger transportation bill that included many other projects.

2. The ammendment to the bill that would have rerouted the bridge to nowhere money to a Katrina damaged bridge in lousina was not voted on by McCain either, he abstained.

3. Palin also supported the bridge to nowhere at this time. She continued the support for over a year after the bill had been passed. She changed her mind only after the bill had passed and she became governer.

But most importantly, when Obama was asked directly about the bridge his response was:

So what your saying is,

1. That once in office, she killed the project.

2. Obama and Biden voted against rerouting the bridge money to Louisiana.

3. And that, when asked about it, probably fairly recently while running for President, Obama denounced the project. Wow, I'm shocked.

[Shady]

As a passing comment.

Speaking about Biden's passing comments, how bout this one?

“Barack Obama ain’t taking my shotguns, so don't buy that malarkey,” he said. “If he tries to fool with my Beretta, he's got a problem.”

MSNBC

[Shady]

Or this one.

Asked whether he’s disappointed with the tone of the campaign, including the ad that Couric characterized as “making fun of John McCain’s inability to use a computer,” Biden said “I thought that was terrible by the way.

“I didn’t know we did it and if I had anything to do with it, we would have never done it”

[stevoh]

So what your saying is,

1. That once in office, she killed the project.

Yes, after vocally supporting it for the prior two years.

2. Obama and Biden voted against rerouting the bridge money to Louisiana.

True. And McCain did not vote.

The ammendment made no sense. They wanted to take half the money from the bridge to nowhere and put it towards a bridge in Lousiana. Which meant half the money was still going to the bridge to nowhere. Not only does it make actually building the bridge to nowhere impossible (as funds were just halved), it does not take care of the earmark issue. And there are other bills passed that do take care of reconstruction, which Obama supported.

3. And that, when asked about it, probably fairly recently while running for President, Obama denounced the project. Wow, I'm shocked.

Nope, Obama made the comments in 2005, before he started running for president. And while Palin was vocally still supporting the bridge.

[Shady]

Yes, after vocally supporting it for the prior two years.

So you're saying, that once in office, she made the right decision.

Nope, Obama made the comments in 2005, before he started running for president. And while Palin was vocally still supporting the bridge.

Link?

[stevoh]

So you're saying, that once in office, she made the right decision.

Yes, she flip flopped.

Link?

Same link as above, the Obama text I quoted was from the November 2005 Chicago Tribune.

[Shady]

Yes, she flip flopped.

Yep, flip flopped into the correct decision. Unlike Obama, who apparently thought it was "the first type of project we should cut", but then continues on voting for it. Why, some may ask? Because Obama had his own bridge to nowhere project, a $1.3-billion transportation project in Illinois. Thanks for the link, I had missed that!

Politifact.com

So in summary:

Obama, voted for bridge to nowhere funding, as well as his 1.3 billion dollar transportation project in Illinois.

Palin, killed the bridge to nowhere project after taking office.

McCain supported neither.

[stevoh]

Yep, flip flopped into the correct decision. Unlike Obama, who apparently thought it was "the first type of project we should cut", but then continues on voting for it. Why, some may ask? Because Obama had his own bridge to nowhere project, a $1.3-billion transportation project in Illinois. Thanks for the link, I had missed that!

Obama suported a bill that gives his state funding for transportation? And you think this is a bad thing?

Obama, voted for bridge to nowhere funding, as well as his 1.3 billion dollar transportation project in Illinois.

Yes, along with over 285 billion in other transportation projects.

Palin, killed the bridge to nowhere project after taking office.

After claiming to support it before she got in office. So, what other things is she going to change her mind about the moment she becomes VP?

McCain supported neither.

I think McCain looks good on this one, because he was clear about his reasons for not voting for this bill at the time.

I think Obama looks good on this one because he is clear about his reasons for voting for the bill, and wanted to tackle bad project spending in a more complete way.

I think Palin looks terrible on this one because she clearly supported the bridge before she came to office, promised the chamber of commerce in Alaska that she supported it, and then flip flopped as soon as she came into power and felt the political winds shifting. Unlike McCain or Obama, this is not a person with convictions, this is a political opportunist.