Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive

RightinNYC · 09-24-08, 12:51 AM

Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive - CNN.com

Quote:

By Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston
CNN Special Investigations Unit

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.

And both voted for the final transportation bill that included the $223 million earmark for the Alaska project.

An amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, would have stripped the money appropriated to connect the Alaskan coastal city of Ketchikan to its airport on sparsely populated Gravina Island and diverted the money to Louisiana.

But Biden and Obama and 80 of their colleagues rejected the measure, an amendment to a massive 2005 transportation bill that funded thousands of projects across the country.

I'm posting about this not just because I think it's noteworthy, but because I can't believe that CNN's "Special Investigations Unit" is just picking up on this. If only they'd checked out DP a couple weeks ago...

ADK_Forever · 09-24-08, 01:01 AM

Yep, they sure did. Ain't politicians strange bedfellows?

Willravel · 09-24-08, 01:09 AM

Wow, this looks pretty bad for them. Do we know the name of the amendment? Is it for the 2005 Transportation Equity Act?

jujuman13 · 09-24-08, 01:45 AM

*This is the ad that Obama is doing his best to get banned and has threatened stations that air it.

Breitbart.tv Obama Connection To Capitol Bomber William Ayers Topic Of New Ad

Objective Voice · 09-24-08, 01:14 PM

FactCheck.org has this on their website.

I must say even I was surprised by this revelation. I'd be curious to hear how they justify voting for the bill that contained the earmarks, as well as why they voted against the amendment when the earmarks could have been diverted to a much more worthy cause. The only thing I can think of is they believed it was the responsibility of FEMA to handle the aftermath of Katrina and not direct government intervention. Lame excuse, I know, but it's the only thing that would make sense to me.

konovik · 09-24-08, 01:50 PM

Biden and Obama are not earmarks champions and they don't lie about their past, Its Palin who claimed to oppose bridge to no where.

Any way earmarks don't matter much because they are only 0.5% of total budget. Every year they spend $15-20 billions on earmarks which is nothing compared to $700 billions bailout and $600 billions military budget. CNN is making a issue out of non issue. They should put Palin's road to no where story on front page ($26 million waste).

The bridge failed, but the 'Road to Nowhere' was built - CNN.com

American · 09-24-08, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by konovik

Biden and Obama are not earmarks champions and they don't lie about their past, Its Palin who claimed to oppose bridge to no where.

Any way earmarks don't matter much because they are only 0.5% of total budget. Every year they spend $15-20 billions on earmarks which is nothing compared to $700 billions bailout and $600 billions military budget. CNN is making a issue out of non issue. They should put Palin's road to no where story on front page ($26 million waste).

The bridge failed, but the 'Road to Nowhere' was built - CNN.com

Are you saying Obama never voted for an earmark?

Willravel · 09-24-08, 02:02 PM

American, I think the point is that Obama hasn't been running around demanding the heads of those that got earmarks like McCain has (and now Palin does).

Obama's been pretty clear about his earmark votes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us...4campaign.html

American · 09-24-08, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willravel

American, I think the point is that Obama hasn't been running around demanding the heads of those that got earmarks like McCain has (and now Palin does).

Obama's been pretty clear about his earmark votes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us...4campaign.html

I know a lot about one the earmarks in that article.

RightinNYC · 09-24-08, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willravel

Wow, this looks pretty bad for them. Do we know the name of the amendment? Is it for the 2005 Transportation Equity Act?

U.S. Senate: Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote

Coburn Amendment to HR 3058

09-24-08, 01:01 AM	#2
ADK_Forever Guru Join Date: Sep 2008 Last Seen: Yesterday 11:50 PM Posts: 2,645 Thanks: 681 Thanked 696 Times in 510 Posts Total Awards: 1	Re: Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive Yep, they sure did. Ain't politicians strange bedfellows?

09-24-08, 01:09 AM	#3
Willravel User Join Date: Dec 2005 Last Seen: 09-30-08 12:11 AM Posts: 76 Thanks: 20 Thanked 24 Times in 17 Posts Lean: Liberal Gender:	Re: Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive Wow, this looks pretty bad for them. Do we know the name of the amendment? Is it for the 2005 Transportation Equity Act?

09-24-08, 01:45 AM	#4
jujuman13 Professor Join Date: Jun 2006 Last Seen: Yesterday 06:24 PM Posts: 2,464 Thanks: 805 Thanked 280 Times in 183 Posts Lean: Independent Gender:	Re: Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive *This is the ad that Obama is doing his best to get banned and has threatened stations that air it. Breitbart.tv Obama Connection To Capitol Bomber William Ayers Topic Of New Ad

09-24-08, 01:14 PM	#5
Objective Voice Educator Join Date: Apr 2008 Last Seen: Today 11:07 AM Location: Huntsville, AL (USA) Posts: 948 Thanks: 121 Thanked 252 Times in 174 Posts Lean: Moderate Gender:	Re: Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive FactCheck.org has this on their website. I must say even I was surprised by this revelation. I'd be curious to hear how they justify voting for the bill that contained the earmarks, as well as why they voted against the amendment when the earmarks could have been diverted to a much more worthy cause. The only thing I can think of is they believed it was the responsibility of FEMA to handle the aftermath of Katrina and not direct government intervention. Lame excuse, I know, but it's the only thing that would make sense to me.
	Last edited by Objective Voice; 09-24-08 at 01:15 PM.

09-24-08, 01:50 PM	#6
konovik User Join Date: Sep 2008 Last Seen: 09-24-08 01:51 PM Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive Biden and Obama are not earmarks champions and they don't lie about their past, Its Palin who claimed to oppose bridge to no where. Any way earmarks don't matter much because they are only 0.5% of total budget. Every year they spend $15-20 billions on earmarks which is nothing compared to $700 billions bailout and $600 billions military budget. CNN is making a issue out of non issue. They should put Palin's road to no where story on front page ($26 million waste). The bridge failed, but the 'Road to Nowhere' was built - CNN.com

09-24-08, 02:02 PM	#8
Willravel User Join Date: Dec 2005 Last Seen: 09-30-08 12:11 AM Posts: 76 Thanks: 20 Thanked 24 Times in 17 Posts Lean: Liberal Gender:	Re: Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive American, I think the point is that Obama hasn't been running around demanding the heads of those that got earmarks like McCain has (and now Palin does). Obama's been pretty clear about his earmark votes: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/us...4campaign.html

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