On a 49-degree Monday outside the White House, President Joe Biden spoke at length about the political success of the infrastructure bill he was about to sign into law.
He spoke for so long, that after his remarks, Congressman Don Young of Alaska remarked, “We were wondering when you were gonna stop. We damn near froze to death,” as caught on a live microphone. Young was attending the signing ceremony and is credited with helping craft the bipartisan legislation to rebuild roads, bridges, and expand broadband.
During Biden’s remarks, the president talked about all of his experience as Vice President under Barack Obama, when he had the responsibility for overseeing and implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), a $900 billion emergency package.
“I’m proud to say that when we finished implementing that Recovery Act, it was determined that there had been less than two tenths of 1 percent waste, fraud, or abuse.
Biden spoke about how he communicated extensively with mayors and every governor except one:
“I won’t mention that; save one,” he said laughing, “She could see Alaska from her porch…” he said, referring to former Gov. Sarah Palin.
Palin was skewered by Saturday Night Live in a skit in which actress Tina Fey portrayed Palin and Amy Poehler portrayed then-Senator Hillary Clinton addressed the nation on topics of sexism, the presidential election, global warming, and the fact that they did not agree on anything at all.
Palin was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee alongside Arizona Sen.John McCain. On Oct. 2, 2008, Palin and then-Sen. Joe Biden debated for 90 minutes in the only vice presidential debate of the campaign.
Since that Saturday Night Live skit in 2013, many commentators on social media, in the corporate media, and elsewhere actually believe or have joked that Palin said she could see Russia from her house. Biden twisted the joke yet again in 2021 to make it sound like Palin could see Alaska from her house … which is in Wasilla.
