Inglis goes after Palin: 'Lowest form of political leadership'
(CNN) - Republican Rep. Bob Inglis, who last month lost a primary battle to retain his seat, is now taking aim at some members of his own party - the second ousted Republican to express frustration with the GOP in as many weeks.
In an interview with the Associated Press and confirmed to CNN by his office, Inglis targets the "death panels" phrase made famous by Sarah Palin when the former Alaska governor inaccurately claimed the Democratic-backed health care legislation would ration health care for the elderly.
"There were no death panels in the bill … and to encourage that kind of fear is just the lowest form of political leadership. It's not leadership. It's demagoguery," said Inglis, who lost his primary challenge to conservative Trey Gowdy by 42 points last month and faced heavy criticism for voting in favor of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in 2009.
In a series of Facebook posts last summer, Palin repeatedly suggested the health care legislation would amount to rationing and coined the phrase "death panels" to suggest government bureaucrats, not doctors, would determine the type of health care one receives.
The de-bunked phrase was quickly repeated by detractors of the bill and is credited with spurring heated opposition to the measure.
Inglis said such words amount to "preying on [voter's] fears."
"I think we have a lot of leaders that are following those [television and talk radio] personalities and not leading," he said. "What it takes to lead is to say, 'You know, that's just not right.'"
The comments from Inglis, who has served in Congress since 1993, come two weeks after Bob Bennett, - the Republican senator who was cast aside by his party in a primary earlier this year - suggested the GOP is devoid of fresh ideas.
"As I look out at the political landscape now, I find plenty of slogans on the Republican side, but not very many ideas," Bennett told The Ripon Society, a Republican think tank last month.
"The concern I have is that ideology and a demand for absolute party purity endangers our ability to govern once we get into office," Bennett also said.
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Sour Grapes, nothing more.
Finally! A Republican with cojones of the right kind!
Thank you God Almighty for looking down at the joke Conservatives have made of the Republican Party and giving one man the courage to speak out against the charlatan devils that have been trying so hard to tank America.
Thank you! And you can get my vote!
I prefer my grapes plump and juicy. It appears that Rep. Bob Inglis likes his sour.
"Leadership" would also have been to make these comments before you lost your primary battle. My guess is that he was too afraid to upset the base to make these comments while he still had something to lose. Now that it didn't make a difference he feels that he can come out and speak his mind.
I don't disagree with what he said but I wish he would have said it sooner. Maybe if he had there wouldn't have been as much of the fear and hate that came out last summer.
"lost his primary challenge to conservative Trey Gowdy by 42 points last month "
Basic math shows that to be a 71% – 29% defeat. And you're blaming Palin???? Sounds like a chronic case of sour grapes to me. Want some cheese to go with your whine?
There are Death Panels in Obama Disaster Care, If you read the bill you would know.
The health care plan, if implemented, will add billions to the deficeit and health care will be rationed. No way around it.
As the Republicans continue to eat their own
I love IT !!!!!
sour grapes
The GOP hasn't been able to govern since it put the B movie actor Reagan into office.
Newt and his bunch of merry men really did a number on the country.
Add in Bush and the GOP is the party of the village idiot and town drunk.
Well, as much as he can be applauded for these statements, it would have been much more admirable if he had the courage to make these statements BEFORE he lost an election...
an accurate assessment of the Wasilla Quitter and her agenda. If more stepped up and told what she's really out for, she'd be pushed back into the Alaskan wilderness and spare the rest of us her screetching blather
This guy is right, but his delusional wingnuts will choose Failin Sarah Palin to run in 2012 and get another landslide loss on top of their heads.
it's about time someone from over there called these people out. I heard the other day Palin talking about how the forefathers beleifs for this country derived from the old testament; well, what about the new testament? just askin?
GOP supporters: Ask yourself, what has my party done for me lately? Seriously, besides.....what have they done for this country?
Sarah Palin represents stupidity. She was the last straw for this permanently ex-Republican. There's no intelligent life left in the GOP.
Crybaby! That seat belongs to the voters, not him! Give a box of kleenex and send him home.
Ummm.. the new cabinet appointee for medicare and Medicaid confirmed in a speech that rationing would be required. I guess Bob Inglis missed that speech.
He must be a gay atheist America hating vegetarian Black Panther.
Wow! It's nice to see a republican stand up to the "crazy lady". We do not need extremists like, the "two peas in a pod", Palin or Pelosi. Of course the dumbest of the dumb support these two idiots.
Finally...truth be told! You must have a lobotomy or be severely IQ "challenged" to believe the fluff that Palin's Neo-Confederate coaches are spouting.
It's about time that elected Republicans start to take on the lunatics and liars like Sarah Palin. Inglis is EXACTLY correct in his characterization of what the wingnuts are doing – preying on peoples' fears.
Bob Inglis is not saying anything we don't already know. The majority of Americans saw through Palin months after McCain unveiled her as the next Hillary Clinton.
There is no leadership in the GOP and hasn't been any for many years now. That GOP Congressmen/women listen to talk radio and television is a given. That these same candidates are petrified that Limbaugh and Friends will turn against them is also a given. Hard to vote for a person unable to defend common decency and dignity, yet, the right expects we will. Rush don't mean anything by his comments. Neither does Beck, eh, GOPers? They're just entertainers, huh?
Hard also to vote for candidates who lie and distort the truth as so many GOPers have been doing these past two years. Lying has become the most prevalent republican talking point to date. I expect GOPers are too afraid to run on their *real* voting records. McCain thought he was OWED the presidency. Republicans think they are OWED our votes. What's wrong with a little bit of lying (if we achieve our goals in doing so, wink, wink) seems to be the newest GOP mantra.
The new web ad of Palin's speaks volumes of what SHE thinks *real* America should be.
All white comes to mind.
You're a dollar short and a day late pal. Sarah Palin is poison and you establishment politicians have no back bone to stand up to this 21st century McCarthyism
Palin is still getting those checks and saying "GOTCHA" all the way to thae bank.
Bob Inglis and Mr. Bennett are 100% correct. "Leaders" or pundits who lie and exaggerate to that extend are the biggest corrupting influence in our political system. Palin, especially, loves to create lies that are not based in fact at all. Any elected offical that LIES to their constituents is really lower than pond scum.