Legal Commentary

Palin the Politician v. Palin the Reformer

By TChris

John McCain tells us that Sarah Palin is a "reformer" because she fought against the abuse of earmarks. Palin echoed that theme, saying "I've championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress."

Of course, one politician's abuse is another politician's gravy. During Palin's first year as Alaska's governor, she asked Ted Stevens to seek $550 million in earmarks for Alaska, more than $800 per resident. She claims to be a reformer because, after President Bush insisted on a cutback in earmarks (and after the "bridge to nowhere" fiasco), Palin's second year request for earmarks sought only $198 million, about $295 per resident.

That sounds like it might be "reform" until you consider this:

Other states got just $34 worth of local projects per person this year, on average, according to Citizens Against Government Waste, a Washington-based watchdog group.

Talk is cheap. Earmarks aren't. Especially in Alaska, where earmarks are "close to sacrosanct." [more ...]

To be clear, the job of a governor is to benefit the state. If Gov. Palin was able to redistribute federal tax dollars from the lower 48 to Alaska, she was doing her job. But to say (as she did) that she "championed reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress" is just silly. She might argue that only earmarks going to other states were "abused" and that Alaska's earmarks were necessary, but that argument can be made by every earmark recipient.

Palin played the earmark game just as enthusiastically when she was mayor -- and again, that's likely what her constituents wanted her to do.

In her earlier political career as mayor of Wasilla, Palin hired a private lobbyist to help the tiny town secure earmarks from Stevens, entering Washington's "pay to play" culture in which lobbyists, campaign contributions and lawmakers are intertwined. The town obtained 14 earmarks, totaling $27 million between 2000-2003, according to data compiled by Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The earmarks undoubtedly benefited Wasilla. They included funding for a youth shelter, a transportation hub, and sewer repairs. Whether Wasilla, population 7,000 and a moose, needed $15 million for a rail project might be questionable, but Wasillans likely welcomed the money. Palin got it for them. That's what effective politicians do.

But painting oneself as a "reformer" in light of that record is a hard sell to anyone who lets facts stand in the way of perception.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on September 02, 2008 (boomark / email).