Jae C. Hong / AP Photo
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin traveled to Harry Reid’s hometown—a speck in the Nevada desert called Searchlight—on Saturday to challenge the majority leader and rally the tea party faithful. "We're sending a message to Washington," Palin told the crowd of 10,000. "It's loud and it's clear, and in these upcoming elections we're saying that the big-government, big-debt, Obama-Pelosi-Reid spending spree is over. You're fired." The event was the first stop on a tour, dubbed the Tea Party Express, which will travel the country until Tax Day on April 15. Reid is up for a tough election this November, and Republicans are eager for the speaker’s scalp. This week, Palin drew criticism for her aggressive language challenging the Democrats, coming at a time when members of Congress were under real threats of violence. Earlier in the day, Palin stumped for Sen. John McCain in Arizona.