Palin blasts Obama, prods Boehner on debt

WASHINGTON, July 27 (UPI) -- Sarah Palin accused U.S. President Barack Obama of trying to frighten the American people and urged Republicans to stand firm in the debt-ceiling fight.

"Scaring the American people is exactly what President Obama is doing," the former Alaska governor said Tuesday on Fox News. "The president's getting pretty good at this fear-mongering and trying to cram down the public's throat this idea of bigger government, more spending."

Palin also questioned the strategy pursued by House Speak John Boehner, R-Ohio.

"The internal problem that he has is reinventing the wheel here in the 11th hour, when we already have 'cut, cap and balance' that passed the House, and we don't need to retreat now and wave a white flag," she said.

The House passed the plan, which includes a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, last week, but the Senate rejected it.

"This Aug. 2 deadline is looming, but it's not Armageddon, it's not life or death, so Boehner and the Republicans have got to make sure that they've got a good plan," Palin said.