Ahead of Barack Obama's clutch address to Congress tonight, Sarah Palin writes in the Wall Street Journal that the president's health reform plan "will increase our deficit, decrease our paychecks, and increase the power of unaccountable government technocrats." In a surprisingly wonky op-ed, the former Alaska governor lambastes Democrats for pretending to seek bipartisan reform, while ignoring conservative proposals that are "market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven." She also revisits her most notorious turn of phrase, saying she won the debate over "dare I say it—death panels."
"Establishment voices dismissed that phrase, but it rang true for many Americans," Palin writes, "and as a result Congress will likely reject a wrong-headed proposal." Palin insists that health reform is critical, that "we have an obligation to care for the old, the young, and the sick"—but Obama's promises to protect all Americans ring false. "With all due respect, Americans are used to this kind of sweeping promise from Washington. And we know from long experience that it's a promise Washington can't keep." (More Sarah Palin stories.)