Palin: GOP Critics of Sen. Cruz are 'Gutless, Rudderless'

Republican senators like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee should be applauded for their stance on Obamacare, but instead they're denounced by a "permanent political class" that is "nothing if not gutless and rudderless," former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Saturday.

"Those of us who hang in there supporting a major political party with our energy, time, and contributions would like to believe that that party would praise principled conservatives like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee for following through on campaign promises," said Palin, in a strongly worded, exclusive op-ed piece for Breitbart News.

Editor's Note: Should ObamaCare Be Defunded? Vote in Urgent National Poll

"We’d like to believe that the GOP establishment would applaud the way these bold leaders have rallied the grassroots to their cause. But, no, such praise would require a commensurate level of guts and leadership, and the permanent political class in D.C. is nothing if not gutless and rudderless."

After the House approved a plan to "fully fund our bureaucracy while defunding Obamacare," the battle is going to the Senate, where "we’ll find out if Harry Reid is so committed to the horrendous 'Un-affordable Care Act' that he'll be the one to shut down the government to fund the unworkable Obamacare," said Palin.

Cruz on Saturday urged fellow Republican Senators to block an anticipated procedural vote on the bill to keep the government running while cutting Obamacare, Fox News reports.

Cruz said the strategy is needed to prevent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from using "procedural gimmicks" to restore Obamacare funding..

"If Reid pursues this plan — if he insists on using a 50-vote threshold to fund Obamacare with a partisan vote of only Democrats — then I hope that every Senate Republican will stand together and oppose cloture on the bill in order to keep the House bill intact and not let Harry Reid add Obamacare funding back in," Cruz said in a statement.

Cruz of Texas and others are leading the charge to stop the Obamacare "train wreck,"Palin said, and she wanted to make it clear that Congressional conservatives are listening to the majority of Americans who don't want Obamacare.

She went on to criticize the "anonymous sources backstabbing game," saying "cowards" are rushing to denounce Cruz in the press.

She further said that it won't be Cruz' fault if senators don't support his efforts to defund Obamacare.

"It'll be because there weren’t enough principled leaders to stand with him, and that would be a tragic loss, not for Ted, but for America," said Palin.

Americans are discovering the high cost of Obamacare, with some losing healthcare coverage or getting their hours cut, she said.

However, she said permanent politicians are too worried that the media will blame Republicans if the government shuts down.

"Whenever anything bad happens, the media blames Republicans for it," said Palin. "That’s not an excuse to roll over and play dead."

Editor's Note: Should ObamaCare Be Defunded? Vote in Urgent National Poll

Meanwhile, a government shutdown will not be the end of the world, said Palin.

But even if Cruz is discredited, his message will catch on.

"People will rise up, and we will make our voices heard," Palin said. "Right now, Ted Cruz is speaking for us in this Obamacare fight. God bless him for it."