Joel Award: Sarah Palin

It is time to give out another Joel Award. The award is given to a blogger, politician or pundit whom makes glaringly obvious contradictory statements.

Gov. Sarah Palin recently visited Washington to press Senator Mitch McConnell to support the stimulus package. Palin gave the Alaskan congressional delegation a laundry list of projects to add in the stimulus package.

I am writing to communicate some additional thoughts concerning the economic stimulus package now under discussion in Congress.

This letter compliments our previous list of four infrastructure projects that would support construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline. These bid-ready projects strongly reflect the goal of creating new jobs, both in construction and the operation of the pipeline, while also promoting sound national energy policy.

I strongly recommend that federal funds to states be allocated pursuant to formulas that are fair and equitable. As you know, formulas already exist in federal law for such programs as highways and bridges, aviation, and Medicaid. In those instances where there are no formulas- for example in the case of renewable energy projects and
ports and harbors-formulas and grant programs could be devised and included in the
economic stimulus package.

Palin's stimulus request includes transportation, Medicaid, Kodiak Launch Complex.

Publicly, Palin made this statement during her Washington visit.

“I agree with the decision of Senator Murkowski and Congressman Young to vote NO on the package,” Governor Palin said.

Palin went up to Washington to lobby for stimulus money. On the same trip, she told the media she was against the stimulus package. This is politics at it's most cynical. This is why Palin wins the Joel Award.