Palin backs GOP House challenger

Sarah Palin urged her supporters Wednesday to "send a message to the big-spenders in Washington" by supporting Rep. David Obey's (D-Wis.) Republican challenger.

"If you're frustrated about the waste in the stimulus bill, please support a solid fiscal conservative who will work to repeal it,” the former Alaska governor wrote on her Facebook page in support of Ashland County District Attorney Sean Duffy (R). The endorsement marks the first time Palin has backed a challenger House candidate this year.

As chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Obey helped write the stimulus bill, which Palin and other conservatives have railed against.

Duffy's campaign had organized a one-day "money bomb" to coincide with the anniversary of the bill being signed into law, and Palin urged her supporters to donate. Her backing prompted a surge in contributions, according to a Duffy spokesman. By early afternoon, the campaign had raised almost half of its goal of $25,000. To date, Duffy has raised close to $350,000 in his bid to unseat the 20-term Democrat.

Duffy called Palin's endorsement a "huge boost."

"I'm honored to have her support. There's a lot of people in northern Wisconsin that love her," Duffy told The Hill. "She speaks to them."

Duffy said he's hoping for more tangible support from Palin. “We would love to have her come to Wisconsin for us," he said.