Political Punch

But you're trying get around the crux of the McCain/Palin critiques on earmark and pork. The critique of earmarks is that they make an end-run around the approval process, and their advocates don't put them up for a traditional Congressional approval; they're merely tacked on to apprproriations bills.

The critique on pork focuses on wasteful federal spending, and particularly that which has no obvious federal benefit or tie-in. If Palin is using money for the fishing industry, or for roads and infrastructure (generally needed, but obviously there can be excessive spending even in infrastructure, e.g., Bridge to Nowhere), that's not a problem.

OK, so what Palin asked for shouldn't be called "earmarks" - but they are still funding requests, and the OP's original request was:

"Will you please stop telling the American people that she never asked for or received any pork barrel projects?"

So McCain/Palin are still misrepresenting her record, regardless of whether or not the writer here knows how best to label her requests.

It is pretty apparent that Jake and most of the commenters don't recognize the difference between funding requests (which are voted as part of funding legislation) and earmarks which are dropped into legislation, without transparency or a vote. All states submit funding requests through their elected representatives. Palin has significantly reduced those requests in her 1st 2 years in office. Those requests are debated in committee and on the House floor where Congress can allocate and prioritize with full visibility. The earmarks undergo no such scrutiny and point of fact: Governors can't request earmarks, only senators and representatives can!

"McCain has similarly gone one step too far, attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the 100% truth test."

-- Karl Rove, on Fox News Sunday, talking about Sen. John McCain's advertising.

McCain has been seen using a blackberry. If he could write and use a blackberry, why couldn't he use a computer and explore the internet or type an e-mail?

The earmark issue is a huge one in this election simply because McCain/Palin have raised it. McCain stated that he would "veto any bill with earmarks", but it appears that Ms. Palin is the earmark abuse queen. Wait til this comes out in the debates....it'll be fun. OBAMA/BIDEN 08

NewsFlash:

Already the McCain campaign are sending phony absentee ballots targeting potential Obama voters in four states including Michigan and Ohio and the return address is to the wrong city clerks office.
The Carl Rove tactics of rigging this election is already starting and foreclosure Americans cannot vote, mostly those that cannot afford the financial fiasco of the Bush McCain administration.

Is this the kind of politics that the holier than thou Sarah Palin is accepting as honest politics? Get real folks - she is just as deceitful and a liar as John McCain and George Bush.

I guess the Supreme court will be deciding this contested election also.

In researching I found that Palin vetoed from proposed state budget in her first year $231 million. The following year, state legistators reinserted many of those same earmarks into the budget and asked her to okay $58 billion to pay them. She vetoed them again. Boy, the nerve of that woman! Will she not ever learn that that is not what the average taxpayer wants in an elected official. I personally want someone who will grab every penny they can and spend it however foolishly they can! And an 80% approval rating from the citizens of AL????? Well, she must be doing EVERYTHING wrong and nothing right! That must mean that the 30% approval rating for Bush says he is doing everything RIGHT and very little wrong

Obama Earmarks:

1) $8.5 million to prevent Asian Carp fish from entering the Great Lakes through the Chicago waterways
2) More than $6.9 million for Chicago museums
3) $5 million for the Young Men's Christian Association to combat chronic diseases and obesity
4) $3 million for the Adler Planetarium
5) $3 million for a new Chicago park to hhonor Jean Bapstiste Point DuSable
6) $2 million for ethanol research
7) $2 million for soybean research
8) $200,000 for the construction of a
theater company "using green construction standards"

Sen. Obama requested more than $740 million for pet projects, inclusing $1 million earmark for the hospital his wife was working at and also a $750,000 eearmark to pay for the renovation of a space center named after tojp Obama donor James S Crown's grandfather, Henry Crown.

Obama also sought more than $3.4 million earmarks for his VP Joe Biden's llobbyist son, Hunter.

Stevereno,

There are plenty of severely handicapped people who post on these boards and make it clear that to say you can't type is no excuse.

Palin raised 5 kids so she never had time to read, fine. McCain can get Cindy to buy him some voice recognition software or character recognition software because I have to assume that he does at least scrawl out his legislative proposals. I think it more
likely he'd rather watch baseball than pick up a software manual on his day off.

Additionally, if sportscaster is now the new standard for the Oval Office I'll vote for Olberman. Full disclosure is my motto.

Jake,

It used to be that if you say it enough times and the media compares your comment to some random attack by the other side you could eventually convince people that hot is cold.

I'm actually starting to think that you people know the difference between a journalist and a stenographer.

Keep it up and I might start saying good things about you instead of just thinking them.

I'm the Vote They All Want? Well, I guess I am too - a white, female, independent voter in a swing state - and a baptised Catholic to boot. I even carpool. And I think Sarah is a liar who is just not very bright - but has gotten away with an awful lot in her life - and doesn't know where to draw the line.

kgdn: baloney. the media has covered everything from obama's church bulletins to his smoking habits.

i'd like to hear a little about sarah's little church. from the la times: "Less than a month ago, Palin sat in the pews at the Wasilla Bible Church, to which she and her family belong, and listened to a sermon by David Brickner, who heads Jews for Jesus, a group cited by the Anti-Defamation League for its "aggressive and deceptive" proselytizing of Jews. Brickner said that Arab terrorism against the state of Israel was an expression of God's judgment on the Jewish people for their rejection of Christ. After Brickner concluded his remarks, a special collection was taken up to support the sect's activities."..."

I sure heard a lot about Obama and his church. why did Sarah Palin not stand up and repudiate the speaker? Why did she not leave - not only the sermon, but the church?? Why would she subject her children to this hatred and bigotry?

Thank you. Can you do a piece on Sarah's trips abroad now? That one is a lie too. Why do they lie when there is no reason to lie? There seems like she believes in a lot of what other American people believe in - the war, overturning Roe vs Wade, Creationsim, no separation between church and state, the NRA, no environmental protection, that Alaskan oil will savve us all - why not just run on all that? Why this endless series of lies?

Dear Jake:

You've prominently played the McCain's alleged computer illiteracy heavily. How about posting something about this?

From the Boston Globe (March 4, 2000):

McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball.

If any of you want to look into "falsehoods" in this campaign, you should start with Senator Obama. The media has given him a pass on so many questionable episodes that NOONE knows how much he has deceived the people of this country. Not even Obama's staff can actually name three accomplishments that qualify him to be president. But, all of them can spin the truth and try to slander Senator McCain--a good man who has served his country with honor. Senator Obama has never stayed in one position long enough for people to realize how inept he actually is. According to his own book, he failed as a community organizer. As editor of the Harvard Law Review, he did not publish even one article of his own. And his record in voting "present" may not be broken for years to come. How many times can you vote present from the Oval Office?

Dear Jake,

Pork barrel.....hummm...isn't that when you slip a big project in under the radar? If any money sent to a state is considered pork barrel then they're all guilty.

Obama is still a bigot against whites. He should have left his church 10 years ago!!! Maybe his wife has changed since she wrote her paper in college. Oh yea, forgot...she's now proud to be American. Obama has voted to stop every piece of gun legislation since he's been a politician. Now he says, well I really don't want to take your guns....Liar!!! How can you support him now? He loves guns now! Man, that's anti-democrat!

A little trivia about what a wonderful person John McCain is:

John McCain's first wife, Carol was a beautiful swimsuit model. She stood by John and raised his children while he was a POW. During this time, Carol was in a severe car accident and was permanently disabled. When John returned from Vietnam Carol was no longer pretty enough for him so he spent a number of years cheating on her with numerous women until he met Cindy, there was speculation that John was having an affair with Cindy while still married to Carol, oh gosh, surely not, not John, in any event he applied for a marriage license 90 days before his divorce was final with Carol, should suggest something was amiss.

Cindy is 18 years younger than John and has a very nice large "piggy bank". I am sure John could care less if it was wearing lipstick, after all, it was what that was inside that piggy bank that interested John.

If we take into consideration John's infidelity record, he has most likely had lipstick smeared all over him during his numerous affairs, I can think of no better example than that of "Lipstick on a Pig"!!

Jake,

So happy you addressed!! As a registered Republican and a white woman I am so tired of John McCain's lies. All the news media, fact check, analysts, etc. have proven and verified not true - he is lying.

John McCain himself lied - he personally stated she asked for no earmarks. This is a McCain induced question because he lied again!!

John McCain will not admit he is lying! Says he is telling truth. But everyone knows he is!! Evidence proves he lies all the time. All has been proven with documented verification.

Ear Marks statement is a lie!!

Why say "LIE"????? Guess we all need to all start saying John McCain lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies!! We all say it John McCain will/may hear!! America deserves the truth and an honest politician!! I am ashamed to say I am a registered Republican. Please go check!! Stand up for our rights for truth!!

Since when is it misogynist to ask a politician questions about his/her record and positions?!?!?!?!