Palin's push for earmarks

Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2008 4:45 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Sarah Palin

From NBC's Jim Popkin
As a vice presidential candidate, Gov. Sarah Palin has railed against federal earmarks, or congressional funding for pork-barrel projects. "In our state, we reformed the abuses of earmarks," Palin recently boasted to a rally in Lancaster, Pa. "We championed earmark reform up there," she said, "to stop Congress from wasting public money on things that didn't serve the public interest."

But musty records culled from the archives of the Wasilla, Alaska, city government reveal that Palin was directly involved in soliciting millions of dollars in earmarks for Wasilla when she was mayor. And she got help from a well-connected Washington lobbyist.

In a monthly status report to the city on March 7, 2000, newly hired "City Lobbyist" Steve Silver describes how the Palin administration had requested $6.6 million in federal earmarks for water and sewer improvements for Wasilla, and another $1 million for police equipment. Mayor Palin reviewed and signed the lobbyist's report, dated April 5, 2000.

For more, check out NBC's Deep Background investigative blog.

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Comments

I'm sorry I didn't realize I agreed to pay for your decision to live in such a rural location.

Tony Jenson, Palm Springs, CA (Sent Thursday, September 18, 2008 6:57 PM)

And let's not forget that she requested $200 million in earmarks for Alaska for 2009! Yes, not a typo, 2009!

I think she doesn't understand that an earmark is an earmark...not that there are different earmark such as a good earmark and a bad (wasteful) earmark!

Maybe her handlers need to give her a list of vocabulary words she needs to learn before she speaks again!

California (Sent Thursday, September 18, 2008 7:07 PM)

Once again Ms. Palin has shown what a hypocrite she is . . . and that goes for Sen. McCain who was for a fundamentally strong economy before he was against it.

By the way, has McCain figured out who is the leader of Spain yet, let alone the status of "Czechoslovakia."

I'm still waiting for his explanation on his inventing the Blackberry and why he was against deregulation before he was for it.

TomKayeq (Sent Thursday, September 18, 2008 7:08 PM)

"Thou shalt not lie."

As a Christian the lies and manipulative tactics of McCain and Palin,insult the intelligence of born again believers who are taught to "Know the truth."

If you are being this deceptive over little things, What will you lie to me about once in the White House?

McCain/Palin ticket - Can't be trusted. Wolves in sheep clothing.

Integrity counts and I have felt more of a genuine heart from Obama.

My vote is NOT for A party that in todays times sounds like brass and are out right hypocrites.

OBAMA,Biden all the way!

Claudia, Virginia (Sent Thursday, September 18, 2008 7:12 PM)

Well I guess thats one campaign promise that John McCain has kept. He has made her famous. I guess her being on Ted Stevens 527committee makes her a mavrick too. It wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't contantly talking about how much shes against these things. Republicans they spend money like drunken sailors, then blame the democrats for being big spenders. They rail against curruption, only to violate the constitution in the worse way. They cry impeachment for sex which is wrong, but then lie to the american people which leads to thousands of deaths. It's socialist to want quality education, and healthcare for everyone, what is it called when you spend billions to bailout private companies.

will, OK (Sent Thursday, September 18, 2008 7:15 PM)

I´m not against earmarks albeit they need better control. Sewers are better than most requests. I am against Palin who has the familiar capacity to lie about her political past. Maybe she can get an injunction against any more revelations. One other thought. Does she use the capacity of getting earmarks for sewers as part of her governmental preparation to be vice president?

mexed, san antonio, texas (Sent Thursday, September 18, 2008 7:18 PM)

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