Palin: Out-and-Out LIAR

A disgusted Bob Somerby has the details here.  The issue is whether Palin vetoed the grotesque pork barrel boondoggle known as "The Bridge to Nowhere". Excerpt:

Yesterday, we noted the obvious. In fact, Palin never “told Congress” a bloomin’ thing about that much-derided bridge or earmark; Congress had removed itself from the matter thirteen months before she took office. But just to establish the fuller record, let’s ask two more obvious questions. When did Palin “champion reform to end the abuses of earmark spending by Congress?” And returning to her alleged defiance of Congress: When did Palin “tell Congress” that “if our state wanted a bridge, we'd build it ourselves?”

“If our state wanted a bridge, I said, we'd build it ourselves?” Question: When did Palin say or do something that dimly resembles that?

In our view, Palin’s statements about the bridge/earmark are essentially outright lies. Yesterday, though, the utterly hapless New York Times called them a “slight exaggeration.” But so it has gone in the past sixteen years, as lying became a Democratic disease in the press corps’ reliable scripts. In the journalism of the past sixteen years, Republicans have been allowed to misstate as much as they pleased. By way of contrast, the press corps has often invented lies, then pretended that Major Democrats said them. Covering Palin, hapless news orgs like the New York Times are enacting this drama again.

And no, that isn’t the only howler in Palin’s new stump presentation. In this passage from Friday’s speech, she gives an absurdly bowdlerized account of her vastly heroic work on behalf of Alaska’s tax-payers:

PALIN: Along with fellow reformers in the great state of Alaska, as governor I stood up to the old politics as usual, to the special interests, to the lobbyists, the big oil companies, and the good old boy network. When oil and gas prices went up so dramatically, and the state revenues followed with that increase, I sent a large share of that revenue directly back to the people of Alaska.

What a champion of the people! But Palin vastly misstates this heroic tale too. Once again, she has basically lied.

Dishonest. Liar. Utterly inexperienced. Right-wing fanatic.

Gee, it must have taken McCain about 15 minutes of research to come up with her. But it's not an important position. Just one that in nine instances has required its holder to become president of the United States. Just what in the hell kind of judgment is that?