Palin criticizes Baucus health bill in essay on her Facebook page

Oct 19 2009

Politico reports that "Former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin penned a tough but wonky critique Saturday night of the health care bill approved this week by the Senate Finance Committee. In a more than 1,000-word essay posted on her Facebook page shortly before midnight, Palin knocked the bill sponsored by Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) for not setting up proper cost offsets, but offered none of the more incinedary, 'death-panel' type claims that have marked her previous comments."

Politico added: "The tone of Palin's criticism Saturday was in stark contrast to her comments on health care in August, when she repeatedly railed against so-caller 'death panels' that would allegedly determined end of life care for elderly patients. The former Alaska governor was widely criticized by the White House and Democrats on Capitol Hill for the claim, which independent observers agreed was not an accurate deptiction of the bill. But comments however caught fire in the conservative grassroots and were echoed by several Republican lawmakers during a heated August debate fueled by raucous town halls. But Palin took a more tempered approach Saturday, arguing that 'Americans want health care reform because we want affordable health care'" (Barr, 10/18). 

CNN: "Palin focused on the cost of the new bill on Americans, especially the middle class: 'The Senate Finance bill is effectively a middle class tax increase … those making less than $200,000 will be hit hardest,' she said. She also lashed out at President Obama, noting that his administration promised Americans the unemployment rate would stay below 8 percent if Congress passed the stimulus plan, but currently unemployment is hovering just shy of 10 percent. She related this to the President's promise to not sign a heath care bill that adds to the deficit over the next decade. Palin asked, 'Should we believe the administration's claims about health care when their promises have proven so unreliable about the stimulus?'" (Kuhn, 10/18). 

The essay from Palin's Facebook page: Good Intentions Aren't Enough with Health Care Reform