Real Courage is Cutting During Prosperity

Gov. Sarah Palin on Fox Business

Last night former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin appeared on America's Nightly Scoreboard, with host David Asman.

At one point during the interview David informs Palin that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had told Fox Business News that he didn't see any politician as inspiring. "Do you?" Asman asked Palin.

"Heck yeah, I am so thankful for all these common sense conservative politicians to serve and cut for the right reasons," she said.

Palin continued, “And with all due respect to Governor Christie, you know he has no choice but to cut budgets because he's broke, his state is broke. What courage really is, is in the face of having a surplus when you have opportunity to spend, spend, spend other people's money, and you still choose to rein in government to let the private sector soar."

Palin said as governor she trimmed Alaska's budget, during a time when her state had a surplus. She reduced earmarks by 86 percent, implemented a hiring freeze and vetoed the largest amounts of spending in Alaska state history.

During her time in office, Governor Palin attended a news conference where she discussed her budget cuts and suggested they should send a message to lawmakers for next year's budget considerations. “We need to live within our means,” Palin said. “Even though we have a surplus, that doesn't warrant a spending spree.”