Barack Obama, Joe Biden Bite Back at Sarah Palin
By David Saltonstall
Daily News Senior Correspondent
Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden went after rising GOP star Sarah Palin Monday, casting the vice presidential nominee as a flip-flopper with "extreme" views.
With his poll numbers sliding, Obama smacked Palin and GOP nominee John McCain for a new ad boasting that as governor of Alaska, she killed the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere," a $398 million span proposed for an island of 50 people.
In fact, Palin at first supported the bridge, numerous records show. As recently as July, she told reporters she pulled her support only after the bridge became a symbol of pork-barrel spending and she saw "the writing on the wall," a video Monday showed.
"I mean, you can't just make stuff up," Obama, stumping in Michigan, told CBS News. "You can't just reinvent yourself. The American people aren't stupid."
Just in case no one got the message, Obama's team later released a hard-hitting ad that disputed the GOP nominees' self-description as "mavericks," with Palin's bridge flip-flop Exhibit A.
"Politicians lying about their records?" says the ad. "You don't call that maverick. You call it more of the same."
The Democrats' tough talk came as new polls showed McCain surging since naming Palin to his ticket 11 days ago.
A USA Today/Gallup poll showed McCain up, 50% to 46%, among registered voters, the Republican's biggest lead since January. A Washington Post/ABC News survey found white women flocking to McCain, 53% to 41%, a statistical reversal from two weeks ago.
Republicans responded in kind, saying that as an Illinois senator, Obama had requested nearly $1 billion in pork projects through legislative earmarks.
"The only explanation for their hysterical attacks is that they're afraid that when John McCain and Sarah Palin are in the White House, Barack Obama's nearly $1 billion in earmark spending will stop dead in its tracks," McCain-Palin spokesman Brian Rogers said.
Earlier, Biden ramped up his rhetoric against Palin, saying the Alaska governor would soon have to defend her "fairly extreme" positions.
Asked to elaborate, aides to Biden later cited Palin's past statements expressing doubt that manmade pollution contributed to global warming as well as her opposition to stem-cell research and abortion, even in cases of rape.
The Democratic duo got an assist from former primary rival Hillary Clinton, who stumped through Florida for Obama.
Clinton argued that returning Republicans to the White House "is like asking the iceberg to save the Titanic." With News Wire Services
Reader Comments
What you do not know about Sarah Palin will hurt you. She is the terrorist who associates with terrorists. She is a liar and will do anything to get into the White House. It frightens me to think that! She and Todd have supported a radical group that thinks Alaska should secede from the rest of the country. Its members have spit upon and stepped on the flag! Yet at her rallies she can be seen wearing an Americal flag pin. How hyprocrical! Maybe she and her group should secede - she can head over to Russia since it is so close to her home!
Osama Obama
I heard that a man with the first name of Larry is saying that Obama was affiliated with terrorists. Is it true that in 1999 Obama either graduated or was in a "terrorist school"? If so, why in the world would we want a "terrorist" President? This is so scarry. Why haven't we heard about Obama's brother?
Obama
It's time to stop and take a look at Ms. PTA! In business, there has been a correlation of stay at home Mom's having "budget" and "personnel" management. Like running a small company, I do not want to have "Mom" running our country nor "Grandpa". Their "party" put the USA in the current situation over the past 8 years, I truly believe we won't be here in John Kerry had won ....Ohio> yeah, how much of not having enough voting machines available affected the election in Ohio?
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