Palin's pipeline - less than meets the eye

PolitiFact.com
By Alexander Lane
Published on Monday, September 15th, 2008

SUMMARY: On the campaign trail, it's a central part of her campaign speech to demonstrate a get-it-done record of accomplishment. But the enormous pipeline Sarah Palin touts is nowhere near as far along as her rhetoric suggests.

In Alaska, Gov. Sarah Palin's work on a new natural gas pipeline is as big a part of her resume as any other single issue.

Now she is using it to shape her persona as Sen. John McCain's vice-presidential candidate. She has cited her work on the pipeline as evidence of her ability to stand up to big oil companies, promote energy independence and just generally get things done.

"I fought to bring about the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history," Palin said in her speech at the Republican National Convention on Sept. 3, 2008, and in a radio address three days later.

"We began a nearly $40-billion natural gas pipeline to help lead America to energy independence."

She returned to the matter in a speech in Virginia on Sept. 10, 2008: "Through competition as governor, I got agreements to build a nearly $40-billion natural gas pipeline," she told the crowd.

That all sounds quite impressive. But it's not true that Palin got an agreement to build the pipeline, as we explain here. Nor does the evidence support the claim that it would cost $40-billion and be the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North American history, as we explain here.

(Continued here, with hot links.)