Palin used federal funds which she said she never took

New York, Sept.10 : Republican vice-presidential nominee and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been criticized for claiming that she turned down federal earmark spending for the "bridge to nowhere" in her native Alaska.

"I told Congress 'thanks but no thanks,' to that bridge to nowhere," Palin has said over and over on the campaign trail.

But according to the Obama campaign, Palin never rebuffed Congress.

The facts according to a CBS report are as follows:

After a year of supporting the proposed bridge, near Ketchikan, Palin pulled state funds from the project, which killed the bridge for good, but she never said "no thanks" to the Federal funds promised by Congress -- 233 million dollars.

Palin spent those federal tax dollars on other highway projects around Alaska, and as a candidate for governor, she defended every dollar for roads and bridges the state could wrangle from Washington, according to the Congressional Record and the Alaska Department of Transportation.

Palin's record on earmarks is mixed. Compared to the previous Governor, Palin's earmarks are down 44 percent, but stills totals more than 450 million dollars over two years.

By repeating the claim she said no thanks to the bridge, the implication is that she confronted a spendthrift Congress recklessly wasting money.

The record, however, shows she wanted that bridge until the end and kept the money.

ANI