Sarah Palin's Vague Debt Threat

This afternoon Sarah Palin issued a vague threat to freshman Republicans just ahead of the House vote on a bill to reduce the deficit and raise the debt ceiling. Does Palin want Republicans to vote it down? She wouldn't say precisely. On her Facebook page, Palin cited quotations from a 2010 letter she issued to Republicans reminding them that they "campaigned on a promise to rein in out-of-control government spending... promises that you must keep." She punctuated her reminder with an ominous post script: "P.S. Everyone I talk to still believes in contested primaries."

So does that mean she's threatening to run hard-right candidates against Republicans who vote for the bill supported by House Speaker Boehner in the next election? A number of conservative Republicans were upset that the GOP's Cut Cap and Balance bill was abandoned. But those left puzzling over her Facebook postings were just as confused as we are.

"That could be a threat -- suggesting that she won’t support members of Congress who vote to raise the debt ceiling – or a reference to her 2012 aspirations."

"Palin, who is considering a bid for the White House in 2012, has said raising the debt ceiling is inevitable, but that Republicans "better get something out of it." She has also been a proponent of the "Cut, Cap, and Balance" pledge passed through the Republican-controlled House and failed in the Senate."

"If she were any clearer, they would have woken up with horse’s heads in their beds this morning."

For Geraghty, it's clear she's asking them to vote against the Boehner bill. Giving Boehner a little support, he justifies the speaker's position.

Of course, in the eyes of John Boehner and his allies, his plan is the best remaining option to stick to the principles that propelled their campaigns, rein in out-of-control government spending, and so on. And it’s not like Boehner’s plan is generating much pats on the back from “the Left in the media.”

But their support for a bill that would have borrowed and spent trillions more, just like Obama wanted, is just one more brick in that wall.

Been reading some of the things you've written lately and agree with a fair share. I get the frustration.

I reluctantly was pulling for CCB insofar that it trimmed 6 or 7 trillion off the estimated 9 or 10 trillion to be borrowed over ten years. Capped expenditures as a percentage of GDP and forced a vote on the BBA. Figured it was a start. I am certain that if the Conservative cause would have not approved the raise in the debt ceiling, we would have "owned" the economy forever after. With SO many people on the dole, the media would have focused on soup kitchens, homeless shelters, etc. ad infinitum and the discussion would have never been changed from that scene and pointing out everyday that the Tea Party "caused it". Would have been too much of a system shock imo. Wish it wasn't so, but that's how I see it. But I also figure that we have about a one in ten shot of not having "soup kitchen America" within a few years anyway.

Not very happy about what did pass. It for sure is a boon for the establishment. Don't know of any other way to control our destiny right now but for winning elections and throwing out the dead wood.

The key thing to remember is that what passed is pretty much what both parties were after all along. I’ve told everyone right along: focus on the amount of the increase of borrowing authority. Everything else is just political butt-covering and posturing for the next election.

Frankly, for the last couple of days I’ve had to be a bit compulsive about posting certain things. Because it seemed like folks were getting suckered because key facts were being left out.

I think the word has gotten out now, though. Pretty much.

“You guys ran on cutting spendind and balancing the budget. If you cave there are others who will run for your seat who will see what happened to you and will replace you.” Good for Sarah.

I’m sure this puts tears in boner’s (pronounced bay-ner) eyes.”

So true

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