A Different View

TPM busts McCain for lying on The View (wow... McCain went on The View?):

It's become pathological. John McCain just claimed on TV that Sarah Palin has never requested an earmark for her state -- when actually her state gets more earmarks than any other state in the country. And this year she asked for $197 million worth of them herself.

Even the AP couldn't ignore his lying -- even though they phrased it in their own anemic way. "When pressed about Palin's record of requesting and accepting such money for Alaska, McCain ignored the record and said: "Not as governor she didn't."

For the record Palin requested $197 million this year and $256 million last year. Per capita, that's $288 this year and $376 last year.

To give you some perspective, Palin herself requested at least ten times the dollar value of earmarks as most states get total every year.

Here's the transcript, below. Is he intentionally lying or just oblivious? I think I'm going to have to take lying for $10, Alex.

Barbara Walters: What is she going to reform, specifically, Senator?

McCain: Well, first of all, earmark spending, which she vetoed a half a billion dollars worth in the state in alaska.

Barbara, and others: She also took some earmarks

McCain: No, not as governor she didn't.

Barbara: [inaudible]

McCain: Well, look, the fact is she's a reform governor...