In her first speech outside the United States, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told a CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets event that “death panels” is a “serious term.”
“Recently I seem to have acquired some notoriety in an area of national debate, and all because of two words: death panels. And this is a serious term that was intended to sound a warning about the rationing that is sure to follow if big government tries to simultaneously increase health-care coverage while also claiming to decrease costs,” she said, according to a recording obtained by Bloomberg. (The speech was closed to media.)
“It’s just common sense to realize that government’s attempts to solve large problems, like the health-care challenges that we have, more often create new ones,” she continued.
The Wall Street Journal reported similar death panel comments, but sources for the New York Times said she did not repeat the attack.
Her speechwriter also injected this bit of humor into the speech, according to the Journal:
Maybe you’re hoping to hear me discuss the derivations of the formula for effective rate of protection, followed by a brief discussion of the monetary approach to the balance of payments. … If time allows, a quick summary of factor price equalization. Maybe some thoughts on quantitative easing, but that’s for next time. Because I have spent my life closer to Main Street. That’s what I want to talk about is that view from Main Street.
She said the current economic crisis was not caused by the lack of regulations, but by government policies.
Palin was accompanied to Hong Kong by Randy Scheunemann, the top foreign policy adviser for John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign who played a noteworthy role in the leadup to the Iraq War and has been involved in other questionable acts.
