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"We Did Well!"

Radley Balko | September 3, 2008, 9:39pm

The Washington Independent combs through public records in Wasilla, Alaska and finds a news clipping reporting how various Alaska towns fared in the annual funding sweepstakes.  There, in Sarah Palin's own handwriting, is a big circle around the graph noting that Wasilla's $2.5 million take led the region.

"We did well!!!" Palin boasts with triple exclamation marks, adding that the article didn't include an additional $1 million in federal money to pave the Wasilla airport.

That's $3.5 million in federal earmarks for water treatment, airport paving, and "pedestrian walkways" in a town of 9,000. 

Meticulously vetted!  Has bravely risked her political career fighting earmarks and government waste!

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Comments to ""We Did Well!"":

mantooth | September 3, 2008, 10:04pm | #

The liberals are running scared, I tells ya!

SIV | September 3, 2008, 10:05pm | #

You sound partisan Radley

What is the date on the bottom of the clipping 10 years ago? I'd say it was damaging if it was from 6 months ago.

joe | September 3, 2008, 10:07pm | #

Ten years ago, she was doing the sports cast, I think.

Potts | September 3, 2008, 10:09pm | #

...and not running as a "reformer."

What a joke.

BDB | September 3, 2008, 10:09pm | #

9iu1ian1 looks like hes speaking from a sewer or waste treatment plant or something.

Did they learn nothing from the puke green background debacle?

Mr. Nice Guy | September 3, 2008, 10:11pm | #

"You sound partisan Radley"

Coming from SIV you should take that as a compliment of your objectivity Radley.

Mr. Nice Guy | September 3, 2008, 10:12pm | #

BDB
That background is sick. Is Michael Brown running that screen?

Spolk Retnuj | September 3, 2008, 10:13pm | #

A politician's integrity and stances are only assets during the campaign season. Once they are in office, all that matters is political manipulation skills. I don't know how good Palin is at siphoning off federal funds relative to other pols, but from McCain's perspective her ability to do so is a feature, not a bug. So I wouldn't say that she is a bad pick just because of stuff like this.

Brian | September 3, 2008, 10:15pm | #

Am I the only one that thinks about Ron Paul when they hear this? I forget, do we still hate him for doing the same exact thing?

Bingo | September 3, 2008, 10:15pm | #

The Ghoul has some nice rhetoric about putting your country and your children in McCain's hands... A Father for our Great Country!

/godwin

Troy | September 3, 2008, 10:15pm | #

Rudy "Mr. 9/11" Gulianni just said.... "as a trial lawyer, I learned, if you don't have the facts, you have to change them." So i wonder if he ever changed fact get people put in prison?

Bingo | September 3, 2008, 10:17pm | #

Damn, he looks mad that the Dems forgot to mention 9/11 a whole bunch at their convention!

BDB | September 3, 2008, 10:18pm | #

"Democratic Party". Wow, twice now.

troy | September 3, 2008, 10:18pm | #

Damn, I thought Rudy "Mr. 9/11" Gulianni, was actually going to get through his speech without invoking 9/11.

BDB | September 3, 2008, 10:19pm | #

The NYC skyline in the background (With Rudy in the Hudson) is worth at least two shots.

Bingo | September 3, 2008, 10:20pm | #

There are some haggard looking bitches there, damn.

BDB | September 3, 2008, 10:21pm | #

No, Rudy, I'm not a Georgian, I'm an American.

But you ARE a massive interventionist tool.

SIV | September 3, 2008, 10:22pm | #

Un-divided Jerusalem?

Some place called Georgia that I don't already live in?

I'm no isolationist but this isn't relevant to my interests.

SIV | September 3, 2008, 10:24pm | #

Cosmopolitan!

Drink?

Eck | September 3, 2008, 10:24pm | #

I already donated to Obama today, but every other sentence makes me want to do it again. These neanderthals are going to bleed me dry aren't they?

BDB | September 3, 2008, 10:26pm | #

"Drink?"

Already there. God, I really hate Giuliani. So much.

♪ | September 3, 2008, 10:29pm | #

Of course that $3.5 million would have gone unspent, if not for earmarks! The executive branch would not have spent it elsewhere!

armchairpunter | September 3, 2008, 10:30pm | #

Is there moral equivalence between the local earmark seeker and the D.C. earmark procurer? I agree that neither should put their greasy mittens on my hard-earned ingots, but am hard pressed to assign equal blame to the state and local officials.

Bingo | September 3, 2008, 10:30pm | #

Reminds me of high school when we would applaud for 20 mins so we didn't have to go back to class. Jesus fucking christ people.

Bingo | September 3, 2008, 10:31pm | #

STOP APPLAUDING

Coarsetad | September 3, 2008, 10:39pm | #

Wow... Trig is either dead or drugged.

Brian | September 3, 2008, 10:41pm | #

Or, you know, a baby with Down Syndrome.

coarsetad | September 3, 2008, 10:45pm | #

Sorry, I'll make a comment on her policy issues, as soon as she mentions one.

Brian | September 3, 2008, 10:56pm | #

Policy issues? Conventions are glorified pep rallies, so don't hold your breath. Then again, you're already a step above Andrew Sullivan on the evolutionary ladder. He's probably packed up his beagles for the long car ride to Alasksa in order to pull a little Mission Impossible stunt in that hospital.

Tony | September 4, 2008, 5:18pm | #

Who gives a crap about earmarks? I swear that's the biggest pandering waste of hot air... why don't we just take a razor to the top of the "defense" budget and fund things that don't involve bombing brown people for a while?