In an exclusive Newsmax interview, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Tuesday sharply criticized President Obama's deep bow to the emperor of Japan, and charged Democrats "purposefully" are holding back details on their healthcare reform proposals from the American people to avoid an open debate.
On tour promoting her best-selling book, "
Going Rogue:
An American Life," the former Alaska governor also told Newsmax she was so embarrassed by a Newsweek magazine cover depicting her in running shorts that she sent an e-mail to her family saying "I almost feel like I have to apologize."
Palin cited the contrast between Obama's comportment in bowing to Japanese royalty and the leadership style of former President Ronald Reagan. "There is where his steel spine strengthened our entire nation," she said of the Republican icon. "The leadership he provided, where he allowed us to believe in ourselves as a superpower — not in an abusive way as a superpower, but as a power and a light and a hope for the rest of the world.
"That allowed us to be a healthier, safer, and more generous nation to help other nations. So those things that Ronald Reagan did . . . he said on national security issues, he said you know: 'We win. They lose.' Leadership like that we need today. [It] allows a very clear path in front of us we'd be foolish not to follow."
In criticizing the bow, Palin underscored the distinction between Reagan's view of American exceptionalism and President Obama's efforts to cast America as but one member of the community of nations.
"That [bow] made me and many of us uncomfortable, and I don't think it was just an accidental breach of protocol, because we've seen it before with one of the Saudi leaders, too," Palin told Newsmax. "I think it goes along with that same mode of operation that was apologizing for who America is. In order to build relationships with other countries and strengthen our allies and allow more alliances across the globe, we don't need to apologize for who we are. In fact, I think we would be respected to an even greater degree if we exerted more of the diplomatic power that, again, Ronald Reagan did."
Palin, who was a lightning rod for criticism during the presidential campaign, warned that America is in "a dangerous place economically" because Congress is debating healthcare reforms that would affect up to one-sixth of the U.S. economy, without keeping the public informed about exactly what provisions are being proposed. And she doesn't think that void of information is accidental, either.
"There are so many questions right now that I'm like every other American," Palin told Newsmax, "just kind of scratching my head saying, 'When are we going to get the answers so that we can debate this very responsibly and very intelligently?'
"I think it's purposeful that some in Washington, D.C., don't want us to have all of the answers, so that the debate is more nebulous and puts more of the generalities out there. Even knowing what we do know about it though, I think it is a very dangerous place for Americans to be, to be told that the only solutions to the healthcare challenges in our country . . . is that government has to take it over."
Palin, whose book was a runaway best-seller before it was even released, charged that Obama has broken his promise to take a transparent, bipartisan approach to governance.
She noted the efforts of GOP Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and others in Congress: "They're saying, 'Hey, we've got some common-sense conservative solutions that we've put forth and were shut out of the discussions.
"That's a broken promise of Obama's and others in Congress, who promised an open, transparent, bipartisan approach to finding these solutions, and that's unfortunate. But these common-sense conservatives have put forth solutions suggesting the intra- and interstate competition amongst healthcare providers, and the tort reform, and the waste and fraud measures that can help address the rising cost problems right now.
"Those things aren't even being considered in the bills pending before Congress. Very frustrating for a lot of us as Americans, saying wait a minute, this isn't what we've bargained for."
Palin also gave Newsmax a behind-the-scenes account of her candid reaction after she saw the controversial, critical Newsweek cover story, which she has criticized as "out of context" and "sexist." The magazine took an image of Palin posing in short running shorts, which she did for Runners World magazine to promote the benefits of exercise, and splashed it on its recent cover. Palin told Newsmax she was mortified.
"I fired off an e-mail to my daughters, to my sisters and my mom, and I said you know I almost feel like I have to apologize for some of these surprises that happen in our lives here," she told Newsmax. "I don't know why I felt like I had to apologize because I didn't do anything wrong with it, but I didn't like it. But it was a bit of a shot there by Newsweek that I thought was unnecessary and I didn't like it."
Asked why some journalists in the mainstream media have attacked her, she responded: "Maybe some people are really threatened by just a normal everyday average American who is very blessed to have a megaphone right now, and doesn't want to squander or blow this opportunity to get a common-sense conservative message out there heard across the nation. I'm very blessed to have the opportunities that I have in speaking up for normal Americans."
Palin predicted that, in the 2010 mid-term elections, Americans will look back at what Reagan did for the country and vote against big-spending incumbents.
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