Palin: Obama 'Hell-Bent' on Weakening America
Tom Diemer
Correspondent
Posted:
01/8/11
Sarah Palin says President Obama's push to raise the nation's debt ceiling demonstrates that he is "hell-bent on weakening America."
Palin, interviewed Friday by radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, said the president of the United States was "purposefully weakening America." During the exchange, the conservative Ingraham, apparently wishing to make sure she had heard correctly what Palin was saying, asked, "So his (Obama's) goal is to weaken America?" "On this issue, it has to be," Palin said. "Otherwise, what did he mean back in March of '06 when he said he understood that raising the debt weakens America."
The former Alaska governor's remarks in the combative interview were reported by Fox News and Politico. Palin, who has said she is considering running for president in 2012, repeatedly urged Republicans in Congress not to compromise with Obama and to "draw lines in the sand" on important issues.
Obama, as a senator, argued against raising the debt ceiling, but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the outcome of the 2006 vote extending the full faith in credit of the United States was never in doubt, and that then-Sen. Obama was only trying "to make a point about needing to get serious about fiscal discipline."
That explanation wasn't good enough for Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. "This is probably going to be a take-away for you Laura and it is gonna' get some people all wee-weed up again," she told the host. "But let me tell you, what I believe that Obama is doing right now -- he is hell-bent on weakening America."
The president's proposal to raise the current debt ceiling above the $14.3 trillion limit is likely to be challenged by Republicans unless such a move is accompanied by spending cuts.
Listen to audio of the Palin interview.
Palin, interviewed Friday by radio talk show host Laura Ingraham, said the president of the United States was "purposefully weakening America." During the exchange, the conservative Ingraham, apparently wishing to make sure she had heard correctly what Palin was saying, asked, "So his (Obama's) goal is to weaken America?" "On this issue, it has to be," Palin said. "Otherwise, what did he mean back in March of '06 when he said he understood that raising the debt weakens America."
The former Alaska governor's remarks in the combative interview were reported by Fox News and Politico. Palin, who has said she is considering running for president in 2012, repeatedly urged Republicans in Congress not to compromise with Obama and to "draw lines in the sand" on important issues.
Obama, as a senator, argued against raising the debt ceiling, but White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the outcome of the 2006 vote extending the full faith in credit of the United States was never in doubt, and that then-Sen. Obama was only trying "to make a point about needing to get serious about fiscal discipline."
That explanation wasn't good enough for Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. "This is probably going to be a take-away for you Laura and it is gonna' get some people all wee-weed up again," she told the host. "But let me tell you, what I believe that Obama is doing right now -- he is hell-bent on weakening America."
The president's proposal to raise the current debt ceiling above the $14.3 trillion limit is likely to be challenged by Republicans unless such a move is accompanied by spending cuts.
Listen to audio of the Palin interview.