Republicans across the Sunday morning shows predicted big electoral gains for their party this Tuesday, although some hedged their bets on how big the gains would be. On policy, most promoted principles over compromise, heading into a scheduled lame-duck session to deal with the expiring Bush tax cuts.
Sarah Palin told Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" that she thinks the election on Tuesday "is going to be a political earthquake." The former vice presidential candidate speculated that voters would use Tuesday's vote to send a message to the president. "They are going to say 'you blew it, President Obama. We gave you two years to fulfill your promise to get the economy roaring back to life.'"
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, predicted on ABC’s "This Week" that his party would likely fall short of winning the ten seats they’d need to control the upper chamber. "I'm not predicting that we will get the majority this cycle," said Cornyn, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "I think it probably is going to take two cycles, but there is certainly a potential there, depending on just how high and how broad this wave election is."
On CNN’s "State of the Union," Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele downplayed expectations that Republicans would take control of the House. "If we get 39 seats and take the majority, that's a success," Steele said. "If we get 37, that's success."
On extending the Bush tax cuts, which are due to expire at the end of this year, Republicans seemed ready to hold the line and insist all cuts should be continued going forward.
Palin said Republicans "Should not compromise on principle" on policy issues. On the tax cuts extension, she said, "It's a ridiculous premise, really, that we should look at these tax increases before we should look at anything else, including the spending cuts."
On "Face the Nation," Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., and Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., echoed her sentiments.
King said that if Republicans win big on Tuesday, "We have a mandate to start cutting back on spending," and that Republicans would anger voters if they "split the difference" with Pres. Obama on spending.
King argued it was the only policy option that made sense. "The worst thing we can do is start to raise taxes on anyone as we start coming out of this economic recession," he said.
Pawlenty said the tax cuts were necessary to ensure growth. "If you don't extend those Bush tax cuts, all of them, it’s going to send a very negative signal to the economy that’s going to be counterproductive," he said.
Palin also defended her primary backing of two candidates who may have hurt Republicans' chances to control the Senate, Christine O'Donnell in Delaware and Joe Miller in Alaska.
"My endorsement allowed a little bit of a boost, at least to get some people to pay attention to what she is saying," Palin said of O'Donnell. "Given a choice, I'm always going to go with the common sense conservative in a race."
She also defended Miller. "The things that this fellow has had to put up with up against the GOP machine and the Democrats and the liberal media in Alaska, it's no wonder that the numbers are tightening in that race," Palin said. She also accused Alaska reporters of conspiring against Miller, calling them "corrupt bastards."
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