Palin's political 'hit list': A concise guide

While the passage of "unwanted" health care reform appeared to stun some Republicans into inaction, Sarah Palin's declaring war. Palin has released a target list of 17 Democratic members of Congress that she — via her political action committee, SarahPAC — aim to unseat in the November elections. She also has eye on three open seats. (Watch an MSNBC report about Sarah Palin's rallying call.) Here's a quick guide to her battle plan:

Which Democrats has she singled out?

The list includes: Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ), Harry E. Mitchell (AZ), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ), John Salazar (CO), Betsy Markey (CO). Allen Boyd (FL), Suzanne M. Kosmas (FL), Baron P. Hill (IN), Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL), Charlie Wilson (OH), John Boccieri (OH), Kathy Dahlkemper (PA), Christopher Carney (PA), John M. Spratt, Jr. (SC), Tom Perriello (VA), Alan B. Mollohan (WV), and Nick J. Rahall II (WV)

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Why these 17?

Political vulnerability. These House members were chosen, Palin says, because they "voted in favor of Obamacare and represent districts that Senator John McCain and I carried during the 2008 election."

What is her specific complaint?

That these candidates have pursued the wrong priorities: bloating government while failing to create jobs. "We're going to reclaim the power of the people from those who disregarded the will of the people," she wrote on Facebook. "We're going to fire them and send them back to the private sector, which has been shrinking thanks to their destructive government-growing policies. Maybe when they join the millions of unemployed, they'll understand why Americans wanted them to focus on job creation and an invigorated private sector."

Who will SarahPAC be backing to run against them?

Her memo only specifies that SarahPAC will "make sure" the seats are filled by "Common Sense Conservatives."

What's a "Common Sense Conservative?"

According to one definition, "Common Sense Conservatives" are those who react to "left-wing policy-makers [whom], they argue, are mired in fantasy, striving for an unachievable Utopian society." In Palin's terms, this could include both Tea Partiers and Republicans.

What kind of backing can SarahPAC provide candidates?

A potentially winning combination of Palin's star quality and money. "SarahPAC raised $2.1 million and disbursed $1.2 million in 2009," notes Chris Good in The Atlantic.

When will we know more?

In the next few weeks. Palin is scheduled to speak at a "major" Tea Party event in Nevada, says Chris Cillizza in the Washington Post, as well as campaign for Tea Party supporter Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN). More details may emerge then.