Palin repeats 'death panel' charge

Sarah Palin is renewing her charge that Democratic healthcare reform will lead to "death panels."

The former Alaska Governor brought up the polarizing phrase in a Facebook post late last night, after the House had passed its legislation.

"We’ve got to hold on to hope, and we’ve got to fight hard because Congressional action tonight just put America on a path toward an unrecognizable country," she wrote.

She added later: "We had been told there were no 'death panels' in the bill either. But look closely at the provision mandating bureaucratic panels that will be calling the shots regarding who will receive government health care."

Both Politifact and FactCheck.org have criticized Palin's "death panel" accusation.

Palin concluded her message with a criticism of Nancy Pelosi's supposed lack of transparency and a warning that conservatives would stay vigilant:

Those of us who love freedom and believe in open and transparent government can only be dismayed by midnight action on a Saturday. Speaker Pelosi’s promise that Americans would have 72 hours to read the final bill before the vote was just another one of the D.C. establishment’s too-common political ploys. It’s broken promises like this that turn people off to politics and leave them disillusioned about the future of their country.

But despite this late-night maneuvering, many of us were paying close attention tonight. We’ll keep paying close attention. We need to let our legislators in Washington know that they still represent us, and that the majority of Americans are not in favor of the “reform” they are pushing. After all, this is still a country “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” We will make our voices heard. It’s on to the Senate now. Our legislators can listen now, or they can hear us in 2010. It’s their choice.