The bridge was pretty much out of the picture when Gov. Palin took office, and the funds had been released for use elsewhere on Alaska’s roads. Gov. Palin did let the world and her constituents know back in September 2007 that after looking into the recommendations, she recognized that the funds would be much better spent on other roadway maintenance.

Does this mean she lied? Or just stretched the truth? Or does it simply mean she’s human and has stated her case the way she remembers it to have been.

I can give her, at this point, the benefit of the doubt.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090103148.html?

From a 9/1/08 Reuters Story:
“She said ‘thanks but no thanks,’ but they kept the money…”

http://www.reuters.com/article

So far, I’ve seen the defense that she has more executive experience than Obama or Biden. That’s a bit like saying someone that managed a corner bookstore can step into 2nd of command of a major international corporation tomorrow. Yeah, you just might get lucky and get a real virtuoso that turns out to be a brilliantly lucky selection, but it’s way more likely that…well, you get my point. Call me picky, but being mayor of a town that small usually means your biggest problem is worrying about whether or not the city dog catcher is doing his job well. (Another heebie-jeebie moment – she apparently asked the library director if she would be ok with censorship of certain books and when the director said yes, Palin backed off and said it was just a hypothetical question. Why even ASK that question?!?)

Oh, but she’s been commander of the Alaska National Guard, comes the rebuttal. The AKNG has just 4,000 members, and according to their commander while the governor has a hand in dealing with natural disasters and such, the governor is not privy to national security matters. How many natural disasters that required the mobilization of the AKNG have happened in the last 20 months, I wonder?

I’ve seen figures that place between a 15 and 20 percent chance of McCain not surviving his presidency based on his age and health history. I’ve seen an estimate of as high as another 20 percent that we would suffer a health incident that would remove him from the helm for long-term (weeks or months) or perhaps permanently (stroke, for example).

Now, with that in mind, tell me honestly – does the thought of President Palin dealing with Putin, Ahmadenijad, or Kim Jong Il give you any comfort at all?

For all that Obama may not be the greatest choice in the world, we’ve at least had a year or more to get a handle on him and numerous debates and campaigning events and speeches and he’s a known quantity. We’ve got about 2 months to learn about Palin, and so far her comments haven’t thrilled me – not when just a month or two ago she was asking what it is that a Vice President does all day.

To vote, or not to vote…that is the question….sigh.