Palin on 'True' State of the Union: 'Venal Politicians' Bankrupting Nation

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wrote Wednesday that America is a nation being bankrupt by a federal government led by “venal politicians” in her response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address. 

“What is the true state of our union? Though this may sound harsh, I’ll speak the truth here,” Palin wrote. “We are a country going bankrupt to fund a bloated, distant, and often corrupt federal government led by venal politicians more concerned with paying off their campaign cronies and consolidating their own power than in preserving the constitutional republic that so many have fought and died for (including our brave men and women in uniform who were barely mentioned last night).”

Palin has assailed the “permanent political class” since her landmark speech in Indianola, Iowa in 2011 that introduced that language into the political bloodstream. Director Stephen K. Bannon and Peter Schweizer’s Government Accountability Institute have assailed D.C. as a “boomtown” that produces nothing but continues to get wealthier by expanding the size and scope of government. 

During the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Palin live-tweeted with the “#SOTUGottaBKiddingMe” hashtag, assailing Obama and Washington, D.C.’s permanent political class for their cronyism. After the speech, Palin called out Obama for not honoring slain ex-Navy Seal Chris Kyle or U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens during the address. After attending Kyle’s funeral on Monday, Palin said Obama needed to “pay his respects” to the fallen American hero. 

“If you missed President Obama’s State of the Union address last night, you didn’t miss much – especially if you watched any of his past four State of the Union addresses,” Palin wrote. “We heard the same recycled rhetoric, and we heard his Orwellian declaration that the cornucopia of new federal programs he proposed, as well as his intention to eradicate world poverty, wouldn’t ‘increase our deficit by a single dime.'”

Palin also referenced Paul Krugman, “one of President Obama’s economic cheerleaders at the New York Times,” who last week was “remarkably candid” when he said “death panels and taxes is how we do this.” 

“But wait, I thought there’d be no such thing as ‘death panels,’ liberal liars?” Palin asked sardonically.

“This is the long-term forecast for the state of America under Obama’s failed policies: middle class taxes and death panels,” Palin wrote. 

Left-wing politicians and journalists ridiculed Palin when she predicted the Affordable Care Act would lead to bureaucratic death panels rationing treatment. Politifact named “death panels” its Lie of the Year in 2009.  

“Our country didn’t weather a Revolution, two World Wars, a Civil War, a Great Depression, and countless other political and economic storms, just to be sunk by the dangerous policies of this current administration,” Palin wrote. “We’re stronger than this. As President Reagan said, ‘I do not believe in a fate that will fall on us no matter what we do. I do believe in a fate that will fall on us if we do nothing.'”

Palin concluded by urging Republicans to get ready for the 2014 midterm elections:  “So, do something. 2014 is just around the corner. Get motivated! Get organized. America, don’t retreat. In the words of yet another White House program, ‘Let’s move.'”