Update: America needs 'divine intervention'
Update: Terrorists don't deserve rights
Former governor Sarah Palin made "a call to action" to thousands of tea partiers during the group's first convention in Nashville on Saturday night.
As the keynote speaker, Palin called the Tea Party movement "the best of America" and "the future of politics."
"Opponents of this message, they are seeking to marginalize the movement. They want to paint us as ideologically extreme," Palin said. "But unlike the elitists who don't want to hear this message...I've travelled across this great country and I've talked to the patriotic men and women who make up the Tea Party movement and they're good and kind and selfless and they are deeply concerned about our country...the best of America can be found in places where patriots are brave enough and free enough to be able to stand up and speak up and where small businesses grow our economy one job at a time."
Palin also wasted no time in attacking President Obama, referring to him as "that charismatic guy with a teleprompter."
The Obama administration's handling of the attempted bombing of an airliner on Christmas Day was evidence that it cannot handle the war on terrorism, Palin said.
She went on to say that treating the bomber, Umar Abdulmutallab, as a criminal defendant and not an enemy combatant was a mistake. Questioning the suspect for 50 minutes and then reading him his Miranda rights is not the way to treat an alleged terrorist, she said.
Palin said President Obama doesn't understand that terrorists don't deserve the constitutional rights that U.S. soldiers are willing to die for.
"We need a commander-in-chief, not a professor of law standing at the lectern," Palin said.
Republican Scott Brown's win of a Massachusetts Senate signals political change that will affect 2010 elections and help the tea-party movement, Palin said, adding that the movement is the "best of America."
"Scott Brown represents what this beautiful movement is all about," Palin said. "America is ready for another revolution."
President Obama tried to place all the blame for the loss of the crucial 60th Democratic Senate seat on President Bush, she said.
"He calls himself a 'leader' as though we are all just a bunch of sheep and we're looking for a 'leader'," Palin said.
During a question-and-answer session after her speech, Palin was asked what could be done to address the country's biggest problems.
"It would be wise of us to seek some divine intervention in this country," she replied.
Near the end of her time on stage, the moderator said, "I can think of two words right now that scare liberals: President Palin," causing the crowd to chant "Run, Sarah, run."
Palin said she would assist other candidates in 2012, but did not whether she will make a bid for the presidency herself.
She was reportedly paid $100,000 for the address.
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