Palin, Bachmann blast Biden for alleged "terrorist" comment

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Updated: 12:32 p.m. ET

Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and possible presidential candidate Sarah Palin lambasted Vice President Joe Biden Monday night for negative comments he allegedly made about the Tea Party.

Biden was reported by Politico on Monday to have agreed with an argument by Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania, who apparently asserted that "[w]e have negotiated with terrorists" during a closed-door meeting with House Democrats about the deal to raise the debt limit.

"They have acted like terrorists," Biden was said to have responded.

The Hill reports that in an e-mail Monday night, Bachmann, R-Minn., condemned Biden's alleged statement and called on the vice president to apologize.

"Only in the bizarro world of Washington is fiscal responsibility sometimes defined as terrorism," wrote the Tea Party favorite, according to the Hill.

And in a Monday night appearance on Fox News, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said it was "vile" to use the word terrorist in reference to politicians who were "taking a stand." 

"We're getting kind of used to being called names. You know, racists and inciters of violence, and being accused with things we have nothing to do with," Palin told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren. "But I suppose it's a bit more appalling to have been called acting like terrorists today from he who is in second in command of the most powerful office in the world. It's quite appalling and cert proves how out of touch this White House is what it comes to realizing what the silent majority of Americans are seeing and feeling."

"What we're feeling is that growing more debt isn't going to get us out of debt and raising taxes in a down economy is a bad idea, and we're taking a stand in light of those," she continued. "And so to be called a terrorist because of our beliefs from the vice president, it's quite appalling. It's quite vile."

(Incidentally, Palin has lobbed the "terrorist" claim against her own political opponents in the past: In 2008, she accused President Obama -- then the democratic nominee for president -- of "palling around" with terrorists. Palin was referring in her comments to William Ayers, a former member of the radical Weathermen group, who served on education boards with Mr. Obama in Chicago. But reports indicated that Mr. Obama and Ayers were not close.)

In a Monday interview with CBS News' Scott Pelley, however, Biden denied the allegations that he compared Tea Party members to terrorists.

"I did not use the terrorism word," he said.

A spokesperson for Biden added on Tuesday that Biden "does not believe it's an appropriate term in political discourse."

"The word was used by several members of Congress," said Biden spokesperson Kendra Barkoff. "The vice president does not believe it's an appropriate term in political discourse."

Biden told Pelley he let lawmakers "vent" about the deal, which the House passed Monday night and which will head to the Senate today. But he says he did not agree with the terrorism comparison.

"What happened was there were some people who said they felt like they were being held hostage by terrorists," he said. "I never said that they were terrorists or weren't terrorists, I just let them vent."

"I said even if that were the case, what's been happening when you now have taken and paid the debt and move that down so we can now discuss, the nuclear weapon's been taken out of anyone's hands," he added.

[rmis32]

Terrorists? Perhaps jihadis would be more appropriate.

[PrideInCountry]

the American Taliban

[UForgotPoland]

"Taxed Enough Already- " Tax Rates At Their Lowest Point In 60 Years. Just a bunch of lazy white trash Americans who proclaim their patriotism while at the same time refusing to support their country in the most direct way....by paying taxes, and would rather buy a six pack of beer than see improvements in things like school and infrastructure.. "but it goes to supporting socialist problems, uhm where's my medicare!?"

[UForgotPoland]

..Oh I forgot the part where they also like to throw money at their pastors so they can buy a new car or another gold watch.

[nottblu]

Perhaps if the 47% percent that pay no income tax contributed something and the 80,000,000 who get a government check every month could be compelled to actually do something for themselves this the taxes the rest pay would be enough.

[koko98-2009]

If you can't stand the heat get out of kitchen. Oh, they are out of the kitchen, then get back in there where no one will call you a terrortist.

[unclebernies]

Whenever you see Eric Cantor smiling and happy it wasn't a good day for the people.

[jahmartin-2009]

Why not tell it like it is? Would the Tea Party members prefer being called what they really are? I doubt it.

[nottblu]

what would you call them? Just curious what you libs call people that want reduced government reduced spending, and reduced taxation. When this country began they were called revolutionaries, patriots et al. It all started because of taxation without representation, thought you should know.

[nottblu]

USA, are you capable of answering a question without asking one? Apparently not! Ever had an original thought? Still waiting....

[syslmod]

Can't put lipstick on a PIG!!!

[MurdochSucks]

"Only in the bizarro world of Washington is fiscal responsibility sometimes defined as terrorism." Fiscal responsibility would have been for the house to allow the president to spend the money that they signed into the budget, themselves. Fiscal responsibility would be raise taxes to the normal range, where they belong. After 30 years, Reagan's plan to "starve the beast" is finally being carried out. The Tealiban should be called what it is, a group of anti-union federal government hating federal government workers. Their goal is to destroy all federal programs except the military. Wake up, people, then throw 'em out.

[midvale3]

Hitler and Mussolini are calling someone else a bad name? Well, obviously given their even handedness and calm demeanor, they would be the ones to point that type of thing out.

[mary-miami]

GOP/Teaparty are economic terrorists. They attack the poorest segment of our country, financially; and everytime they are going to enact any kind of legislation, it is always to make the rich, richer. The rightwing has never and will never do anything to help the working class improve their standard of living or have equal opportunities for a better life. What is needed in the United States is, a livable wage that is in accord with expenses...If you do the math, you'll notice that working poor that earn the minimum of 7 dollars, cannot afford to pay apartment rents in many cities, pay utility bills and eat. Those are basics; but to be able to get to work, they need to have money for the bus. The US is also the only industrialized nation that (up until now) does not have free health care for all it's citizens or free university education. Europe and Scandinavian nations do alot more for their people, than we do for ours. Who's fault is it? The rightwing...Conservative Republicans and their Teaparty cohorts want a slave-lord society, where only the very rich have rights and the working class are silent slaves. The rightwing has said that only the rich should vote...that is fascism. The extreme rightwing has the capacity to destroy our nation with it's evil ideology of "supremism"...They think that the wealthy are deserving of human rights while the workers are not. GOP belittles the poor, elderly and anyone who is in disagreement with their crazy dictatorial ideas.
It's a very sad thing that many Americans are fooled by the Teaparty; because the truth is that they are full of nazi sympathizers. The nazi's never died out...they have been silent for fear of persecution; but they taught their descendants the same racist/bigoted ideology that Hitler had. I will never vote for a rightwing. Democracy means freedom. Democracy means people's government. I will vote to re-elect President Obama in 2012.

[noloyalisti]

Both Clinton and Bush were corporatist Republicons who had to do the bidding of the giant corporations. Is there any doubt anymore who runs America?

[MurdochSucks]

That doubt was removed with the Citizen's United ruling.

[unclebernies]

your right on it brother.