(CNN) – For the second time since resigning the Alaska governorship more than a month ago, Sarah Palin is adding her voice to the fiery debate over health care. This time, Palin is hitting the pages of the Wall Street Journal as President Obama gets set to address a joint session of Congress on the issue.
"The answers offered by Democrats in Washington all rest on one principle: that increased government involvement can solve the problem. I fundamentally disagree," Palin writes in the 1,110 word op-ed in Wednesday's edition of the paper.
"Common sense tells us that the government's attempts to solve large problems more often create new ones," the former GOP vice presidential candidate continues. "Common sense also tells us that a top-down, one-size-fits-all plan will not improve the workings of a nationwide health-care system that accounts for one-sixth of our economy."
Palin, whose initial Facebook posting on so called "death panels" last month is credited with spurring heated opposition to the House Democratic health care proposal, again raises the now widely debunked claim a government panel could determine which senior citizens receive vital treatments.
"Is it any wonder that many of the sick and elderly are concerned that the Democrats' proposals will ultimately lead to rationing of their health care by-dare I say it-death panels?" she writes. "Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans."
Ultimately, Palin says, Congress looks like it will abandon this so called "death panel" legislation because Americans made their voices heard in the contentious town halls last August.
"But the fact remains that the Democrats' proposals would still empower unelected bureaucrats to make decisions affecting life or death health-care matters. Such government overreaching is what we've come to expect from this administration," she says.
A spokesman for the Democratic National Committee sharply hit back at that claim, saying "The way Sarah Palin is trying to scare Americans you'd think it's Halloween already."
"By continuing to peddle what Pulitzer Prize winning independent fact checkers have found to be ‘pants on fire’ lies and doubling down on the GOP recommendation to end Medicare for future generations, the only thing that's in costume here is Sarah Palin's supposed concern for the health care of Americans," said DNC Press Secretary Hari Sevugan.
Palin also takes issue with the president's assertion Democrats' heath care proposals will reign in costs and eliminate the waste and inefficiency that currently characterizes the system.
Citing the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, Palin says currently proposed health care legislation will do little to bring down cost but instead cause the federal deficit to skyrocket by more than $200 billion over the next decade.
"Only in Washington could a plan that adds hundreds of billions to the deficit be hailed as a cost-cutting measure," writes Palin.
Instead, Palin argues the true solution to health care lies in "market oriented, patient-centered, and result driven" measures such as providing tax benefits for those who get health car coverage from their jobs, providing seniors on Medicare vouchers to buy their own coverage, and allowing people to buy health care insurance across state lines.
From CNN Politics
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She is a pure idiot
Oh, please! Why is this sorry excuse for a woman still news? Does she think if she screams "Death Panels" it will deflect from the very unflattering Vanity Fair article about her?
Discussions regarding end of life decisions are everywhere already.
Been admitted to the hospital lately? They ask if you have a "Directive" or "DNR" (Do Not Resusitate)
Have a parent or relative in a nursing home? Yup, they ask the same questions AND ENCOURAGE your family to talk about them.
Know anyone with a terminal illness? Their doctors ask them the same questions, plus a whole bunch more.
This isn't about Death Panels, it about whether doctors get reimbursed and how much, when they have these kind of discussions with patients.
This is about keeping her name in the news until she can finish her book.
Yeah, we just convened a death panel down here in Texas, and we decided that Ms. Palin should be our first victim. Sarah, please report to our fertilizer plant in Austin for processing.
I wonder if she believes in the Easter Bunny too?
I hope every American who votes for this "nut job" gets just what they deserve -
So,even though her claim has repeatedly been proven to be false,Sarah Palin is still coming at people with this bs? Why can't this lady just go away.
This woman has more that one screw loose! It's time for her to climb under a rock and accept her insignificance!
We are dealing with room temp ID here.
Isn't that what insurance companies – unelected, non-medically trained bureaucrats – are already doing. All I want is the same level of care that our elected government voted for itself. They seem to keep pretty healthy.
Just mind-blowing how stupid this woman is.
Yeah, "death panels" rang true for many Americans because many Americans are just as ignorant as you are. Please, please go away!!!
CNN– why do you INSIST on continuing to publish the delusional ravings of a non-too-smart crazy person? WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THIS IDIOT- DROP IT ALREADY!
Who cares what this quitter thinks. Her opinion has no value.
Please - someone wake this woman!
The Republicans would be well advised to start distancing themselves from this blowhard immediately.
All this lady does is hurt our country. These issue are way too complex for her to comprehend and offer valuable critique and if she cant do that just imagine the solution she would support...
This woman is an idiot.
Palin knows one thing. . . She will get validating attention from News networks no matter what nonsense she spews because the 24 hour news networks love a conflict more than anything. Doesn't matter if she is bringing down the level of discourse to something that belongs on a primary school yard, just so long as CNN can spin it as a conflict.
Well done CNN, Palin isn't McCain's gift to politics, She is officially your gift to modern political discourse.
Well Done CNN, well done.
Brainless ... clueless ... she seems like a strong spokesperson for the Republican Party. In fact, with this kind of blither she will probably displace Rush as the leading spokesperson for the party. All she needs to do is assert that the "Death Panels" are populated by Nazi lovers.
Common sense also tells us that Palin is a wombat. Has she even read the President's proposal to Congress on health care? Oh, that's right...She's too busy reading all those informative mainstream magazines and news papers, the names of which she couldn't remember last election. In other words, Palin is well known to be grossly uninformed, essentially remaining in a self-perpetual state of ignorance. But, she's pretty and has a nice smile...so we should listen to her.
The health care debate is a glaring example that our system of government is unable to solve the difficult problems we face as a nation and is completely broken.
Why do they let her keep talking???
Her blatant manipulation of truth through characterization is just plain scary. She is a cult of personality. It would be one thing if she actually knew what she was talking about but she doesn't, she's just a demagogue trying to wage ideological war with a flock of ignorant sheeple.
Why Oh why are you giving voice to this woman!!! You know, it's because of this kind of reporting, reporting lies, that you are causing all of the problems we are seeing now!!!
Oh boy, here she goes again with baseless claims. Palin you need to get yourself more educated in politics than say anything else.
No wonder you quitted. And who listens to quiters these days anyway?
Certainly not the America i know..