Adwatch: A disconnect on Palin's bridge claim

— -- The presidential campaigns of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain accused each other of lying Monday after McCain's team released its latest commercial.

Called Original Mavericks, the 30-second ad makes the case that it is Arizona Sen. McCain and running mate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin who will bring "real change" to Washington.

The script

Narrator:"The original mavericks. He fights pork barrel spending. She stopped the 'Bridge to Nowhere.' He took on the drug industry. She took on big oil. He battled Republicans and reformed Washington. She battled Republicans and reformed Alaska.

"They'll make history. They'll change Washington.

"McCain. Palin. Real change."

The images

The ad begins with the faces of McCain and Palin, together — to reinforce the message that they are a team. An American flag is in the background.

Then, as the narrator runs through the statements about each person, the images flip from McCain to Palin and back again.

As the ad comes to its end, the two are together again.

Reality check

It's the claim that Palin "stopped the 'Bridge to Nowhere' " that sparked the dispute. The reference is to a proposed bridge to a remote Alaskan community that would have cost the U.S. government more than $200 million. Palin has said repeatedly that she told the federal government: "Thanks, but no thanks."

As a candidate for governor, however, Palin supported the bridge.

"We need to come to the defense of southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table, like the bridge, and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative," Palin said in August 2006, according to the Ketchikan Daily News.

The non-partisan FactCheck.org has called Palin's claim that she blocked the project "a bridge too far."

When the ad was released, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton issued a statement accusing McCain's campaign of repeating a "lie." McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers issued a statement calling Burton's claim a "hysterical" attack and saying it was the Obama team that was lying because Palin "ultimately canceled the wasteful project."