It was a rainy day in Indianola, Iowa today, but that didn't stop thousands of tea partiers from attending a rally headed by Sarah Palin. Soaked attendees chanted "Run Sarah Run," and "We love you!" as she addressed the crowd, focusing on crony capitalism in Washington D.C., the failures of President Obama, her own economic plans and defending the tea party.
"Iowa you are good people," Palin said in her opening remarks. "We're here because America is at a tipping point."
Candidate Obama didn't have a record when he ran for President, but now he does. Palin vowed that the tea party will hold President Obama for his failed economic policies. She cited his broken promises by pointing out how he has doubled the deficit after promising to cut it, how he promised to bring down unemployment with stimulus, but it has since gone up and stayed high, she reminded America the U.S. credit rating has been downgraded under Obama for the first time in American history.
"We will relentlessly rage until we restore all that is good and free about America," she said.
Palin gave credit to everyday Americans involved in the tea party for changing the conversation of big government in Washington D.C.
She said the historic 2010 Mid-term Election was only the first step in getting rapid federal government expansion and rampant government spending under control. She called out politicians who come to Washington and get rich off the back of taxpayers through crony capitalism.
"This is capitalism of connections and government hand outs," she said. "This is the crony capitalism that destroyed Europe's economy."
Palin asked the crowd, "You wanna know why nothing ever really get cut or done in Washington?"
Because politicians don't benefit from reform of the system. Reform of the system means politicians can no longer get rich sitting in their Capitol Hill office.
Palin also touted her own record in Alaska during her speech, reminding viewers and tea party supporters that she took on the political class and the big oil companies for their crony capitalism and unethical practices.
"Real reform never sits well with the entrenched political class and special interests," she said.
Up until this point, Palin has been quiet to criticize John McCain, who has a less than impressive record when it comes to upholding conservative principles, but today was different. When pointing out all the attacks on the tea party for their efforts to reform the political system, she took a direct shot at John McCain for calling tea partiers "hobbits."
"I didn't quite understand that one," she said.
Overall, Palin's speech was focused around crony capitalism in Washington D.C. She hit Obama for his Wall Street bailouts, runaway spending, broken promises, corporate welfare, for using seniors and military as political pawns, his green energy agenda and said Obama is "bailing out his friends." She also said Obama has put cronyism in Washington on steroids, that she "detests crony capitalism."
The most interesting part of the speech was when Palin's layed out her own economic plans for the country, saying we need to take advantage of the natural resources in America to move forward with a domestic energy plan.
"America's revival starts with America's energy revival," she said. "Government can't create jobs. Private sector creates the jobs."
Although Palin didn't announce a 2012 run for president, she didn't steer away from the topic.
"You know it's not enough to just change the unform if we don't change the team and the game plan," she said. "I have faith, I have trust, for you. The way forward is not more politics as usual."
Palin took time to shake hands and sign autographs with supporters after the rally.
"We are always proud of America. We love our country in good times and in bad and we never apologize for America."
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