Former Alaska Governor and Tea Party
favorite Sarah Palin on Thursday endorsed Sean Bielat in an
increasingly tightening race against Massachusetts Congressman Barney
Frank.
In her endorsement, Palin reminisced
that it was January 2010 in Massachusetts, a reference to the
come-from-behind win of conservative Republican Scott Brown.
“Sean is a businessman, Marine
veteran, and young father, and he is running against an
ethically-challenged liberal icon who opposed reform of Fannie and
Freddie before the meltdown. That's right, Sean Bielat is running
against Barney Frank, and he needs your help to win,” Palin
said on her Facebook page.
Bielat is opposed to repeal of “Don't
Ask, Don't Tell,” the Clinton-era law that forbids gay and bisexual
service members from serving openly, and gay marriage. Massachusetts
became the first state to legalize the institution five years ago.
Frank, who is openly gay, remains ahead
in the polls, but several surveys show Bielat closing the gap between
the two candidates.
Palin, a rumored 2012 presidential
hopeful, previously
endorsed Delaware candidate for the U.S. Senate Christie O'Donnell,
who gay baited her Republican rival, Rep. Mike Castle, during the GOP
primary and recently
defended the military's gay ban. In August, Palin
spoke to an anti-gay group in Pennsylvania, and she also endorsed
anti-gay Karen Handel in her bid to become Georgia's next governor.
Handel, who
recently said she would “absolutely” consider a bill that
prohibits gay and lesbian couples from adopting children, lost
her bid for the GOP nomination.