Palin's claim of selling state jet on eBay revealed as a lie
Monday, 8 September 2008
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Sarah Palin bolstered her reputation as a reformer – and got one of her biggest cheers in her Republican convention speech last week – when she said she had sold the governor's official jet on eBay as her first act on taking office in Alaska.
What she didn't say was that the aircraft had failed to sell over the internet and was eventually sold off at a loss.
Governor Palin won her spot as the Republican vice-presidential nominee in part because John McCain saw in her a little of his own campaign theme of cutting government waste and his reputation as a maverick.
And he has since claimed on the stump that his running mate sold the jet for a profit on the internet auction site. The spin, though, has been over-spun. Inquiries by the journalists and Democratic party operatives who have descended on Alaska have turned up quite different facts: namely, that the jet was hauled off eBay after failing to attract decent bids.
The Westwind II jet had been bought for $2.7m in 2005 by Mrs Palin's predecessor as governor, Frank Murkowski. It had become one of the symbols of excess in the governor's mansion which would help the young, right-wing Mrs Palin sweep to power the following year.
"That luxury jet was over the top," she told the convention last week, in a feisty speech that was watched by 37 million on TV and established the self-described "hockey mom" as a scrappy new force in national politics. Grinning, she said: "I put it on eBay."
John McCain then repeated the eBay claim during a Wisconsin campaign stop.
"You know what I enjoyed the most? She took the luxury jet that was acquired by her predecessor and sold it on eBay -- and made a profit!" McCain declared.
The video tribute to Palin that aired at the Republican National Convention made the same claim. "She signed sweeping ethics reform legislation, auctioned the governor's jet on eBay," the narrator said, citing it in a list of Palin's achievements.
In fact when it was listed on eBay it attracted only one serious bid, and that fell through. Dan Spencer, director of administrative services at Alaska's Public Safety Department, told reporters that John Harris, the speaker of the Alaska House, then brokered a sale to Larry Reynolds, a businessman who made campaign contributions to both Mrs Palin and Mr Harris.
Mr Reynolds paid only $2.1m for the aircraft, and now wants $50,000 from the Alaskan taxpayer to cover maintenance costs. The discrepancies in the tale have given additional material to Democrats trying to counter Mrs Palin's popular appeal.
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I saw the speech - Palin did not say she "sold it on eBay", she said she "put it on eBay"-please understand the difference. That it didn't sell there, and was sold elsewhere was easily misunderstood, and a detail of little consequence. The bottom line was that she found a buyer who would pay a reasonable price for the used aircraft.
Used equipment virtually never sells for the "new" price - implying that the buyer got a special deal. Getting ~78% of the "new" price for a 3-yr-old asset seems quite reasonable.
Posted by Jon | 11.09.08, 17:34 GMT
Stephen Foley,
Your article is an attempt to discredit Sarah Palin by making her look like a liar. She’s not a liar, she said that she put it on e-bay, not that she sold it on e-bay and that’s a fact not a lie!!!! What she sold the old bird for was not a bad price (2.1) for the age of this Jet. It’s not her fault the ex-governor paid too much (2.7 m) for this Jet. As far as making a “PROFIT” when you consider the pay for a pilot, fuel, or maintenance for a jet now, it is a profit. Sarah in her first year saved the state $370,000 in travel expense over the previous Governor . Hello Stephen, did we fail to mention this. Do me a favor Stephen, next time get all the facts correct and report all the facts. I understand that if you were to do this, you would not be able to “imply” Sarah is a liar.
Posted by Norman | 09.09.08, 16:48 GMT
She never said it sold, she said she put it on ebay, in other words, she did not want it...she is too much of a reformer to have a wasteful thing like a jet around, and as for McCain saying it was a profit, technically it is, the state is not having to pay for a pilot, fuel, or maintenance for a jet now, so it is a profit, over what the former governor had...you people just can't stand that a conservative, smart woman has bested liberal cronies. Ms Palin, you are indeed a breath of fresh air in our stagnant arena of politicians, not only in Alaska, but the lower, and i do mean lower, 48
Posted by rebeka | 09.09.08, 12:07 GMT
The lies that the Republican party continually spin, is making it very difficult for a patriot like me to be proud. Thank you for your honest coverage. Too bad the corporate media of America is not more fair.
Posted by Naida | 09.09.08, 10:05 GMT
She tried to tell people she sold it on eBay to look hip and to look like she she is an ordinary person ready to take action. McCain repeated the lie. But there is much more to it than this. Truth is she sold it to one of her campaign contributors - Reynolds. But she isn't going highlight that is she?? Wake up sheep!
Posted by Parah Salin | 08.09.08, 16:55 GMT
OK tool; you should stick to covering politics on your side of the pond because you obviously can't keep up over here. What Gov. Palin said was "I put it on e-bay" which she did twice. So your whole lie angle doesn't hold water.
Posted by Lk | 08.09.08, 16:42 GMT