Palin Defends Newt, Calls GOP Elites 'Cannibals'

The GOP establishment are "cannibals" who have adopted the "politics of personal destruction" to defend their "chosen one," writes Sarah Palin on her Facebook page. Although the Republican establishment has long fought the grass roots, from opposing Reagan in the 1970s to the Tea Party today, Palin said these latest attacks in Florida against Newt Gingrich represent a major shift—Republicans attacking other Republicans in a primary with the unfairness and ferocity one would expect from the left.

Palin notes that this is not just about Mitt Romney versus Gingrich—it's establishment versus grass roots and independents. After all, "the establishment has been just as dismissive of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum," she writes. The big challenge is not just replacing President Obama, but "who and what we will replace him with." She questions "whether the GOP establishment would ever employ the same harsh tactics they used on Newt against Obama. I didn't see it in 2008," Palin writes. "So, one must ask, who are they really running against?" (This is why Politico calls Palin Gingrich's "secret weapon.")