On Page 237 of her memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life, Sarah Palin writes that shortly after she was tapped as Sen. John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential race, the media began reporting “one lie after another -- from rape kits to Bridges to Nowhere. All easy enough to disprove if the press had done its job.” Palin offered no explanation as to what “lies” the press reported about the Bridge to Nowhere -- indeed, some in the media corrected Palin's false claims that she opposed the bridge.
Rogue Fact: Palin, without elaboration, calls Bridge to Nowhere a “lie”
Written by Simon Maloy
Published
Palin: Press should have corrected Bridge to Nowhere “lie”
From Page 237 of Going Rogue:
The book-banning story flared quickly and didn't completely fizzle out even after lists of books I'd supposedly wanted to ban circulated on the Internet. The list included books that hadn't even been published at the time. It was one lie after another -- from rape kits to Bridges to Nowhere. All easy enough to disprove if the press had done its job. The campaign was immediately overwhelmed, though, and the Alaska GOP (still run by Randy Ruedrich) had apparently decided to sit this one out.
Media corrected Palin's Bridge to Nowhere falsehoods
Palin: “Thanks but no thanks” on bridge. In her very first appearance as McCain's running mate on August 29, 2008, Palin gave a speech in which she said: “I signed major ethics reform. And I appointed both Democrats and independents to serve in my administration. 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.”
Palin's statement completely false. Media outlets reporting on Palin's speech noted that Palin, as a candidate for governor in 2006, reportedly expressed support on several occasions for the bridge project and suggested that Alaska's congressional delegation should continue to try to procure funding. Moreover, as governor, Palin was in no position to reject the bridge project -- Congress had already appropriated the money to Alaska and left it to the state government to decide whether to spend it on the bridge. Palin did not refuse the funds or reimburse the federal government; Alaska reportedly kept the federal funds.