On the look out for a Sarah Palin scandal, CNN on Friday examined the details of the jet Governor Palin put up on eBay. for claiming she sold it on eBay for a profit, but it was actually sold for a loss to a private buyer when the plane could not sell on the auction site.
Palin, in fact, did not lie or mislead about anything. She simply said she put the plane up on eBay.
The jet was originally bought for 2.7 million dollars by Palin's predecessor, Frank Murkowski, and it was eventually sold to a private buyer for 2.1 million dollars. The point was that she sold the jet, because it was costing the taxpayers too much money, but CNN caught John McCain incorrectly saying she sold it at a profit.
Given McCain’s excitement when explaining the eBay story, it seemed more like a miscommunication between parties than anything else. Moreover, CNN appeared to be shaming Palin for selling the plane at a loss to a private buyer, when the plane could not sell on eBay.
Bay Buchanan set the record straight on this bogus story when she was on CNN with Campbell Brown:
BUCHANAN: And as for that plane she absolutely saved the taxpayers' money. She got rid of it. She didn't even use it. She moved on. She didn't have expenditures on the budget line for the dumb plane. So give her credit for something. You know, Campbell you just did a piece. You went to Alaska.
You said she has 80 percent popularity. She is the most popular governor in the country by most count. Now you interviewed two or three people all who are her opponents, who don't like her... who she has ended up causing them to leave office or something. Where are the others? For every two you that you found that don't like her there's another eight that like her, but you guys seem to have overlooked that.
(Crosstalk)
BROWN: We had a room full of people sitting there talking about how wonderful she was. What are you talking about balance? We did an entire piece of people who support her. That's entirely unfair.
BUCHANAN: It's not entirely unfair. You all have just gone over...this show...this hour should be called why she's not what she says she is...the "anti-Sarah" show. C'mon.
BROWN: Let's me go over to Paul. Clearly, Bay Buchanan got the talking points from the McCain campaign. You're very much on message tonight.
BUCHANAN: I never read talking points, Campbell. I never read them and don't accuse me of such.
Paul Begala was not throwing a lifeline to Brown either. Even the former Clinton staffer agreed the eBay-plane story was a non-issue.
Brown might as well have called Buchanan "Baghdad Bob" when she resorted to accusing Buchanan of reading McCain campaign "talking points" the moment Buchanan set out the facts.
Brown more likely reacted this way toward Buchanan after realizing this story nose-dived as quickly as it was cobbled together.
