Another day, another piece of the Palin "reformer" myth shattered:
Gov. Sarah Palin's signature accomplishment - a contract to build a 1,715-mile pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the Lower 48 - emerged from a flawed bidding process that narrowed the field to a company with ties to her administration, an Associated Press investigation shows.Beginning at the Republican National Convention in August, the McCain-Palin ticket has touted the pipeline as an example of how it would help America achieve energy independence.
Despite Palin's boast of a smart and fair bidding process, the AP found that her team crafted terms that favored only a few independent pipeline companies and ultimately benefited the winner, TransCanada Corp.
And contrary to the ballyhoo, there's no guarantee the pipeline will ever be built; at a minimum, any project is years away, as TransCanada must first overcome major financial and regulatory hurdles.
In short, Palin went against "legal guidance" and talked to TransCanada and other bidders. Her "pipeline team" had close ties to TransCanada, including one person who was "TransCanada's lead private lobbyist on the pipeline deal." The process she created did not "creat[e] a process that would attract many potential builders." And finally, TransCanada "had offered to build the pipeline without a state subsidy; under Palin, the company could receive a maximum $500 million."
There's a lot more about this slimy, "sweetheart deal," filled with lobbyists and conflicts of interest. Is that reform? Judge for yourself.
Palin's handling of this deal is the exact opposite of the kind of reform we need-- and directly contrary to the McCain platform. She claims to be an energy expert, too. I guess her expertise doesn't make her a more ethical person.
What WAS McCain thinking?