Palin’s Pipeline Doesn't Exist Yet -- And It May Never Be Built

When Sarah Palin takes the microphone at her campaign stops, she seeks to bolster her executive credentials by telling how she had engineered the deal that jump-started a long-delayed gas pipeline project. Covering a distance of more than 1,700 miles, it would deliver natural gas from Alaska to the lower 48 states and be the largest private-sector infrastructure project in North America.

There is no arguing the fact that she proved effective in attracting developers to a project that has eluded Alaska governors since the Jimmy Carter administration, but those who have examined the pipeline project have found that Palin has overstated both the progress that has been made and the certainty of success.

At this point, the pipeline exists only on paper, with the first section yet to be laid. The truth of the matter is that, although it is the centerpiece of Palin’s brief record as governor, the pipeline might never be built, and it is possible (admittedly under a worst-case scenario) that Alaska could lose as much as $500 million it committed to defray regulatory and other costs.

So here's a suggestion for Gov. Palin: be honest and up-front with your audiences. Don't knock it until you've given it a chance.