Gingrich defends Palin ‘death panel’ suggestion

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich lent credence Sarah Palin’s claim that the healthcare reform legislation will create “death panels” to judge end-of-life issues.

“Communal standards, historically, have been a very dangerous proposition,” he said on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday morning.

On Saturday morning, Palin called President Obama’s healthcare proposal “downright evil” because it would create a “death panel” that would decide if individuals are worthy of treatment based on their “level of productivity in society.”

In defense of Palin’s remarks, Gingrich cited an article written by Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of White House Chief of Stadff Rahm Emanuel and a healthcare policy adviser, that suggested the possibility of population control.

“You’re asking us to trust the government, not the Obama administration, the government,” to provide healthcare Gingrich added.

The show’s other guest, former DNC Chairman and Vermont Governor Howard Dean, dismissed Palin’s comments, saying “about euthanasia, they’re just totally erroneous. She just made that up.”