Palin calls on union members to break with leadership on healthcare deal

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) Friday directly appealed to unionized workers to break with their leaders and reject an agreement struck with Democrats on the so-called "Cadillac" health insurance tax.

Palin decried Thursday's "backroom deal" on the excise tax in the Senate health insurance bill, a key sticking point in merger talks between House and Senate negotiators.

The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee said on her Twitter account Friday:

Pls pay attention 2 Big Union backdoor deal struck yest w/Big Govt in sweetheart healthcare deal.Call the folks u elected,say NO! UNFAIR....

good,hardworking pro-business UnionMEMBERS should oppose their UnionBOSSES backroom deal on this;unfortunately/unfairly paints all of'm bad

Palin-- who is rumored as a 2012 presidential contender -- is looking to stir dissent within the labor movement a day after union leaders endorsed the compromise on the excise tax on high-cost healthcare plans Thursday.

Before this week, labor leaders strongly opposed the tax they say would take too much of a toll on the middle class. 

Palin also also used her Facebook and Twitter accounts to inject her opinion into the healthcare debate since the summer, when she sparked controversy by claiming the healthcare bill contained so-called "death panels" that would determine end-of-life care for seniors.

Her newest appeal to union members, though, matches her attempt to carve out a figure as a populist leader.

Labor unions have traditionally been Democratic bastions of support but Palin's attempt shows that she could be trying to appeal to so-called working class "Reagan Democrats" who swung their support back to the Democratic Party in the 2008 election.

Cross-posted to the Briefing Room