McCarthyism? Try 'Palinism'

'I won't back off,' she vows

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin yesterday vehemently reiterated her controversial criticism of "death panels" that she is convinced are part of health reform, reports Huffington Post . "If we have our health care paid for by the bureaucracy, depending on our health condition, depending on our age, we're going to be subject to bureaucrats deciding, in panels and commissions—just like they do overseas—who will be worthy of receiving the health care that government is going to provide," Palin says in the first of a two-part interview with Sean Hannity. More»

Palin's claim spread like wildfire through health debate

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin's claim that health care reform would institute "death panels" to decide whether the elderly and disabled are worthy of treatment has been deemed the biggest lie of 2009 by the editors of PolitiFact . Palin appears to have coined the term in a July Facebook posting, and it swiftly spread among reform opponents, despite policy experts on both the left and right calling it completely inaccurate. More»

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin has returned to her Facebook soapbox to reinvigorate the "death panels" meme she helped popularize. "We had been told there were no 'death panels' in the bill," says an essay posted to the former Alaska governor's page. "But look closely at the provision mandating bureaucratic panels that will be calling the shots regarding who will receive government health care." More»

Abortion mindset could be applied to elderly and disabled, she says

(NEWSER) - She didn't use the term "death panel," but Sarah Palin kept up her criticism of "rationed" care for the elderly and disabled last night. In a speech to abortion opponents, Palin warned that the same philosophy that allows abortions could be applied to those two groups with dangerous consequences. Especially, she said, if health care reform puts a "panel of bureaucrats" in charge, reports Politico . More»

President takes partisan tone in denouncing 'cynical and irresponsible' opponents

(NEWSER) - President Obama took a shot at Sarah Palin, among others, in calling out those who say his plan for health-care reform would create so-called “death panels” to decide on end-of-life care, Brian Beutler writes for Talking Points Memo. “It is a lie, plain and simple,” Obama said in tonight’s address to a joint session of Congress of claims “made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but prominent politicians.” More»