Assessing the Political Impact of Bristol Palin's Pregnancy

McCain made his own 'ugly' crack about Chelsea
I wonder if Bill Maher will really get some grief after his crack on his HBO show Friday in a brief discussion of Rush Limbaugh and oxytontin. He said that it was too bad that Rush didn't "croak" using the drug instead of Heath Ledger. His audience greeted it with silence and Bill seemed to realize that maybe he wished he could take that back. It reminded me of Robert Christgau's offhand complaint, after the murder of John Lennon, that it's always the Lennons and not the McCartneys that get bumped off.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the David Shuster suspension at MSNBC for his "pimped out" crack about Chelsea Clinton on the campaign trail, one is reminded of the now-infamous -- but once largely swept under the rug -- Chelsea putdown uttered by John McCain back in 1998. (Will Bunch at his popular Attytood blog brought it my attention again.) The media, by and large, failed to repeat it back then, or since, noting only that it was quite foul and leaving it at that. At a GOP fundraiser, McCain quipped: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." Here is the full story, and how the media handled it, from my old colleague David Corn.
http://www.salon.com/news/1998/06/25newsb.html

Who cares what the Anchorage Daily News or any of the McClatchy newpapers say?? Check their stock report:

Quote: "Crippling debt, unimaginative management."

They, like Hillary, can't even manage their own money, let alone run a newspaper.

Quote: "word bubbled up that the National Enquirer alleged in its print edition that John McCain's running mate had an affair with a business partner to her husband."

Hilarious. If you believe anything in the National Enquirer or even read it, you libs are more stupid that I thought.

BTW, Nancy Pelosi also has 5 kids. Do I hear any word on how a woman can't take care of 5 kids and be in the government??

Nope, Double standard again. Go home and take care of your kids Pelosi.

MORE LIES FROM SARAH PALIN...
"I believe I was fired because of, primarily the reason of her former brother-in-law," Monegan said. "I think that my unwillingness to take special action against her former brother-in-law was not well received."

Monegan says he believes that the Governor has not told the truth about what happened.

word bubbled up that the National Enquirer alleged in its print edition that John McCain's running mate had an affair with a business partner to her husband.

Yet in a first unsettling revelation – which the McCain camp will hope does not become a pattern – the Anchorage Daily News reported yesterday that when she ran for governor Mrs Palin campaigned on a “build the bridge” platform. The newspaper, in a reference to John Kerry’s alleged “flip-flopping” in the 2004 presidential campaign, said: “Palin was for the Bridge before she was against it.”

It wouldnt change my opionion though, I think Sarah Palin Should be the GOP nominee!! not McCain. The Republicans are much more excited about palin then mccain., The new most famous person in the world.

This site has the inside scoop about the Palin Dui Secret, http://www.duihelpguide.com Why hasnt the news covered this?

This site has background info on sarah Palin Bio, Pics, Videos, Alot of Polls like how many people actually think that she is attractive? http://www.theveep.com

This site has everything about her scandals, Levi the Boy Friend, what really happen with ebay plane. http://www.hotpres.com

Despite all of this, and her lack of experiance she would probably make a much better president then McCain., Because like Obama she hasnt been corrupted by washington yet.

For those of you crowing about Bristol's situation conflicting with Gov. Palin's position on abstinence-only sex ed, you should really check your facts. Gov. Palin has NEVER supported abstinence-only sex ed. She stated in one interview that she would not give funding to promote only explicit sex ed. This is not the same thing.
On a personal note, I'd like to say how classy it is for everyone to be using a 17 yr old girl as a political football. So much for the socially compassionate left.

Is Sarah Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy relevant to the presidential campaign?

Absolutely – it points to the glaring problem with her position of supporting abstinence only sex education. Perhaps Sarah and the religious right think that the young moral “offenders” (their value judgment, not mine) can “make it right” by getting married and living with the consequences. These particular “offenders” are the lucky ones, fortunate to have a family support system robust enough to make that a viable option.

What if the consequences had been an HIV infection instead of an ill timed pregnancy?

It is not good public health policy to withhold information from our youth that can make them safer and reduce unwanted pregnancies. That Sarah Palin wholehearted adopts this approach in her personal life as a result of her religious beliefs is commendable. When she advocates public policy decisions based on extremist interpretations of religious beliefs it becomes an important factor in evaluating her candidacy.

Discussing this issue in relation to Sarah Palin’s own family is relevant.

Sarah Palin is the real deal; she has a rigorous moral sense and lives by it. If even she can not make it work in her own family it is just not going to work for families who don’t have her commitment and resources. We need to teach sex education, both why abstinence is a good choice and safe practices to protect our youth who choose otherwise.

Electing Sarah Palin as our next vice president would put her in a position to advance these beliefs and could put a generation of children at greater risk of HIV and unwanted pregnancies.

Quote: "To somehow get from Juneau to Wasilla 810 miles away(driving) to see her Dr., a family Dr, to deliver a baby for 44 yr old woman, that she had to know was a Downs? wowser!"

You assume wrong. You cannot drive to Juneau Alaska. There are no highways.
Read up before you "assume"> You might learn something.

consider this: Sarah has her doctor, the doctor is in Wasilla, AK, which is 810 miles away from Junuea, where she lives in the Governors Mansion. Somehow, during her preg from Sept to delivery in April, she has time to take a bumpy flight, i would assume about 200 mph, or 3 hrs away. That was her "plan" for delivery. To somehow get from Juneau to Wasilla 810 miles away(driving) to see her Dr., a family Dr, to deliver a baby for 44 yr old woman, that she had to know was a Downs? wowser!

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/apr/22/palins-flight-labor-falls-under-scrutiny/

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/31/51717/5534/739/580979

I am voting for Obama president and palin as vice. The other two have served well and it's time for them to retire.

Quote: "The Palin Bounce: Obama lead cut in half, new poll shows:

Sarah Palin's initial impact on the presidential race appears to have been to cut the Democratic lead in half, according to the first Gallup tracking poll since her speech. The polls typically have a day's lag time.

The latest poll doesn't yet reflect any registered voter reaction to John McCain's acceptance speech Thursday night, but opinion on the race now stands at Obama/Biden 48 percent, McCain/Palin 44 percent. This is down from earlier in the week, when the same poll of registered voters reflected 50 percent Obama and 42 percent McCain."

Really Skeptical. That is old news. The polls have spoken.

You need to get a life, badly.

I've been doing some digging, and every photo of Ms. Sarah Palin circa this supposed 5th pregnancy has been scrubbed off their original news sites. That's suspect.

I assume this means that it would be apparent she was never pregnant with Trig. And this is fine. It's also fine (and good) if Bristol is the birth mother. It is good that she has parents loving and supportive enough to assume full responsibility for this poor, challenged baby.

I ask: why all the lying? Why the covering up? Would it really be so terrible to announce that her young daughter gave birth to little Trig? Perhaps it would be. I'm beginning to suspect there is more to this cover-up than most consider.

I definitely think Sarah Palin did not deliver Trig. I think it is likely that her daughter Bristol gave birth to the baby. I further think that it is highly unusual for a healthy, young girl to deliver a Down's baby. If Bristol was acknowledged as the mother questions of paternity would arise and could become very, very touchy. But I think I know why this is being buried.

Sarah Palin's eldest son, Track, enlisted in the Army 8 months prior to Trig's birth. Hrmm. He'll be risking his life in Iraq. Not a typical course for a high ranking politician's son. Consider the implications. Seems like he needs to get out of the picture, doesn't it?

(Yes, things like this do happen. They just don't typically happen to highly publicized politicos.)

Hey Willy, I think you need your dick sucked!

uote: "Show Trig's birth certificate. Photos of Sarah in the hospital bed with the newborn and the delivery doctor. Not two photos of her in a black dress with a black vest where she looks 'big'."

Tom, you are hilarious. Photos, birth cerfificates. Who do you think you are? No one cares about you or your suspicions. No one owes you anything. You are as irrelevant as the Clintons.

Tom, you are hilarious. Birth certificates, etc.?? Who do you think you are?? No one cares about your requests or suspicions. whe doesn't have to prove a thing, especially to idiots.

Idiot with the little willy:

Grampa McCain is sitting on a time bomb; little FAS Trig is Bristols baby, and Mommy Governor tried to cover it up, and now Mommy VP candidate has upped the stakes by saying Bristol is pregnant *now*.

No one but low IQ authority worshiping Republemmings are going to swallow all this 'truth by decree' stuff. "It is Down's syndrome because I say it is. It was my baby because I say it is. Bristol is 5 months pregnant now, so she can't be Trig's Mom, because I say she is."

Show Trig's birth certificate. Photos of Sarah in the hospital bed with the newborn and the delivery doctor. Not two photos of her in a black dress with a black vest where she looks 'big'.

After Nixon and George W., we know Republicans are world class liars. Hold her feet to the fire, she's in the Big Leagues now. Repugs demanded Obama's birth certificate, and tried to sue him to see it :

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/born_in_the_usa.html

Let's get a factcheck of little Trig's birth certificate. That's all I ask.

No more *pronouncements* from people that might very well be world class liars.

Quote: "Reaction to Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's debut speech before the party's convention in St Paul, Minnesota.

MIKE DUFFY, TIME MAGAZINE

Only a few times in the last 25 years have we seen what we saw here tonight. It happened in Chicago in 2004 with Barack Obama and it happened here tonight: a star was born.

NEW YORK TIMES

Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee, was a combative and witty relief at a torpid convention. But it was bizarre hearing the running mate of a 26-year veteran of Congress, a woman who was picked to placate the right-wing elite, mocking "the permanent political establishment in Washington."

LYNN SWEET, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Palin did not flinch as she sliced, diced and mocked Barack Obama in her debut speech on a major stage.

JED BABBIN, HUMAN EVENTS

Palin's performance was so good, her vice-presidential adversary, Sen Joe Biden, will not be able to bob and weave only in the 2 October [vice-presidential] debate. He may float like a butterfly, but Palin stings like a bee.

EZRA KLEIN, AMERICAN PROSPECT

It was an auspicious debut, the sort of address that would be judged a success if she were a newcomer keynoting the convention. She landed clean punches, temporarily silenced some of her critics, and retold John McCain's story with a keen sense for the drama of his experience. But I expected more.

KATHLEEN PARKER, NATIONAL REVIEW

There's time to hash out the details, but one can't help but be excited by the reception of a woman vice-presidential candidate. Just as we all felt proud when Barack Obama became the first African-American presidential candidate."

.

Still waiting for an intelligent reponse::

All this about a teenaged pregnancy from the people who twice elected the most promiscuous president ever, (Bill Clinton) charged several times, even in his college days a girl couldn't say "no". He was impeached for lying under oath. Wanting to elect a woman for president (Hillary) who is a proven habitual liar, chose a person (Obama) who has no qualifications, who chose a Senator (Biden)as VP, who is known as the "blowhard" of the senate and had to drop out of the presidential race in '88 because of accusations of plagiarism, both in college, and in his speeches.

Idiots in the voting booth!

Another under-educated lib who has to post the same thing three times to try to get her point across.

Explain this:
Quote: "A number of national polls out in the last 48 hours suggest that Barack Obama got a small bounce from his convention, but the media is speculating that the size of that bounce may have been limited by John McCain's VP announcement the morning after the Democratic convention ended. The Politico reports Obama's bounce in the polls "appears to be slightly smaller than the norm of past conventions, and it's gradually depreciating."

The Republicans should be ashamed but NEVER are because they have moral righteousness on their side, remember? PLEASE! I LOVE how not just a baby blanket, but a spread out baby blanket was usud in a futile attempt to hide what Bristol is all about & then when busted ...Sarah proudly displays Trig, Track, Frik & Frak & parades them around as if they are little kings & queens :-)

She is repulsive to many women who are not religous zealots & she looks like a repressed librarian. Can't you just see the whole act...glasses coming off, bun in the hair coming undone & gently tossing her nasty hair, & trying to make more babies AT AGE 44 with her redneck hubby Todd telling her she's his Norma Rae!!! I didn't know Alaska was so full of trash that's living back in time.

Oh, and did you catch the brief glimpses of studd-muffin Levi Johnston? He looked absolutely enthralled to be there! I know he wrote he's not interested in children on his myspace page, but I wouldn't be suprised if he was basically forced to "own up" & do the right thing by Bristol by Sarah & Todd. Yeah, that marriage will endure.

I love how all the commentators on MSNBC & NBC mentioned the Biden grand-children were vetted months ago & what a thorough process it involves. Just goes to show the kind of careful consideration Barack & his team give every decision & how seriously it is taken. John McCain doesn't care about protocal or procedure...he just had an itch for this woman & scratched it so to speak...how gauling & offensive to his party's base but of course they think the Palin pack is swell.

Notice Sarah didn't mention anything other than energy or bashing Barack...no mention of the economy or any issues that affect real families she claims to represent. You won't hear any of this until they prep her to debate Joe & you sure won't hear her far right freakish beliefs as a way to attract undecided women to the republican ticket...even they know she will detract from the general women's vote. Many women repub delegates were not excited for her on the ticket until they heard her deliver a speech she didn't even write!!!

The Republicans should be ashamed but NEVER are because they have moral righteousness on their side, remember? PLEASE! I LOVE how not just a baby blanket, but a spread out baby blanket was usud in a futile attempt to hide what Bristol is all about & then when busted ...Sarah proudly displays Trig, Track, Frik & Frak & parades them around as if they are little kings & queens :-)

She is repulsive to many women who are not religous zealots & she looks like a repressed librarian. Can't you just see the whole act...glasses coming off, bun in the hair coming undone & gently tossing her nasty hair, & trying to make more babies AT AGE 44 with her redneck hubby Todd telling her she's his Norma Rae!!! I didn't know Alaska was so full of trash that's living back in time.

Oh, and did you catch the brief glimpses of studd-muffin Levi Johnston? He looked absolutely enthralled to be there! I know he wrote he's not interested in children on his myspace page, but I wouldn't be suprised if he was basically forced to "own up" & do the right thing by Bristol by Sarah & Todd. Yeah, that marriage will endure.

I love how all the commentators on MSNBC & NBC mentioned the Biden grand-children were vetted months ago & what a thorough process it involves. Just goes to show the kind of careful consideration Barack & his team give every decision & how seriously it is taken. John McCain doesn't care about protocal or procedure...he just had an itch for this woman & scratched it so to speak...how gauling & offensive to his party's base but of course they think the Palin pack is swell.

Notice Sarah didn't mention anything other than energy or bashing Barack...no mention of the economy or any issues that affect real families she claims to represent. You won't hear any of this until they prep her to debate Joe & you sure won't hear her far right freakish beliefs as a way to attract undecided women to the republican ticket...even they know she will detract from the general women's vote. Many women repub delegates were not excited for her on the ticket until they heard her deliver a speech she didn't even write!!!

The Republicans should be ashamed but NEVER are because they have moral righteousness on their side, remember? PLEASE! I LOVE how not just a baby blanket, but a spread out baby blanket was usud in a futile attempt to hide what Bristol is all about & then when busted ...Sarah proudly displays Trig, Track, Frik & Frak & parades them around as if they are little kings & queens :-)

She is repulsive to many women who are not religous zealots & she looks like a sexually repressed librarian. Can't you just see the whole act...glasses coming off, bun in the hair coming undone & gently tossing her nasty hair, & trying to make more babies AT AGE 44 with her redneck hubby Todd telling her she's his Norma Rae!!! I didn't know Alaska was so full of trash that's living back in time.

Oh, and did you catch the brief glimpses of studd-muffin Levi Johnston? He looked absolutely enthralled to be there! I know he wrote he's not interested in children on his myspace page, but I wouldn't be suprised if he was basically forced to "own up" & do the right thing by Bristol by Sarah & Todd. Yeah, that marriage will endure.

I love how all the commentators on MSNBC & NBC mentioned the Biden grand-children were vetted months ago & what a thorough process it involves. Just goes to show the kind of careful consideration Barack & his team give every decision & how seriously it is taken. John McCain doesn't care about protocal or procedure...he just had an itch for this woman & scratched it so to speak...how gaulimg & offensive to his party's base but of course they think the Palin pack is just fine.

Notice Sarah didn't mention anything other than energy or bashing Barack...no mention of the economy or any issues that affect real families she claims to represent. You won't hear any of this until they prep her to debate Joe & you sure won't hear her far right freakish beliefs as a way to attract undecided women to the republican ticket...even they know she will detract from the general women's vote. Many women repub delegates were not excited for her on the ticket until they heard her deliver a speech she didn't even write!!!

Quote: "He Willy, you miss the point. Democrats are not against sex. We have no problem with Bill Clinton getting an occasional blow job."

No, Lost Cause, you miss the point. Repubs and Libertarians are not against sex either. But, where do you stand on rape charges. Hmmm. Read Clinton's history. Then comment on the rest of the post. Bill Clinton was only the start of the post. Oh, you can't because it's all true.

Idiots in the voting booth.

Quote: "This little girl had sex with an 18 year old man..."

Hilarious. "this little girl" was of the age of consent in Alaska.
Each state has its own laws. Another under-educated lib. I stand by my statement. Read it again. Double standard. Idiots in the voting booth.

We are supposed to believe Bristol is 'about 5 months pregnant' just because the Karl Rove advised campaign *announces* it ? Bristol would look the same if she gave birth April 18, or if she is 4-5 months pregnant now.

I still say Sarah faked the pregnancy from March 6 to April 18 - just 6 weeks of trouble. And Trig has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, not Down's syndrome - FAS is very common with uninformed teenage mothers; the "Down's Syndrome" announcement was part of the Cover up. Since people would say "oh, 44 year old mother, Down's, how sad..."

Of course it's a shotgun wedding with hockey redneck: he's the father of Trig.

I hear a nurse at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center has agreed to spill the beans in October for a huge sum $$$. Her ticket out of moose country.

In the city Ketchikan, the planned site of the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere," political leaders of both parties said the claim was false and a betrayal of their community, because she had supported the bridge and the earmark for it secured by Alaska's Congressional delegation during her run for governor.

The bridge, a span from the city to Gravina Island, home to only a few dozen people, secured a $223 million earmark in 2005. The pricey designation raised a furor and critics, including McCain, used the bridge as an example of wasteful federal spending on politicians' pet projects.

"People are learning that she pandered to us by saying, I'm for this' ... and then when she found it was politically advantageous for her nationally, abruptly she starts using the very term that she said was insulting," Weinstein said.

Just more of the same...John McSame/Bush

typical, typical....

Yay Sarah! Fantastic speech!

Here is Sarah's anthem:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Od2zY8VpoC4

"The National Enquirer's coverage of a vicious war within Sarah Palin's extended family includes several newsworthy revelations, including the resulting incredible charge of an affair plus details of family strife when the Governor's daughter revealed her pregnancy. Following our John Edwards' exclusives, our political reporting has obviously proven to be more detail-oriented than the McCain campaign's vetting process. Despite the McCain camp's attempts to control press coverage they find unfavorable, The Enquirer will continue to pursue news on both sides of the political spectrum."

drip, drip, drip....

tootie,

I would like to add one more thing while i am
able to thing about it, I am an old fart like John McCain. Like McCain I served in Viet Nam. My apparent inability to type, spell is not due to my motor skills, you see i lost an arm, and have reduced sight. Most of the misspellings are due to the simple fact that I just can't see....but i don't brag about it like McCain or try to use it to get elected president.

My mental skills are also beginning to go, and I have these "senior moments". Exactly why we don't need Sarah Palin. 17 year old unmarried pregnant daughter or not.

I was not a POW, because as a young man, I had the good sense not to get caught.

But, I am not so old or wasted from war to recognize that John McCain and Sarah Palin are not good for this country.

Got the answer!

All black unwed teenagers should immediately rush and get their families to become Republicans, then they will not be so heavily scorned by the public as in the past and present.

tootie, you are absolutely correct. I should be more careful, do a better job, select better words and phrases. but, i am from the John McCain school of vetting. Making sure we do a good job is not important. No matter the damage to a 17 year old young girl. Throwing "trailer trash" out to Americans, now that is what is important.

I could not have made my argument any better than you made it for me. I am too quick to type, John McCain was too quick to select, I make mistakes, and because of John McCain's poor vetting skill and poor judgment, this country could be stuck with a poorly trained, no experience, unskilled vp.

My mistakes only cause you to criticize me and call me names, John McCain's mistake could get someone killed or worse. You offer nothing to the debate, except calling me names, typical.

He Willy, you miss the point. Democrats are not against sex. We have no problem with Bill Clinton getting an occasional blow job. What we find disturbing and somewhat confusing is the republican hypocrisy. This little girl had sex with an 18 year old man. Republican preach Abstinence, yet their main "squeeze" can't communicate that to her daughter. Guess mom was not around often enough. She is now unmarried, 17 and pregnant. Everything Republicans supposedly stand against. I guess I could understand you folks better if I simply saw less hypocrisy.

All this about a teenaged pregnancy from the people who twice elected the most promiscuous president ever, (Bill Clinton) charged several times, even in his college days a girl couldn't say "no". He was impeached for lying under oath. Wanting to elect a woman for president (Hillary) who is a proven habitual liar, chose a person (Obama) who has no qualifications, who chose a Senator (Biden)as VP, who is known as the "blowhard" of the senate and had to drop out of the presidential race in '88 because of accusations of plagiarism, both in college, and in his speeches.

Idiots in the voting booth!

Hi all! I think we'll be seeing President Barack Obama in January. I'm pro-choice & I don't want to lose my rights.

Abstinence only teaching obviously does not work...not even in the person who is a staunch advocate of such teachings. Sarah Palin is a hypocrite and it is evident after 10 minutes of background checking her history on the wonderful world wide web. She herself has a shot gun wedding in August 1989 and delivered Track Palin in April 1990. She claims to be a HOCKEY mom but Hockey moms spend time with their children and often know if they are smoking, drinking and having sex. This woman preaches traditional values but is an absentee mother from her brood of 5 children. There are pics of Bristol smoking, drinking, and men all over saying they have had sex with her.

The likelihood that Trig is Sarah Palin's child is quite high considering the risk of Down's Syndrome being 1/30 in women over 43 and 1/1250 in Bristol's age range. However..I've had many patients deliver and show up at their 6 week post partum visit PREGNANT AGAIN. So...there is no way to prove that BRISTOL is 5 months vs 3 months. She looks to be less than 20 weeks to me. The only way to resolve such scandal is to:

1) REVEAL TRIGS BIRTH CERTIFICATE
2) HAVE THE OB/GYN WHO DELIVERED TRIG ANNOUNCE THE REAL MOTHER
3) SHOW THE DELIVERY BILL...WHOEVER WAS ADMITTED THAT NIGHT TO THE HOSPITAL IS A PART OF HOSPITAL RECORDS AND A BILL WAS GENERATED TO THE REAL MOTHER.

This is a really sad day in America. More sex, lies and scandals. I'm truly disgusted!

Listen, it's HOT that Todd--what a stud!!--fathered both Trig by Bristol and now has his second on the way with his own daughter. Go dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Lost Cause:

After reading back through some of your comments and then the responses you've logged to others comments, you come off as an atrocious speller and a real smartass. What kind of a sentence is "AT guest at Sarah Palin's church." That is ignorant and makes no sense. Then you refer to John McCain as a "solider." Just what is a solider? A few days ago, a doodoodum named Michael Blaine kept posting idiotic rantings with very similar misspellings like yours. If you can't spell or type clearly, maybe you'd better cancel your daily dates with Rosy Fist.

Hey Ginger Davis.

You make my argument for me. The comment I posted was made by a visitor at Sarah Palin's Church. And you are absolutely correct!

Does that clear up anything for you?

..I simply can't accept that the women of America will acknowledge the bone that Mr. McSame threw them.

I have a stump in my front yard, and that stump is better prepared to lead this country than Sarah Palin!

John McSame is putting the welfare, security and safety of the good 'ole USA in jeopardy with this choice.

John McCain as a solider swore to protect this country and with this decision and choice he is letting the country down. And any one that tags along, is equally guilty!

Hitler destroyed Germany, but the German people were guilty by association because they did not step up and be heard!

She is an incompetent boob. That is the media's fault? She has no experience. That is the media's fault? She is a pusher of abstinence and her unmarried 17 year daughter is pregnant and that is the media's fault. Give me a break! She is one scary woman! to put her daughter's welfare in jeopardy for her own personal ambition. Now that is disgusting!

Being an 18 year old, I was shocked to hear that Bristol is pregnant. Do they not have condoms or birth control pills in Alaska? This family has enough children, and having a baby at 17 is certainly not something to be "proud" of, as Palin said she was. Getting married at 17 is even stupider than getting pregnant at 17. Bristol just ruined her life, and no one is picking on her by telling the facts. If Palin cannot even run her own family, how can she run the country?

The fact that Bristol is now 5 months pregnant belies the lie that she is Trig's real mother. Trig was born on April 18, 2008.
Palin could have said the daughter's baby was fathered by John Edwards. The media, who covered up Edwards adultery and love child for 2 plus years would have immediately dropped the subject. You notice that Democrats did not press for a DNA test in the Edwards case.

Most of the media is ignoring (while continuing the rumor), the vileness of the original post on Daily Kos. The original post said the 'father' was the son, scheduled to go to Iraq on Sept. 11. Even the media can't stomach such a vile assertion. We'll see who began this rumor - eventually it will come out, as many are investigating it now.

Michael Moore and two high Democrats said that Gustave was God's judgement that Democrats would win. Sound familiar?

Palin, as Governor, has a budget roughly 10 times Obama's campaign budget, and has a number of employees approximately six times the number of his campaign workers. Obama should do a little research before claiming his remarks.

"At guest at Sarah Palin's church."

Posted by: Lost Cause | September 2, 2008 11:20 PM

Just what the hell does this mean? You, anti-semitic f***wad!

Hey, it is so EXCITING to be in the company of SO MANY pure, moral male and female virgins! I musta died and gone to heaven with all of the precious "saints" who have commented on here!

And it was at that Bible Church where a recent guest described a Palestinian attack on Israeli citizens as part of God's judgment coming to pass on Earth -- an analysis likely troubling both to Jews, as well as to mainstream foreign policy analysts.

Describing a trip by his son to Jerusalem, Jews for Jesus founder David Brickner described the a July Palestinian bulldozer attack against Israeli civilians as part of God's "judgment."

At guest at Sarah Palin's church.

met the 50 percent threshold for the first time Tuesday in the Gallup daily tracking poll, a symbolic hurdle that until now had eluded the Democratic nominee.

The Gallup daily tracking poll has found that since the conclusion of the Democratic convention, Obama has risen 5 percentage points in the polls and now leads John McCain 50 percent to 42 percent. That represents a positive turn for Obama, after a couple of days in which he appeared to have peaked at the 49 percent mark while McCain was showing slight improvements.

Hey 8 generation-Your great great granddaddy fight for the Confederacy? You being from Memphis and all?

Obama met the 50 percent threshold for the first time Tuesday in the Gallup daily tracking poll, a symbolic hurdle that until now had eluded the Democratic nominee.

The Gallup daily tracking poll has found that since the conclusion of the Democratic convention, Obama has risen 5 percentage points in the polls and now leads John McCain 50 percent to 42 percent. That represents a positive turn for Obama, after a couple of days in which he appeared to have peaked at the 49 percent mark while McCain was showing slight improvements.

We come from a family of patriots and veterans going back to our nation's beginning. We're proud of that and that we are DAR and SAR. We support John McCain and Sarah Palin. Michael, Elizabeth, David, James, Karen, and Susan Benton,
Memphis, TN

Hey, it is so EXCITING to be in the company of SO MANY pure, moral male and female virgins! I musta died and gone to heaven with all of the precious "saints" who have commented on here!

Glad the devil is running because I'm a Wiccan.

Let's drain that Demo cesspool in DC!!!!
Send Roberta McCain there to whack 'em with her shoe!!!!

If the Devil himself ran for president as a Republican, he would still get the Christian vote. They would not be able to recognize him. These Christians are more Republican than Christian.

Wait a minute, the devil is running as a Republican.

Those rumors about Bristol being Trig's mom would disappear really quickly if Sarah's OB/GYN spoke up and verified Sarah's story. It's just that simple, folks. The doctor wouldn't have to to give too many details--a simple confirmation would do.

The longer the Palins let this story run, the more damage it will do--and the Democrats won't have to say a word to keep it going. If Bristol is Trig's mom and pregnant again...what the hell is going on in that family?!? As it is, I don't think a mother of four or five kids, including a newborn Down's Syndrome child, is going to have enough time to be VP.

This was clearly a token pick. McCain thought he could have Lieberman or Ridge and didn't come up with a plan C. Yet another reason to not vote for McCain.

Hey, it is so EXCITING to be in the company of SO MANY pure, moral male and female virgins! I musta died and gone to heaven with all of the precious "saints" who have commented on here!

Hey, it is so EXCITING to be in the company of SO MANY pure, moral male and female virgins! I musta died and gone to heaven with all of the precious "saints" who have commented on here!

Sorry folks! We're still Indys and McCain gets the vote. Texans for McCain.

Still voting for McCain/Palin.

How do we know Bristol is pregant? Oh!... because the same people who were covering everything up in the rumor are vouchsafing that she is. And they MUST be believed even by those who were so sure Sarah was not Trig's mother. Why? Because doubting them twice would be DOUBLE-JEOPARDY, which is senseless and illegal. In any case, if Bristol SHOULD (wonders never cease with this family!) have an alleged miscarriage of her alleged pregancy, then that would be after the election, and that would be water over the dam. So, however you look at it, the case is solved. (Look up double-jeopardy in any law book, if you don't believe me.)

It was completely unnecessary for the McCain/Palin campaign to reveal Bristol's current pregnancy. A simple, direct approach to the Bristol-is-Trig's-mom rumor would be: "Here's Todd's DNA, here's Sarah's DNA, here's Trig's DNA, it's a match, you people are disgusting."

But they didn't do that -- which means that the rumor almost surely is true. Now, Bristol may in fact be pregnant (again?), but that is irrelevant to the issue of whether the Palins lied about Trig's parentage. In fact, it's really sad that they used her (and Levi) to try to rehabilitate some fatally flawed decisions. And Ms. Palin's poor choices in this sordid drama directly reflect on her judgement, a quality we all agree is vital in a potential Commander-in-Chief.

Hey, it is so EXCITING to be in the company of SO MANY pure, moral male and female virgins! I musta died and gone to heaven with all of the precious "saints" who have commented on here!

what a joke. the republicans are bashing Obama for not having experience then McSame turns around and taps Palin (who?) to be his veep while her oldest child is knocked up! lmao. Go Obama-Biden!!!

Okay Republicans, now if this would have happened to Obama's daughter the entire Republican party would be bashing him and his family, with no sympathy whatsoever. Instead they would have been saying that he would have been unfit to run the country since he couldn't monitor what went on in his own family. But because it's the Republicans nominee whos daughter is pregnant, it's suddenly become okay to have children when you're still a child yourself. Being she is a strong opponent to sex education, than would she not have been even more in touch with her children. What does this say about McCain's judgment in all of this.

In Alaska, age of consent is 16. You would think this would mandate an ever greater parent presence in the life of the child.

WOW...

Why isn't anyone pointing out that she was a leader in an independent party that was trying to get Alaska to secede from the Union?

When Mrs. Obama said she was proud of her country for the first time, the republicans jumped all over that questioning her loyalty as an amercian. Seeeet this gal is trying to divide the United States and no one says a word, just focus on the kid...believe me there is a lot more to focus on that is far more damaging and everyone is ignoring the more important things.

Screw her daughter...oops someone already took care of that.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense, make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”
— Jesus Christ, Matthew 23: 14-15

Hypocrisy of the greatest magnitude.

a word to all you so called democrats voting for McSame...if your conscience will let you, good for you.

"McSane" : You are an ignoramus. We have no proof that a Downs Syndrome test was done. We have no record of Trig's birth, from any hospital, and we don't know whether it is Sarah's child or Bristol's! 80% of Downs syndrome babies are born to women under age 35! And "McSane", you have no right to badmouth Obama in regard to this scandal, because he was the first to say "It is a private matter, and especially off-limits in the case of children." Obama shows great generosity of spirit, wisdom, the absence of spite and very good judgement. Right now his opponent is flat on his back, and Obama could "run him through" easily. But I expect you'll see the light, if you're not a total ignoramus, when the debates come around. Obama will trounce McInsane soundly. And Biden will rip Palin to ribbons. Superior experience, paired with an even temper (which McInsane clearly lacks) will win this election for the Democrats.

I wonder how long Bristol has been having sex, since she about 12 or 13? There must have been signs? and mom and dad did not notice? Well, guess mom was not home enough to notice!

REPUBLICAN PLATFORM:

"We renew our call for replacing 'family planning' programs for teens with increased funding for abstinence education, which teaches abstinence until marriage as the responsible and expected standard of behavior," the platform says.

"Abstinence from sexual activity is the only protection that is 100% effective against out-of-wedlock pregnancies..."

so much for this plank!

What we are seeing is a Dysfunctional family playing out its dysfunction in front of millions of Americans.

Well, at least Palin did not hire a hit man to take of her brother in law.

This is so typical of the Republican Party. Why not talk about the issues? What concerns me most is the conservative media and social groups want us to ignore the facts. Why do the republicans keep saying she qualified? I admire her ability to multitask; I'm in grad school, maintaining a 4.0, with a 7, and 3 years old. I'm also a wife and work. Give me round of applause as well as Gov. Palin, but that certainly doesn't mean I'll be supporting her or John McCain, nor does it qualify me or Gov. Palin for vice presidency. Do as I say--not as I do, that's the creed of the Republican Party. Okay, she's keeping the baby, that's great; she made a choice, a choice that the Republican Party seeks to make for every woman (whether or not they don't want to keep the child). No one has the right to tell me or any other woman what to do with our body. Despite what Gov. Palin saids, she originally voted for the "bridge to nowhere." Come on. Alaska does not share the same struggles as the inner city of Chicago, New York or any other place. From what we understand, she is doing well in Alaska; she should continue to do so. This is reckless! The mantra of John McCain, "He is not experienced." Well, maybe he should have not focused so much on Barack and more on himself and his party who will see the light. Of course the Republicans will try to spin this like the media are being so critical because she is a woman, when in fact it is because she lacks the “credible” sound experience that she needs to be an efficient vice president. We want someone ready on day one, not someone who doesn’t even know herself what the vice president does or needs on the job training. Wow! Not this time America, please, not this time.

So are the Republicans now saying that it's okay to have a baby while still being a child yourself all because their VP nominee says it's okay? What message are we sending to our young ones. Is it true that Palin herself is a strong opponent of sex education in the schools. I wouldn't be surprise if because of the Republicans acceptance of this that there will now be a lot of illegitimate teen pregnancies. Hey, if it's okay for Palin's daughter to do it, than it's okay for me to do it too. Perhaps in the process of being empowered with all that has gone on in Palin's life in the last two years, her family has had to take a back seat to her ambitions.

Has anyone looked into when Bristol turned seventeen? She is five months pregnant, did she get pregnant at sixteen? The beau is supposedly eighteen... Would seem like some interesting research....

Normally such a family issue would be irrelevant politically. However, Gov. Palin has opposed contraception and banned comprehensive sex education. Her push of destructive abstinence-only ideology has destroyed countless lives by causing many teen pregnancies, including that of her daughter. This does prove that Palin is unfit for leadership and generally irresponsible and incompetent.

I find it disgusting that liberals are pouncing on the pregnancy of Gov. Palin's daughter and the fact that the governor has had five children in an attempt to torpedo her candidacy. If a conservative male were to question whether a liberal female with five children should serve, his testicles would be crushed between two rocks. People, his are the important facts to know:
1. Sarah Palin has been a state governor for two years and thus has far more executive experience than either member of the Democratic ticket.
2. Gov. Palin has fought corruption within her own state party and has appointed Republicans, Democrats and independents to her administration. Obama/Biden can't say the same.
3. Ms. Palin has defended the victims of the Exxon Valdez spill and has stood up to Big Oil. She has fought for a natural gas pipeline to bring clean, domestic energy to the lower 48 states.

Another Democrat for McCain/Palin.

Levi, Bristol, Sarah, Tod, Trig, baby-Bristol:
Dates, times, places, DNA tests.

I agree with someone who posted that if this was Obama's teenage daughter....the news would be all over it questioning his ability to lead our country!! The fact is...Sarah Palin is absolutely unqualified to lead our country, John McCain is about to keel over at 72 years old and our country is in a state of turmoil because of the Republican Prez that has been in power for the last 8 years!! HELLO PEOPLE...WE NEED A CHANGE AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEEDS TO TAKE OFFICE ASAP! OBAMA/BIDEN 2008!

The Christian social conservatives politicized the personal long ago! Among other things, Palin wants to change policies and laws that affect our personal choices and behaviors.

The tragedy about the Sarah Palins in our society and government isn't that "We can't control what our children do," it's that they absolutely want to control what my children do.

The lesson that free-thinking humans should take from the Palin morality play is this: It is always the worst offenders who despise us for their failings and mistakes.

It doesn't matter anyway...she's not qualified.

Doesn't matter about her daughter...she's still not qualified!

Republicans criticize democrats for being disloyal to their party. But, that's what it means to truly have values. It's not just something that you preach to other people. You actually live by them. So when your party does something foolish you don't stand by them just because its your party. You have to make noise. Otherwise, they make you look like drones and fools.

As a Registered Nurse, I have seen my share of pregnant women. The story about Sara Palen's 5th child makes no medical sense. Why?
1)Sara Palin traveled (in her 3rd trimester) over 6 hours to Texas to give a speech. No obstetrician would allow a 3rd trimester pregnant woman, let alone a 44 year old woman, to travel She is considered "a high risk" pregnancy.
2) Supposedly, her water broke while in Texas. Having had 4 previous children, she would have gone into labor and delivered very quickly.
3) She flew back to Alaska, and the pilot and flight attendants saw NO evidence of discomfort/labor.
4) She did NOT go to a hospital after arriving, but, went somewhere else.
5) Her daughter was conveniently out of school for >6months, supposedly for mono.
6)) It is highly unlikely that a 7 to 8 month pregnant woman could tuck her blouse into her skirt. Sara Palin's photos show just that.

Thus, this child could not possibly be her child, but rather her grandchild. I guess it is easier to blame the daughter for the current pregnancy, than to admit to lying to her constituents all these months.

Jane wrote: Regardless of her family values, which do seem a bit questionable... she is in no way qualified to be a major player in national politics. If the GOP is going to push that Obama is too inexperienced, how does selecting a woman with two years of experience as the governer of a totally obscure state help their cause???
-------
Okay, Jane, you do know Obama's mother did the same thing only with a man not of her race or religion, much older and married?
Talk about questionable family values! And, did you also know that Obama is running for President, not Vice President? That's a pretty big difference when it comes to the experience factor. Especially given that Obama's mother passed away at age 53 and McCain's is still going strong at 96. And, how many years has Obama smoked cigarettes? The man could keel over at any time.
Listen, Pal, as McCain would say, I'll take John and Sarah's values over Obama and Biden's any day.

*okay from a teenage girls point of view*
Pregnancy isn't glorified. at all. i dont know a single 16/ 17 year old who wants a child for the hell of it. but we are still all going to have SEX. its not the goverments desicion on that matter. its free will remember? so let educate the youth of america! (its a new concept..) they learn to use a condom or learn about birth control and what do you know less pregnant teenagers!

*******BUT THATS NOT THE ISSUE!!!!!!!!

so why dont we think about whats let say.. important? hmm?
like who you are going to vote for?
like who is going to shape this nation?
who is going to LEAD the nation the most sucessful way to the most amount of people.. because no matter what less than half the nation is going to dissagree with the next commander in chief.
so lets LOOK AT THE CANIDATES and NOT THEIR FAMILIES!!!

the two basically unknown canidates from the independent party
Obama from the democrats
and McCain from the republic

LOGIC 101

..again...where's the data on age at conception (5 to 6 months ago) for these two. Is there a criminal charge that is being covered up?

I moved to the US from Canada five years ago and have lived here through the last election and now this one. I have to say - that from my vantage point, it feels like the media favors the republican party. If this was the Democratic VP - the Republican party would be all over it, saying "...how can Sarah control the country if she can't control her family?" I don't agree with that statement, I think it's onesided and unfair to the voters to distract from the important issues. However, the republicans just seem to find a way to get out of these "scandals" with more of the media's help than would a democrat. As an outsider, with some perspective, I definitely see a bias. Sadly, your friends north of the border will probably weep if another republican is voted in...maybe the media should poll their neigbors instead of just guessing at what would improve foreign relations.

Seems like John Edwards, while running for the Democratic presidential nomination, and fathering a baby while having an extramarital affair against his cancer-stricken wife, is a much bigger deal than an Alaskan teenager getting pregnant. Where are the media's priorities?

Regardless of her family values, which do seem a bit questionable (I am tempted to agree with the notion that this is meant to divert attention from the Trig rumours...I guess we'll see in a few months!) she is in no way qualified to be a major player in national politics. If the GOP is going to push that Obama is too inexperienced, how does selecting a woman with two years of experience as the governer of a totally obscure state help their cause??? Not to mention the clip of her stating that she doesn't know what the VP does from day to day...WOW. How people could be missing the blatent pandering for Hillary's supporters is baffling to me. ("I'm going to break the glass ceiling that Hillary put 18,000 cracks in" ...while being so against increasing women's right to choose..gah) And her 90% approval rating? That's from a town of 9,000 people who all lean very very far right. She's pretty, she's young, and she owns a gun. What more could the bible belt Christian right need as a reason to vote for her??

Is it something unheard of, no. Will it happen to thousands of teenage Americans this year alone, yes.

The fact that Palin's daughter will marry someone because of a mistake is the scary issue in all this. On mistake should not lead to another.

Palin's views on family values have now been put to the test, and they should. Her role is to convince voters to support her based on her beliefs.

Her daughter has made a decision (pre-marital sex) based on what she believed which was influenced by her upbringing.

I don't think that democrats should criticized yet since the candidates have yet to comment about the situation. But if they bring Palin's beliefs to the forefront , that would only be normal.

To my mind it's not Bristol's pregnancy that has political significance, it's her impending marriage to an 18-year-old self-proclaimed "red neck" and boozer who doesn't want children. This sounds like the kind of fore-doomed marriage a caring mother would want to steer her daughter away from. It's bad enough that Sarah Palin approves of the marriage. The real scandal will be if it comes out that she pressured the teenagers into it.

Having a fifth child after 40, pregnant unwed teens,trying to get an ex brother-in-law fired from his job for dissing ones sister...All this is befitting of a Jeff Foxworthy sequel....

The image this portrays to the rest of the world is that America is a mess. We once were looked up to as a leader by example now we are looking more like a late nite cable drama. Well schooled and intelligent thinkers are labeled as liberals. Half ass caucasian eubonics gets people elected. Waive the flag, cite the constitution while abusing its meaning, spew chapter and verse and scare the masses - without any doubt 20% of the population harbors 80% of reasoning. Too bad their one vote didn't equal three. Instead of challenging the majority to think up, it's easier and more effective to talk down.I blame the media and I especially blame those seeking out attention for personal gain through sensationalism by self perceived extrodinary acts. People seek meaningless endeavors when their lives are meaningless. There are so many things wrong here on so many different levels its disturbing to even list them.

When I heard that Governor Palin was the VP pick for John McCain, I was pretty intrigued. She's definetly seen as a bit of a maverick in her own state, she has bipartisan credentials, she is strong in her Christian faith, she's very set against corruption and the status quo, she has executive experience, and he has a very nice family by all accounts. What's not to like? Talk about a fantastic combination of personal and professional attribtes! The GOP has every right to be pleased with the selection, and Republicans have really turned up the heat in the race by making such a bold choice. It's commendable. I won't be voting for Senator McCain for many other reasons, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate the kind of groundbreaking selection he's made.

Honestly, my perception of Governor Palin has not changed since revelations about her daughter's pregnancy made the news. It's really not that surprising. Teens get pregnant all the time, and the family faith or political stance doesn't determine it. I hear a lot of comments on this page and others that insist that we liberals are dragging the poor kid through the muck. Some of my left-leaning brethren are indeed seeing it as proof of bad parenting or poor family management or proof of the failure of abstinence-only sex education. Really, though, there's no dragging and there's no muck. What many of us on the left also realize is that unplanned/unintended pregnancy knows no barriers -- it happens to every demographic group in every part of the country and in every community of faith. Naturally, it's a big step for the Governor's daughter, and I'm sure the Governor will be supportive of the child and the shotgun union.

If you look at the news cycle, it's a great time to get this tidbit out in the open because there are so many other things going on. It'll blow away in a couple days. What it may do, however, is accelerate the pace of digging into the Governor's background and family, and there may be a few more bones rattling around in their cupboards. Senator Obama was able to pre-empt a lot of the same kind of digging by publishing all of his past a long time ago. To those who say that the Obama family would have fared differently under a similar type of issue or scrutiny as the Palin family is encountering, I disagree. The only thing that this news item points out is that the whole Palin family needed to be prepared by the Governor of Alaska for the inevitable attention. I sense that she did not do this planning, which is unfortunate because she seems to have such a lovely family with such great accomplishments and promise.

What really amazes me is there were a large number of posts about how Palin should have had an abortion when she knew her child had Down's Syndrome and she had no business having a child because she was too old. Now the same people are saying it's her daughter's child. They went from wanting to execute a child because of a disability to wanting to persecute a 17 year old girl for having sex. If that's they kind of change they're pushing they can "keep the change". Obama's inability to keep his "nut" roots from behaving in this immoral fashion shows just how effective a leader he really is. Let's just put the whole conspiracy theory to rest because we know for a fact the child belongs to Governor Palin because we already know about the positive tests for Down Syndrome. This is the typical "Chicago" style politics we can expect from Obama and his supporters. That is why I would have voted for Hillary, but now I'm voting for the only real change left, McCain.

Hopefully this unfortunate and awkward situation can lead to a rational national discussion on the failed policy of supporting Abstinence-only programs in our public schools. The youth of this nation needs to be educated and empowered in this area. To provide them with any less is a crime and a great disservice to the future of the nation. I'm glad that the Palin family has found peace with the situation and that Bristol will be raising this child in a loving environment. (Though, I do wonder if she's being forced into marrying this guy). But if that's their choice, then all the best to them!

not being nosy, just skeptical. unfortunately, rovian politics dictates that we be somewhat skeptical during political campaigns. if there is a cover-up on top of a cover-up, questions should be asked.

Bristol "The Pistol" Palin sure knows about sex. It's too bad that she did not have information that Planned Parenthood could have provided. Now the GOP has a Veep candidate more appropriate to being a guest on Jerry Springer's old shows than to a position one malignancy from the Presidency.

Quote: "More disturbing is the fact that Palin and her husband were both members of the Alaskan Independence Party.

Ms. Palin, when were you first really proud to be an American? Presumably, after you left a party calling for a vote for Alaska to leave the USA."

So, I was once a member of a party called the Democratic Party, and so was akmost every one in my state. Then we learned better and every elected official in the state of over 26 million is Republican. That has happened in 40 years. How fast they fall when you take a look at them.

Quote: "I would like to see or read about the results of at least TWO independent pregnancy tests confirming that Bristol is pregnant. I’m THAT suspicious. She just happens to be five-months-pregnant as the rumors and discussion about the son being the governor’s grandson start to shoot across the Internet. COME ON! I predict that one of the next headlines in this story will read, “Miscarriage!” This is crazy."

No, you are not "that suspicious". You are that NOSY. A true lib who feeds on this stuff. It is none of your business, until the daughter is running for VP. Palin has more accomplishments than Obama or Hillary Clinton, and has not been PROVEN to be a habitual liar like Hillary.
Go eat another potato chip and try to find a Jerry Springer re-run and your "suspicions" might go away.

she's not pregnant

Posted by: riding | September 2, 2008 11:43 AM

Hmmmmm .... must have happened in the break time right after bible study, but just before the sex ed abstinence class ...

* Republicans: supporting life right up until birth.

Posted by: Suz | September 2, 2008 11:38 AM

Wow . . . I guess I am done here. I thought I would expect better from Washington Post readers. My point has been proved entirely. The point is: beware lest you become every that you accuse the other side of being in terms of tone, hatred, judgmentalism or worse! I would have to go with worse by what I have read. Even contempt of some on the other side wanting their young people to have Bible classes??? Listen to yourselves! You have become what you supposedly oppose!I am out of here.

"Seriously saying the "Republicans would say the same things if it was a Democrat's daughter..." is ridiculous. And even if it were true, how about taking the high road and NOT do what you say the evil Republicans would do? Doing or saying something just because someone else did or would do it...is a very childish excuse.

Believe what you will about Sarah Palin and her family, but take responsibility for the words you write."

Anon, I'd have a lot more sympathy for this point of view if the Republicans hadn't plumbed new depths in slimemongering in the past 20 years. Honestly, there is no way the Republican noise machine wouldn't make hay out a revelation like this on the Democratic side.
Do you think Democrats should "take the high road" when the opposition never has?
Don't be naive. This is politics, not Sunday school. They will (and should) use whatever it takes to win.

she's not pregnant

Hmmmmm .... must have happened in the break time right after bible study, but just before the sex ed abstinence class ...

* Republicans: supporting life right up until birth.

"The old saying about the apple not falling far from the tree needed an update; 'The wheels don't roll far from the trailer'."

Rednecks? Trailer Trash? What do you expect from Alaska? Shame! Shame! Shame! What kind of country are you going to build when you have such contempt and vitriol for people not as "enlightened" as yourselves? Why would I ever believe that you have the best interest of the little guy in mind? It reminds me of the explicative filled political yard signs and bumper stickers of the compassionate "progress" community I used to live near. This is compassion? Again, I totally despise the rumor-mongering by right wingers against Democrats present and in the past. Don't give me the "Republicans would do this" arguments. When the right wing does it is wrong, but what about the disgraceful words of the "compassionate" progressives in this comment section?

The old saying about the apple not falling far from the tree needed an update; "The wheels don't roll far from the trailer".

Thanks GOP

Seriously saying the "Republicans would say the same things if it was a Democrat's daughter..." is ridiculous. And even if it were true, how about taking the high road and NOT do what you say the evil Republicans would do? Doing or saying something just because someone else did or would do it...is a very childish excuse.

Believe what you will about Sarah Palin and her family, but take responsibility for the words you write.

Ummm. There are people who live in Idiotville thinking Obama's camp is getting at Palin's daughter for being a teen mom.

Obama IS born from a TEEN MOM!

He is clearly a living example of that situation.

Conservatards, do your homework next time.

What a joke.Sarah Palin would become the least qualified VP of all time and is ill suited to be President.

Nice family values candidate. Must be against birth control.

The psychologically damaged McCain who lacks the temperment to be President according to former Republican Senator Santorum will be way too OLD to be President.

In year 4, McCain is going to be 77 folks.Talk about napping on the job.

Here below is my earlier post spell-checked lest someone try to pile on me for being an "uneducated" trailer dweller or whatever smear that some lurk here would like to use. I have read more of the comments below, and I am dumbfounded. Redneck is not used of the Palins, but trailer trash is and there are innuendos of incest and similar insults toward the people of Alaska. Shame! Shame! Shame! What kind of country will you build with your contempt for certain classes of people? Here is my previous post corrected for those of you who use the presence of typos to belittle people:

"The responses on this thread epitomizes
why I do not believe the liberals' feigned compassion. Think about what you are writing! Before someone spouts back that right-wingers do the same thing, I will say that I cannot stand the rumor-mongering on the other side (Obama is a secret Muslim, the Clintons had political enemies murdered, etc., etc.). Bringing up the actions of the right wing nutjobs is a red herring. Take responsibility for what you write. Some of you seemed to be insinuating that the Palins are backwoods, bumpkins. If the "red----" word has not been used yet, then that is exactly what many of you are insinuating concerning the Palins. Your contempt for people not as "enlightened" as yourselves is palpable. I would be scared to death if folks with such contempt for their fellow human beings ever achieved near total power."

Maybe Bristol is not pregnant after all. Maybe she is faking the pregnancy to "prove" that she's not Trig's mother. Maybe there will be no new baby. This is better than The Young and Restless...

Let's see here:
Chelsea Clinton(no scandals)
Bush Girls(Underaged Drinking)

Biden's children(no scandals)
Palin's daughter(teen pregnancy)

Oh, yes. Republicans have a grip on family values! :)

The father of the baby said it best...I'M A REDNECK!"

Indeed you are. Indeed you are!LMAO!

So someone on here stated" You can't control your children"in support of Palin.

I bet you are the same dense person who skewered Obama about his preacher(not even related to him!).

If you can't control your child,then how can you control the country?

Let's see:
*The father said on his Myspace page clearly that he did NOT want kids.
*Liberals are constantly vilified for not having "family values"

One poster said it best: " it's okay for Republicans to disregard values, but not Democrats.

Hypocracy is what Republicans live and die by.

Straight talk.

I supported John McCain in 2000 and did not vote for a Democrat in the Presidential election.

I will not support John McCain in 2008 and will vote for a Democrat in the Presidential election.

His questionable selection of Mrs. Palin as VP is my reason for the change.

Hey Conservatives, Rif said it best!

You're either for or against teen pregnancy

Just like you turds yelled to us liberals:

You're either for or against the war in Iraq.
Hmmmmm. The tables turn.......

The responses on this thread eptomizes why I do not believe the liberals' feigned compassion. Think about what you are writing! Before someone spouts back that right-wingers do the same thing, I will say that I cannot stand the rumor-monging on the other side (Obama is a secret Muslim, the Clintons had political enemies murdered, etc., etc.). Bringing up the actions of the right wing nutjobs is a red herring. Take responsibility for what you write. Some of you seemed to be insinuating that the Palins are backwoods, bumpkins. If the "red----" word has been used yet, then that is exactly what many of you are insinuating concerning the Palins. Your contempt for people not as "enlighted" as youselves is palpable. I would be scared to death if folks with such contempt for their fellow human beings ever acheived near total power.

I definetly feel that John McCain is desperate and his desperation has clouded what was once good judgement. If the tables were turned and Obama had a 17 year old child who was 5 months pregnant, it would be considered an international incident and the republicans would have a filed day citing that his lack morals, inability of raising a family, and even more, running a country. Why was 16 year old Jamie Lynn Spears trashed for her pregnancy but it is accepted and spun into being o.k. for Palin’s daughter Bristol which was obviously hidden until now? It scares me to think that if something were to happen to John McCain that she would be incharge of our country. A governor of Alaska with limited expereince is detatched from the major cities in the USA which are plagued with issues that need to be addressed immediately! I don’t see how anyone who has lived in the USA for the last 8 years could possible vote for an unconstitutional 3rd Bush/ McCain/ Palin term.

Of course!

If You are Republican, its A-okay to have your teen daughter get pregnant.

If You are Democrat, it's WRONG!!!!!!!

I bet anyone all the money they have in the world that if Barack Obama's daughter was a tenn and pregnant, the Republicans would have racked that ossue over the coals BIG TIME!

Abstinence Only, my a**!

Best wishes to the Palin family and the grandchild on the way.

Why, please tell me, would a mother put her daughter in this position --to cover up her pregnancy with a blanket and baby brother? What does this tell us about Palin, and McCain who supposedly knew. What does this tell us about the transparancy and honesty of leadership?

Why didn't they just introduce the Palin family honestly -- a mother of five with a grandchild on the way. Oh, and by the way, the grandchild is out of wedlock, but this is a family thing like so many millions.

Geesh!

Prediction: The next shoe to drop is Todd Palin's women. Sahra will not last long on the ticket. The GOP is toast.

Again, best wishes to the Palin family. They will have many burdens.

...."they loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly"....

I think it would be terrific to have an under-educated, superstitious rube as Commander-in-Chief of the US military with her finger on the "nucular" trigger!

I think it would be great to put a regular old mediocre dysfunctional family in the White House to guide the nation!

I think the rest of the world will be most impressed with how our society has chosen to make the highest offices in the land part of reality television!

With all of the many accomplishments under her belt, I assume Palin will be able to handle the job of vice president even with two infants in the family.

Hi kaleigh

is what say about gov palin and her family needing her not also true for sen obama??
he puts his EVEN YOUNGER daughters in the spotlight and even more so should he be elected. he doesn't have or won't have enough time for them !! i think raisung kids is for both - mother AND father so i don't understand why again and again only the mothers are being dubbed .

It's a mess. If this story was put out to detract attention from Trig's parentage it failed. She would have been better advised just to make her medical records public. The 18 year old hockey player outed as Bristol's unborn baby's father says he doesn't want kids - why then announce the forthcoming marriage and the challenges they're going to face as parents. A shotgun wedding isn't going to help matters, especially when Bristol has a 26 year old boyfriend as well as the 'official' highschool boyfriend.

It is amazing how many people think that they have Sarah Palin pegged. It seems like we are clinging to any criticism or opportunity to judge her personal life. Don't waste your vote by voting for a candidate based on whether or not their 17 year old is pregnant and what you think that means about the candidate.

Why are we assuming that this was Sarah Palin's fault? Children don't always share their parents' beliefs. If her daughter was an atheist would this get blamed on her too? Would she be unfit for national service as a result?

I now understand how Jerry Springer stayed on the air for so many years......people really feel superior when given the opportunity to focus on the perceived shortcomings of others.

I am not a republican but have to say that John McCain picked an amazing public servant to be his running mate. Governor Palin has an 80% approval rating as Alaska's governor for good reason. In two and a half years as governor, she has turned Alaska's political world upside down. She has successfully brought both democrats and republicans to the table to do the job that they were elected to do. She gets things done and is ethical in the process.

If Sarah Palin can do on a national level what she has been able to do in Alaska, this country will move in the right direction.

Suddenly it all makes sense!

When the McCain camp wanted to reach out to their midwestern Republican base, they "vetted" the most familiar VP for them: someone with 5 kids, a screechy voice, a hunting husband, and a pregnant teenage daughter! (haha, kidding, relax folks).

In all seriousness....Palin is a total disaster for the McCain campaign, and I really feel sorry for her to have been thrown into all of this.

She was in a great place in her life career wise, and dealing with both raising a family and helping her daughter. And can you imagine being her 17 year old daughter who has spent most of her life in a tiny town, now having to deal with all this crap?

This whole thing sounds strangely familiar to those stories you see on Court TV about the families who won the lottery, couldn't handle the pressure and exposure, and ended up being way worse off.

My prediction: Sarah Palin is gonna ask to NOT be on the ticket before November.

For Susan Eisenhower and Obamacans.

I bet Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower danced to this tune. Our grandparents did too.

Rudy Valle Rudy Vallee - Orchids In The Moonlight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsGDKJJvik8

Vote Obama/Biden '08

Who cares if her Daughter is pregnant.

She is against sex education and birth control, if thats what you believe vote for her.

She thinks Global Warming is not man made, if thats what you believe vote for her.

She thinks that the way to get independent of oil is to drill in nature parks, if thats what you believe vote for her.

She thinks that Polar Bears should not be listed as endangered because that would block people from drilling for oil in their habitat, if thats what you believe vote for her.

I can't see how some one running for VP, could not care about the environment and be so for drilling for oil.

I thought hardcore christians like her would want to be the stewards and care takers of the earth like the book of Genesis says we are.

I mean one positive if we slow Global Warming we will NOT have as many HUGE hurricanes like we have today.

How about looking into clean energy instead, because believe it or not there is no gas shortage at this time, the oil companies are just putting the screws to us because of demand. One day oil will be depleted though and so will our planet be depleted of life as it drowns in it's own blood of oil and dies.

Why not kill two birds with one stone and start using other clean methods of energy and start healing the environment?
I think we can all agree on that.

Unfortunately the government is controlled by the oil companies, yes the Democrats and Republicans are both in their pocket, the republicans are just proud to be public about it.

We live in a capitalist world and helping mother nature currently does not make a profit, free energy does not make a profit, so nothing will be done about it unless a crisis happens or the people rise up and demand it.

Sarah Palin, this is so ridiculous I can't even seriously think about it! And,
now all the trailer park like behavior begins to spill out. If my 17 year old daughter became preg. I don't think I'd accept a position that would put her in the spot light. What is this woman thinking? N

Regarding below, apparently in addition to feminism, this anonymous commenter shows us that spelling, grammar and literacy are also only for liberals.

Isn't the baby's father, Levi Johnston, the man the Palin kids call "Uncle Levi"? Not really a "young" man, is he? Isn't this the 57-year-old "friend of the family" who has been spending a lot of time with the Palin girls since their mother has been so busy politicking? A man who supposedly "thinks of the girls as [his] own daughters", a man who campaigned fiercely against sex education in Alaska public schools?? No, it's not? Hmm...well, it certainly sounded plausible enough when I re-read it.

Republican Football Fan.

Susan Eisenhower: Barack is the best choice (CNN Interview)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Kmsv8-Jzk&feature=related

When Dwight Eisenhower's granddaughter Susan said "Yes we can!" over 84,000 supporters at the Democrat Convention cheered her on and yelled "Yes we can!"

My Favorite Eisenhower Story From Wikipedia. Dwight could have been a Professional Football player?

At West Point, Eisenhower made the football team. He started as a varsity running back and linebacker in 1912. In a bit of a fabled match-up, he even tackled the legendary Jim Thorpe in a 1912 game.

Obamacans for Obama/Biden '08

According to the bloggers women should just hide when they get pregnant. Where is the praise for McCain sticking with his choice. He would not of demonstrate good values by abandoning Palin even though he thought she was best for the job. Feminist aren't for women, they are for liberals.

I'm already sick of this woman. Three days into it and how many scandals now?

I wonder what news we will hear about Wasilla De'Ville tomorrow!

stay tuned

Michelle Obama is the wife of David Palmer in the series 24. It's freaking scary how similar they are. Cheryl Palmer = Michelle Obama. Go watch some episodes and you will see the evil familiarities.

While there are over 1000 news reports on a 17 year old being pregnant who happens to be the VP choice, only one news outlet is mentioning that the Alaska trooper and former brother in law to Sarah Plain used a taser against a child and was cited for violations of the law many times in the last four years--- and he is the focus of the bogus trooper gate headlines in whose stories there is no mention of his abuses.
"Then there's trooper Mike Wooten, who used a Taser on his stepson, Palin's nephew Payton. Wooten has been reprimanded for violating nearly a dozen laws and departmental policies since December 2001."

http://www.kansascity.com/444/story/776555.html

Hi I am Barack Obama! I don't look like you cuz I am black. My wife thinks that all you whites are racist because she is stuck in the 1950's. I tried explaining the her that it's time to change and she understood. So she tried blending in with the whites on the cover of people magazine with me. We wish we were white so we didn't have to hate whites. Our daughters were supposed to be aborted but Michelle over slept the day of her appt. She tried re-scheduling but they told her human life began at conception. She tried cutting the babies out but Jeremiah Wright told her to re focus her anger about how the white people did this to her. I told Jeremiah that I did not agree with him but I still made him the guest of honor at my fundraiser. He sat next to Tony Rezko. They got drunk at accidently touched hands. But that's ok because I got a picture of it to show all my gay friends in Hollywood that I threw a great party. I wish I remembered what I was going to write next but my teleprompter gave out. OH Well err. duh,err duh,err doe. Joe get me a oe40 out of the fridge.

TALE OF THE TAPE ON CELEBRATED TEEN
PREGNANCY AND FAMILY VALUES.

1.Jamie Lynn Name of Teenage Bristol Palin
Spears Culprit

2. 16 years Age 17 years

3. 3 months State of Pregnancy 5 months
at time of publicity

4.Sister, Notable relative Mother, Sarah
Britney Spears, Palin, Alaska
an acclaimed Gov.& GOP's
celebrity who has veep nominee
Sen.John McCain as an
unwilling fan

5.Wore a big Public effort Carried baby
oversized coat at hiding baby brother over
bump her swollen
& protruding
stomach during
her mother's
introduction as
John McCain's running mate.

6.Somewhat Family Image High moral dysfunctional ground

7.Laissez-faire Public Image Hypocrites

LESSON:

McCain's judgment is suspiciously faulty. It will always happen whenever his error-tainted gene becomes dominant.

Isn't the issue that having a VP candidate with a pregnant teen daughter sends the wrong message to our youth about teen pregnancy? It almost glorifies it.
Ascribing no blame to Sarah Palin, if McCain knew about the pregnancy he should not have chosen her because the pregnant teenage daughter is simply not a good role model for girls. If he didn't know, it shows poor vetting and poor judgment and he shouldn't be President.

Republican family values? Looks like Sarah Palin failed at helping her 17 year old daughter avoid becoming pregnant out of wedlock and well short of Bristol having completed an education that will give Bristol a shred of the opportunities her own mother had. It's shocking that Sarah Palin would have no shame at all about getting so ego-involved in politics to run for governor and letting her own parenting slide to the point of failing to guide her oldest daughter. Shame on Sarah Palin! Opportunity for women apparently means, for Republican women, means sacrificing your family, including your daughters, to advance your own selfish interests. This is not a role model for women I want my daughters to follow.

Sorry you are really slow but she is the governor of Alaska. She makes decisions like balancing a budget which senators don't do. She makes decisions on how to protect her citizens like governors do. She is head of the National Gaurd of Alaska, so she has more experience with being a commmander in cheif. She runs the state. Senators vote on bills. Some senators create bills to vote on. Barack Obama has never been the author of one single bill. What does he do? He votes present like a big puss

Sorry you are really slow but she is the governor of Alaska. She makes decisions like balancing a budget which senators don't do. She makes decisions on how to protect her citizens like governors do. She is head of the National Gaurd of Alaska, so she has more experience with being a commmander in cheif. She runs the state. Senators vote on bills. Some senators create bills to vote on. Barack Obama has never been the author of one single bill. What does he do? He votes present like a big puss

Sorry you are really slow but she is the governor of Alaska. She makes decisions like balancing a budget which senators don't do. She makes decisions on how to protect her citizens like governors do. She is head of the National Gaurd of Alaska, so she has more experience with being a commmander in cheif. Joe Biden is a racist

Sorry you are really slow but she is the governor of Alaska. She makes decisions like balancing a budget which senators don't do. She makes decisions on how to protect her citizens like governors do. She is head of the National Gaurd of Alaska, so she has more experience with being a commmander in cheif. She runs the state. Senators vote on bills. Some senators create bills to vote on. Barack Obama has never been the author of one single bill. What does he do? He votes present like a big p u s e

Sorry you are really slow but she is the governor of Alaska. She makes decisions like balancing a budget which senators don't do. She makes decisions on how to protect her citizens like governors do. She is head of the National Gaurd of Alaska, so she has more experience with being a commmander in cheif. She runs the state. Senators vote on bills. Some senators create bills to vote on. Barack Obama has never been the author of one single bill. What does he do? He votes present like a big puss

Sorry you are really slow but she is the governor of Alaska. She makes decisions like balancing a budget which senators don't do. She makes decisions on how to protect her citizens like governors do. She is head of the National Gaurd of Alaska, so she has more experience with being a commmander in cheif. She runs the state. Senators vote on bills. Some senators create bills to vote on. Barack Obama has never been the author of one single bill. What does he do? He votes present like a big p u s e

No one can control their sons and daughters. Haven't you learned from your own youth. Kids lie all the time. Having a kid is the most wonderful thing in the world and I am a young father and wouldn't change it ever. Sarah Palin is just being a good mom and supporting her daughter. The only thing wrong with this situation is that it takes focus of who Barack really is. Barack's wife is an angry racist woman. His preacher is an angry old black man. His campaign is based on bashing Bush who is gone in less than 5 months. He has no plans for all the issues he says that he will fix. His solution to the problems with the economy is to tax more on businesses. Look at Japan right now, they are in a real recession because they don't offer business tax incentives. I am doing just fine in the crisis of the economy, because I save money and have personal responsibility. It is not the job of the government to tell me how to live. Stand up for yourself. Anyone who says the opposite of me obviously always got a participation trophy in the elementary days so they didn't cry.

McCain's campaign doesn't lie like Obama's campaign. They offered this information free. This has nothing to do with politics. No one can control their child unless they take away civil liberties. I guess that is what the democrats goal is. They could of just shown hospital records to back Trygg's birth and the picture of Sarah being fat instead they share with the american public not hide things. Obama hides Tony Rezco, Jereimah Wright, jesse Jackson, Bill Ayers (the terrorist bomber), his half brother in Kenya who is poor and the Millionaire does not support. The fact he attended two seprate Islamic charter schools in Indonesia. The list goes on...

McCain's campaign doesn't lie like Obama's campaign. They offered this information free. This has nothing to do with politics. No one can control their child unless they take away civil liberties. I guess that is what the democrats goal is. They could of just shown hospital records to back Trygg's birth and the picture of Sarah being fat instead they share with the american public not hide things. Obama hides Tony Rezco, Jereimah Wright, jesse Jackson, Bill Ayers (the terrorist bomber), his half brother in Kenya who is poor and the Millionaire does not support. The fact he attended two seprate Islamic charter schools in Indonesia. The list goes on...

Please define "Executive Experience".

Please define "Executive Experience".

McCain's campaign doesn't lie like Obama's campaign. They offered this information free. This has nothing to do with politics. No one can control their child unless they take away civil liberties. I guess that is what the democrats goal is. They could of just shown hospital records to back Trygg's birth and the picture of Sarah being fat instead they share with the american public not hide things. Obama hides Tony Rezco, Jereimah Wright, jesse Jackson, Bill Ayers (the terrorist bomber), his half brother in Kenya who is poor and the Millionaire does not support. The fact he attended two seprate Islamic charter schools in Indonesia. The list goes on...

Please define "Executive Experience".

I would like to see or read about the results of at least TWO independent pregnancy tests confirming that Bristol is pregnant. I’m THAT suspicious. She just happens to be five-months-pregnant as the rumors and discussion about the son being the governor’s grandson start to shoot across the Internet. COME ON! I predict that one of the next headlines in this story will read, “Miscarriage!” This is crazy.

It's so funny how all the people on the left are presuming what would happen if it were Barack Obama's daughter who was pregnant. They say the right would be saying the same thing. Get a clue...That is not the reality so discuss something like why does Sarah Palin have more executive experience than Obama, Biden, McCain. Also if she had an abortion you would be saying worse things. Democrats are bitter and pathetic. PS Joe Biden is a racist.

I guess conservatives are supporting Bristol because they love women to get married when they are still teenager and get no education. Thus, men can dominate the lives of all women. Conservatives who are asking liberals not to attack should not have done so against Hillary and Chelsea. They started it. But with one small difference. Chelsea never became pregnant when she was 17. I guess she was intelligent. After all, she went to Stanford. Her mom went to Yale not like Bristol's mom who was stupid enough not to get admission in top universities and ended up in University of Idah. LOL. Like mother like daughter.

I really dont care how conservative she preaches to be, or how with it she wants to play, Palin screwed up.And no moral majority or and brow beaters out there are going to convince anyone otherwise.Yeah, they are just like any other American family, except you have a pregnant minor living in your house,even as she stumped with John on friday of how Conservative she was, how far to the right she was even moreso than McCain( which frankly, im a liberal and im further right than john is).
The focus mix here is astounding, and the polls will be skewed, not because of the convention, but because of the controversy, and we'll be tormented by all the "corporate" news game shows until our ears bleed.
This past couple of weeks should prove to any American how heavily tainted our system is , and how much the Press can scew the op-polls to get your attention, or change views by reporting trivial issues.
We all keep saying "lets hear about the real issues" and i hear reports of speaches from Obama, and town hall Stump speaches from McCain followed by a "press" conference.But you all ask the same dumb questions, and nobody pushes the issue when they avoid answering.Grow some balls, find that independant neutral reporting view point, and give us some eal News, not just all this 'Opinion" crap

I dont know where you idiots get your numbers. Palin is seen as 53% favorable to Biden @ 48% favorable. Oh an Biden great idea was to break Iraq into three countries so every year we go through terror and bomb threats like when the allies carved up Isreal and Palastine. More hostility in the Middle East. Sounds like great foriegn Policy.

If the conservatives support Bristol then they must be supporting all teenage mothers and brides all over the world. I guess Talibans and Republicans have one more thing in common besides their love for gun.

Wow. I would have said "Yawn, who cares?" to this whole Palin's daughter is pregnant "story." But now the libs are setting the stage for a monumental backlash. By all means, pile on the candidate's daughter some more. You guys just don't know when to quit do you?

Conservatives who are rallying behind Bristol should answer one question. Do you support pre marital sex or not? Please answer it loudly so we can know once for all what you believe in. You did not criticize McCain when he called Chelsea ugly and joked that Janet Reno was her father. Conservatives all over the world love lieing, cheating, and when it comes to sex they will have it with anyone. I wonder if McCain is sleeping with Sarah Palin. Otherwise why will a 72 year old man select a younger, prettier woman who has no experience. I guess Kay Bailey Hutchison was an old hag for McCain. He has young wife and now wants to have young VP.

If McCain decesion was so bad how come he raised more money in the last two days than any other time on his campaign?

How can everyone be up an arms about Palin experience when she has more experience than the Community Organizer aka Obama. 1 term senator with no foriegn experience who just votes present instead of making an executive decesion. She has ran the 32nd biggest budget in the country with a surplus, has the best knowledge of Energy in the country which helps the economy and gas prices. Ran the biggest land mass in America. Took on corruption in the Government and all Obama does is lie. His DNC speech sounded like Republican policies: Cut taxes, drill for oil and invest in renawable energy. Send Troops to Georgia and Afghanstan. All issues he has voted no to. He is just all lies with no experience and the biggest Affirmative Action job canidate in history. Name any White person that would be consider for president after 1 year in senate and 2 campaigning. You will not even consider a White women for VP with 2 Years Executive Experience. Wake up People OBAMA has no foreign Policy experience.

I'm not sure whether this is a willful myopia on the part of conservatives or whether they truly don't see the issue here, but here goes (forgive me for trying to insert a bit of logical thinking into this discussion):

1) Palin is a vocal opponent of teaching sexual education in public schools and instead offers teaching abstinence. The argument against this has always been that not giving teens information puts them at risk of making bad choices. The conservative argument against has been that it encourages "immoral behavior". Her daughter's current unfortunate situation (I'm assuming it's unfortunate and not planned) practically shouts that teaching abstinence doesn't work. Given that teaching reproductive issues in our public schools are a valid political issue, this means that like it or not, Palin's daughter's teenage pregnancy is a valid campaign issue in that it implies that simply teaching abstinence doesn't work.

2) If this pregnancy was known prior to her selection, it calls McCain's judgement into question. He had to realize that her lack of experience would already be a major issue. Adding to that a potential hot button issue like a teen pregnancy, it raises the issue of McCain's desire to be viewed as a maverick overriding solid decision-making based on all the available facts. This is a valid campaign issue because as President McCain will - presumably - be making many decisions which will have huge, literally world-affecting repercussions.

3) Palin has campaigned in the past as a hardcore "Family Values" candidate. That label is so cliched as to be almost meaningless at this point, but as a Social Conservative, she presumably advocates a traditional family unit where the mother and father are fully engaged in their children's lives. Given that she also advocates against premarital sex, one can only assume that she was unsuccessful in instilling her virtues into her own daughter. This makes it unlikely in the extreme that she will be able to instill those values in anyone else's children, and thus any attempt to bring Social Conservatism into the public sphere - an attempt which is presumably the reason why she is so attractive to the Republican Social Conservatives - seems clearly destined to fail, and to waste public money and time. Again, this makes it a valid campaign issue.

One last point - I'm almost embarrassed to have to point this out, but please note that nowhere in all this did I draw any specific attention to the fact that Palin is a woman. I feel that every single argument I make here would apply equally to a male candidate who held the same values.

Sorry this post is so long, but it's time for a little light and less heat, and you can't achieve that with pithy one-liners.

Interesting how quickly the Palin campaign announced that the daughter would be marrying the putative father.....is the official campaign song "Shotgun"?

99.5% doesn't mean 1 out of every 200 people will get pregnant. It means every time someone has sex there is a 1 in 200 chance of conception. So it is very small. For Anthony a few comments back.

I think the daughter's pregnancy is a personal matter, and completely has nothing to do with the larger problem: Palin has no business being in the position to possibly lead this country. Maybe in 15 or 20 years she might be the one for the job, but only 18 months ago (right around the time McCain and Obama started the campaigning process)...she was a Mayor of a rural town. Her resume, prior to becoming Governer for 1.5 years, reads more like someone who is applying to be a school principal - not a potential leader of the most powerful country in the world...that's in the middle of some bleak times right now.

I've always said that I prefer Obama, but wouldn't be too upset if McCain won. But his judgment in this makes me wonder if he is getting too old and out of touch with why I liked him to begin with.

Not knowing the person you are putting in line to run the U.S. is not putting "country first."

Thats what you get when you pick somebody nobody knows about.. We are going to dig and meet you... thats if you like it or not.. that is one of those down sides to being in the spotlight... cake and eat it too?... dont think so

Assume for the sake of argument that all pro-Palin comments are from conservatives and all anti-Palin comments are from liberals. Look over the comments carefully.

Do you notice that almost all of the really nasty comments "german shepards" "traglodytes" etc. are from the left? Same is true for all the hysterical "world is coming to an end" comments and the conspiracy theories "Sarah's child". Finally overrepresented in the left's side are comments that are almost surely made-up like "I was sure I was going to vote for Mc Cain and then he selected Palin and it made me vomit and now I will vote for Obama".

If you are on the fence you might want to join us conservatives who are generally nicer and think things out more thoroughly.

"The Point is Ray, that the Religious Right are A. Who are the most happy with Palin B. Are a serious threat to democracy and personal lives and personal choices and family values of a diverse nation."
The case presented was that there was some dicotomy where the Clintons were moral and yet certain Republicans weren't, yet the Clintons were somehow unfairly represented. The problem is, Democrats spent most of the Clinton administration lecturing us on how a man's private life was just that, and his personal morality didn't effect his ability to govern, despite all protestations from the "religious right". Now suddenly, Democrats want to embrace family values and be moral arbiters because it's politically expedient. Well, it doesn't work that way. You can't selectively unring the bell. If private morality didn't matter for Clinton, then it doesn't matter for McCain or Palin. If it did, then you spent 8 years helping a immoral man gain and keep power, and therefore no standing to pass judgement on the morality of the other side's guy.

As to the "religious right", last time I checked the religious right was supportive of the effort that has given representative democracy to tens of millions of Afghans and Iraqis. An effort that as recently as last year the two people at the top of the Democratic ticket were prepared to abanbon to potential genocide or partition of their country. People in the former Soviet empire have self determination due to the efforts of the religious right and the candidates that they supported. Liberals talk a good game but when push comes to shove they'll leave you in chains. Always prepared to fight the good fight against soft targets like Southern Baptists, but ask them to take on someone that might actually blow them up and it's time to "have a dialog" or "reach a compromise". Last I checked the religious right wasn't for campus speech codes and the onerous limitations to personal freedom of political correctness. Last I checked the religious right was in favor of defending all parts of the constitution, unlike the ACLU and Democrats as a party, that conveniently ignore the parts that make urbanites uncomfortable. Now, if by "democracy and personal lives and personal choices and family values" you mean actually mean "gay marriage, abortion on demand, and mandated public school indoctrination" yeah, they're a danger to that. But such are not the most pressing issues of our age, despite the prevailing wisdom of the Upper West Side barristas. And this is why, more and more, people are contemptuous of the Democratic party, because instead of being a party of the people, it's become the shrill organ of a bunch of liberal elitists who share no common values with most of the electorate. That you couldn't beat the weakess incumbent President of our lifetime in the midst of an unpopular war should be a clue.

Sarah Palin is an egotistical, overly ambitious politician who says she puts family values first, but is an obvious hypocrite. And whats with John McCain nominating someone he doesn't even know to be a "heart beat away". What a freak show Republican ticket. "The old Paw Paw Dude and the runner up to miz alaska".

The neo-cons, conservatives, and evangelicals just don't mix. The neo-cons have ruined our country and reputation. The evangelicals have shown themselves to be hypocrites. Let's face if God can't stop free will, then you certainly can't stop it through legislation. And the poor conservatives gave up all their core values to gain power.

This story is revealing on so many different levels. I hope the true conservatives make a come back because at least you care about the Constitution.

Palin is a joke.

If somehow she wins the election, the USA is finished.

We can't compete in the global economy with such lightweight "leaders."

I think it is humorous that the only people expressing offence at the daughter's pregnancy are the same leftists who typically have the least interest in traditional virtues.

The 10% or 15% of the electorate whose political ideology does not make the McCain/Obama choice obvious will likely measure this by how well Ms. Palin and her family handle the situation.

Based on what I have seen and read of her so far I think they will be impressed.

The left at this point would love to have Ms. Palin excuse herself from the race. That is a 60's Haight-Ashbury drug induced pipedream on their part.

It's all over the blogosphere: Bristol was made pregnant by the family German shepherd.

Hey, Sarah Palin, once you explain to your kids how babies are made, you may want to take a look at this:

"The generally accepted age for the Earth and the rest of the solar system is about 4.55 billion years (plus or minus about 1%). This value is derived from several different lines of evidence.

Unfortunately, the age cannot be computed directly from material that is solely from the Earth. There is evidence that energy from the Earth's accumulation caused the surface to be molten. Further, the processes of erosion and crustal recycling have apparently destroyed all of the earliest surface.

The oldest rocks which have been found so far (on the Earth) date to about 3.8 to 3.9 billion years ago (by several radiometric dating methods). Some of these rocks are sedimentary, and include minerals which are themselves as old as 4.1 to 4.2 billion years. Rocks of this age are relatively rare, however rocks that are at least 3.5 billion years in age have been found on North America, Greenland, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

While these values do not compute an age for the Earth, they do establish a lower limit (the Earth must be at least as old as any formation on it). This lower limit is at least concordant with the independently derived figure of 4.55 billion years for the Earth's actual age."

Once you assimilate those facts, maybe you'd be qualified to be a teacher's aide.

Once you've mastered that, let's talk about VP of the USA.

OK? Does that sound fair?

If one of Gore's daughters would've been pregnant during the '92 election, Rush Limbaugh would've been as mean to her as he was to Chelsea Clinton (Remember the "White House Dog" comment?).

"Family Values" Republicans have no qualms about attacking Democratic women and children, based on clothing, appearance, voice, or any number of trivial things.

But if Democrats use Bristol Palin to call attention to the fact that abstinence-only education DOESN'T work, and that REAL sex education including birth control is the only way to prevent teen pregnancy, well, then Democrats are just AWFUL.

Republicans are whining hypocrites who will spread any manner of foul lies if it's to their political advantage, but will wail and shed false tears when the shoe's on the other foot.

I've had enough of two-faced Republicans! You'd all be first in line to bad-mouth Bristol if her mom had a "D" by her name, and don't insult us by pretending otherwise! None of you care about her as a human being, only as a reason to fake outrage to score points in a political game!

If Palin became president (something we must consider) American would be in deep s#*t.

I want someone with the experience to command in office. I want someone who can easily tell me the five most important significant government decisions they have made, whey they made them, and the impact those decisions had on others. I want someone who tells the truth. ... hmmm I guess that means No to Obama and Biden.

Low-I.Q. John Sidney McCain III's selection of troglodyte Palin as VP marks the official start of the decline and fall of America.

With politics of such low quality, we can't survive in a global economy.

Ciao, USA! It was good knowing you when you were at your best. I'll miss you.

Glen:

Palin thinks the Earth is a mere 5,000 years old.

She's several centuries behind the curve.

Palin is not presidential material, not by a long, long shot.

You call that judgement "elitism"; I call it national self-preservation.

I think that Sarah Palin's daughter and the young man doing the right thing speaks to the character of her family and community.

I think the efforts to disgrace the Palin family are typical of the post-Bork mentality of the left which is to win at any cost.

More disturbing is the fact that Palin and her husband were both members of the Alaskan Independence Party.

Ms. Palin, when were you first really proud to be an American? Presumably, after you left a party calling for a vote for Alaska to leave the USA.

Typical elitist slam on Rural America:

"...troglodyte Palin as VP marks the official start of the decline and fall of America."

Sorry to hear that any young Lady is Pregnant at a young age. The Question I have is the young Man being forced in to marry her? Who is he? How old is he? How about his Family are they being told to keep quiet about it? Is he ready to take care of his new Family? Can he be financial reasonable? Are we going to hear in 4 to 8 year that they got Divorce because they married to young? A word to the Mom’s and Dad’s do not force them if it to be it will be. Moreover, let us not make this into a Political decision just for Political purpose. Live with it! Do not make it worst for the young Lady and Young Man Back off both sides OK! We not need your Spin on it Bill O’Reilly and the rest of the so-called News Jerks. I will or will not Vote for John McCain because a 17yr is Pregnant. There are real problems that need to talked about!

The McCain handlers (actually, mishandlers; i.e., complete waste of McCain Campaign funds) are too transparent. Mark the following coming up as Gustav subsides:

The surprise announcements made today, and before are the exit strategy for Gov. Palin to refocus on her immediate priorities and the position of elevated pride, of course as God has wished. Then the Alaskans will have to deal with their business, the bridge, the moose's, and the whole wide natural beauty there. There will be a time for return, even the Jedi had years ago.

Ask not anything about the Palins, but ask what the next VP choice be the right one at a right time in these turbulent times that America faces. D not forget to add: The democrats lie and are not to be believed.

A recommendation to RNC: Just pick some one else, other than McCain altogether and rejuvenate your party and help the base, though it sounds so baseless.

What about the fact that they hid the pregnancy on television. Why didn't she just come out without a blanket and a baby covering her up. Whey put this child in this situation...GOP will do anything to win. I could care less about her private affairs with her family, however, I do care about liars in the White House. I still believe that this story is a cover up for something else. This woman has issues.... Time will tell.

Low-I.Q. John Sidney McCain III's selection of troglodyte Palin as VP marks the official start of the decline and fall of America.

With politics of such low quality, we can't survive in a global economy.

Ciao, USA! It was good knowing you when you were at your best. I'll miss you.

As a staunch republican, I am highly dissapointed with McCains choice for VP. Palin is not ready for this position and as a person who is big on family values, I think Palin has ridiculed the GOP. My vote was for McCain before, but now I know that I WONT be voting for him.

"My children live more than 500 miles from their grandparents - does that make me a bad parent?"

Yes. You seem to be a bad person generally.

Cynicism101,

Are you running for Vice President of the US, the most powerful country in the world? No. My point is that why would you want to run for VP when you have so much going on at home and why would you thrust your family into the spotlight like that when you have personal issues going on. I think accepting the nomination was just a dumb greedy move for Palin to satisfy her own ambition. A noble woman would go where her family needs her. I'm not saying be a domesticated housewife, but rather make time-appropriate decisions. Bristol is 17 and obviously isn't primely poised to be a mother, so she is going to need motherly guidance. Maybe in 4 years Palin would be ready to run, but now I think her family needs her.

jb:

I believe the whole point of the VP is to have a replacement for the president ready should he drop dead.

I believe McCain himself stated that he would pick someone ready to lead in an instant.

Palin's Downs Syndrome Baby and pregnant teenage daughter make it highly unlikely she could fill in at a Summit with Putin or Hu or Calderon or Sarkozy.

Her third-rate college degree makes it more unlikely still.

As a choice for VP, Palin is indefensible.

McCain is playing games with our government and country, and we citizens should resent the he ll out of him for it.

Republicans would rather elect someone they'd like to have a beer with for president. They glorify mediocrity and averageness as something to be celebrated. That's how we got arrogant clowns like George Bush and (bottom of his naval academy class) John McCain, now we get the Alaska hillbillies.
This is just the first of the Harriet Myers types we'll see from a McCain administration.
Heckuva job GOP.

Bristol may not really be pregnant.

The McCain camp could be lying as a way to try and explain Bristol's post pregnancy weight.

The baby may still be Sarah Palin's.

Kaleigh,

Yes, Sarah and Todd Palin have 5 children - one of which is an adult, already left the house, and is serving in the US Army about to be deployed to the CENTCOM theater (that covers Iraq and Afghanistan).

Her oldest daughter is 17 as you state, and now pregnant and allegedly planning a marriage to the father. Further, for all I know (I've found no records of birthdate) Bristol may turn 18 before the birth?

At this point, who knows if Bristol intends to take residence at USNO. Sure, if she does not, the grandchild will have some physical separation from the grand parents. Do you honestly think this is the first time that's happened? My children live more than 500 miles from their grandparents - does that make me a bad parent?

--"NoOneImportant - Do you think contraceptives are 100% foolproof?

Posted by: Anthony | September 1, 2008 10:33 PM"--

No somewhere in the 99.5% range.

http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/1997/conceptbl.html

Posted by: NoOneImportant | September 1, 2008 11:27 PM

--------------------------------

So there is 1 in 200 chance that everytime teens have sex, it may end in pregnancy. But the problem really becomes when in the heat of the moment, they go through it even though they do not have a condom to use.

Dear Willy,

How can you actually begin a comment with "Only in the past few decades.." and think you are saying anything intelligent. Are you aware that a decade is 10 years???

and why is it that all of you McCrazies never stick to the actual topic without attacking Hilory, Clinton, Obama or any other democrat that has ever excisted?

IT IS REALLY QUIT BIZARRE!

Also think it is predictable that - as noted above #8226, #8227 - is spelling out the predicament that the Republicans brought on themselves with this candidate is yet again, a landmine for Democrats... Careful, not to "get personal" careful not to offend women, careful not to offend. Even when Obama wisely has too much class and integrity, some of the ilk of the Religious Right spit out propaganda that he is antichrist or better yet... The antichrist, Muslim terrorist, marxist, etc. -- But careful, democrats... "Social Conservatives" back Palin. (Social Conservatives is code for the powerful Religious Right)

Willy, you're a cowardly PoS.

If you can't carry on a substantive discussion, even when you yourself have called for one, you should stay off these boards.

I can't stand mor ons like you.

Let's see if I have this right...her daughter is mature enough for marriage, but not mature enough to learn about reproductive health.

In response to MB:
First off, I wish I could spank you for your smart A$$ comment, but in blog land, I can't do so. But, I will respond to your sarcasm:

For now, she can't be commander in chief, Mccain is living and as much as people think he is going to die due to being old, they aren't God or the Grim Reaper. If elected Mccain will do everything possible to stay alive to enjoy his darn term in office.

With your comment on Sarah Palin being a Commander-in-Chief. Let's say Mc cain was elected president (this is a scenario here) The time spent under McCain, she would be dealing with the day to day operations and learning the ropes to become the future Commander in Chief. Nonetheless, she has valuable executive decision making skills on top of understanding protocol due to her experience of being a governor in Alaska. With that said, if she goes through the experience of being a Vice President especially for 2 terms, performs well, she has the experience in my eyes. Now, I know someone is going to make a comment on Mccains life span.... i'm only speaking in scenario to answer Mr. Smarty Pants Blaine.

If you want the truth, I would rather have a woman like Hillary Clinton as VP in the White House vs. Sarah Palin. But, her being forthright about this issue of Bristol vs. hiding it shows character in a leader. With the Bristol issue, if the liberals want to keep dumping on her.... its going to arouse sympathy especially with women voters that aren't too hard line with the pro choice movement and American mothers.

Anne,

What's wrong with a mother being proud of a daughter for making a decision she believes in?

Do you expect and/or force your child to act/behave/decide exactly as you ... or are you proud when they come to the "correct" choice based on their own thought process?

Yes, Sarah Palin believes there is no decision - but as you know in a freely democratic society - there IS A DECISION for Bristol to make.

To the point of prenatal testing - those tests help with much more than just the ole reset button. My wife and I wanted to understand pre-delivery so that we could research and prepare for the necessary care. Sure, even when the tests are negative there is always a chance, but we found nothing wrong with having more information.

I know some are against determining the gender prior to birth - that's their choice to make, just as any other prenatal test would be.

It is a bad decision for Sarah Palin to accept the nomination for VP when she has so much going on at home. Despite what it all means politically, as a mother she needs to her family. She has 5 kids, which is a handful in todays world, let alone doing it as the VP of the most powerful nation in the world. On top of that her youngest child has down syndrome and her 17 year old will be bringing another little one into the picture soon. That means 6 kids in a household, one with special attention. I think as a mother she should step down and give her family her full support right now because it is evident that is where her attention is needed. If she can't make the decision to give her full attention to her family then how will she make appropriate decisions for a country?

Michael, I made no comment on your "abstract". Again, you speak with forked tongue.

But I will comment now. Your ability to copy and paste is not in question here. Your vile and ignorant comments are.

Have a good night and NAMASTE'

Some wonderful pics of beautiful baby trig and his mama, hate on dems just admit it this woman is going to take the white house not sleazy hillary.

http://cajunboy.tumblr.com/

Speaking as an independent woman, I think this just shows terrible judgement on McCain's part.

Palin doesn't seem to have much to recommend her except being a woman and a social conservative.

It's a terribly cynical and misguided move and while I'm still making up my mind about Obama, I've now made up my mind about McCain. No!

Posted by: Yve | September 1, 2008 11:22 PM

****

Yea righ Yve, LOL. Why is it that people have to lie when they post. If you have to start off explaining who you are then most likely you are not who you say you are. Nice try though but no one is buying it Yve. Change your name and try again. This time come back as a right wing nut job that has had it with republicans and will now vote for the most liberal dem in the senate. That one will work even better.

It never ceases to amaze me that liberals (who demand that we - the rest of us mere mortals - be compassionate, understanding and tolerant) wind up being far more bigoted, racist and intolerant than conservatives. It must be the messiah complex they all enjoy projecting.

Imagine the strange experience or feelings that McCain may be dealing with right now.

There are speeches to be written/read, rewritten/re-read, trying to feel proud about Palin pick (but not when others pick on her), telling the nation "this is exactly what you need", and perhaps looking for a way to reaffirm such confidence, his buddies [Lieberman, the least and many others] possibly poking on on and on - "why not me?" and then Mr. Opportunism getting blinded stiff in the middle of all opportunities. Hey, Surge should have a purpose, and the performance to be measured against those goals. It cannot be generalized - surge is working.

This poor fellow can't even get upset for days or weeks on the folks who shoved him towards this pick. Unlike the damage by a hurricane, this mess will take along time to assess the perpetuating damage due to their futile damage control. This i snot a republic or democratic issue. It is all about judgment. We absolutely do not need a president to make horrific crisis out of peaceful time. John McCain unwittingly gives a new identity of "Jack in the box". Hey, his campaign could raise lots of money by marketing one of these devices. Thank God the mess is uncovering before the election, and perhaps before the sanctioning of the VP candidate.

Ever since the "Mission Accomplished" sign with Bush on the aircraft carrier, GW is getting break from getting total focus as laughable personality.

Chris Cillizza: to answer the pseudo-question about the political impact of Bristol Palin's pregnancy: it is clear that Democrats hate children. Of course, the sample of comments left on this article may not be an accurate assessment of all Democrats (+/- 3%).

Someone actually made this comment below: "Bill and Hillary stayed married for political reasons. They have no real connection between themselves; they are pure political animals."

So how do you know this? Really? Fact is there are men and women )mostly men, who have for years had affairs and the husband and wife are deeply connected and love each other. That is the way it has always been. I don't condone this but people make their own decisions to stay with someone when this is the case. One of my grandfathers did this - a very wealthy man - and it cause a lot of pain, but he still dearly loved my grandma and she him. Finally he just got too old or caught too many times and quit running around.

Did you see Bill and Hillary at the Dem convention last week? It was easy to see that they love and respect each other very much. Maybe Bill's roaming days are finally over. He's lucky that Hillary loved him enough to keep him.

Quote: "Also, I don't think that your employer, no matter who you are, gets to have a say how, where, and when you have sex.

But that's just because I believe in freedom."

That's freedom. Hilarious. Try having sex in your employers office, or anywhere in public, for that matter. There are laws. Your freedom doesn't include that, and I am no prude.

--"NoOneImportant - Do you think contraceptives are 100% foolproof?

Posted by: Anthony | September 1, 2008 10:33 PM"--

No somewhere in the 99.5% range.

http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/1997/conceptbl.html

Quote: "BOTTOM LINE FOLKS, MCCAIN SELECTED A VP HE ONLY MET ONCE. I INTERVIEW ASSISTANT LEVEL CANIDATES FOR OPEN POSITIONS NO LESS THEN 2-3 TIMES BEFORE MAKING A DECISION. HOW DO YOU CLAIM TO BE ABOUT COUNTRY FIRST AND HIRE SOMEONE AFTER MEETING THEM ONCE??? HOW DO YOU ACCUSE OBAMA OF PREFERRING TO LOSE THE WAR AND WIN AN ELECTION, AND THEN YOU SELECT SOMEONE YOU ONLY MET ONCE TO BE SECOND IN LINE FOR THE PRESIDENCY TO WIN THE CONSERVATIVE AND WOMEN VOTE???

All caps again?? Only in the past few decades has a presidential candidate met their VP. Several didn't even like them after they met them. As Cactus Jack Garner, FDR's VP for two terms, said: "the vice-presidency ain't worth a bucket of warm spit". Truman didn't even know there was such a thing as the atomic bomb when he took office. And he did alright.

Say what you mean, you are a lib, and don't like Palin. Then take a look at Hillary, and froth at the mouth. Hilarious.

Quote: "You never got a blow job?

Wow. That's sad."

Not in the oval office of the taxpayers house. To think that's okay is sad. Did your taxes pay the cleaning bill on Monica's dress??
- Willy
-------
If our taxes had paid the cleaning bill we would have never heard of her, dummy!

Also, I don't think that your employer, no matter who you are, gets to have a say how, where, and when you have sex.

But that's just because I believe in freedom.

I would have rather heard that Bristol would continue with her education this year and attend college in the future rather than she is getting married. that part about "keeping the baby" and marriage was certainly politically motivated. also, having babies out of wedlock rather than having an abortion is done all the time - by democrats and republicans alike, conservatives and liberals. Being pro-choice means you can also exercise your choice to have your child. and guess what? not one conservative policy ever helped me pay for my education or obtain a decent job with health benefits after i made the decision to have my child as a 17 y.o. conservatives don't want you to have an abortion, but they also don't want to help you once you have the child.

Willy:

I said that Republicans are anti-intellectual.

You asked for evidence.

I presented an academic paper that makes my case.

You responded by calling my comments "stupid."

Are you trying to make my point for me?

Speaking as an independent woman, I think this just shows terrible judgement on McCain's part.

Palin doesn't seem to have much to recommend her except being a woman and a social conservative.

It's a terribly cynical and misguided move and while I'm still making up my mind about Obama, I've now made up my mind about McCain. No!

To Ray's post citing Democrats' immorality evidenced by Bill Clinton's sexual escapade, for which Hillary forgave him. McCain committed adultery and put away his first wife, who lost her good looks in a car accident. Gee that was productive mud-slinging. The Point is Ray, that the Religious Right are A. Who are the most happy with Palin B. Are a serious threat to democracy and personal lives and personal choices and family values of a diverse nation.

Quote: "You never got a blow job?

Wow. That's sad."

Not in the oval office of the taxpayers house. To think that's okay is sad. Did your taxes pay the cleaning bill on Monica's dress??

Kabooky and Willy,

You clearly missed my point. Why is a pro-life family suggesting a difficulty in the "decisions" that they made to go foreward with pregnancy? And ultimately congratulating themselves for what I said was the right decision. For them, there supposedly is no decision -- period. That's my point. My other point is that Palin herself had an elective test done for birthdefects for, arguably, decision making purposes.

P.S. For the record, I had my second child at 37, and elected against elective prenatal tests for birthdefects.

BOTTOM LINE FOLKS, MCCAIN SELECTED A VP HE ONLY MET ONCE. I INTERVIEW ASSISTANT LEVEL CANIDATES FOR OPEN POSITIONS NO LESS THEN 2-3 TIMES BEFORE MAKING A DECISION. HOW DO YOU CLAIM TO BE ABOUT COUNTRY FIRST AND HIRE SOMEONE AFTER MEETING THEM ONCE??? HOW DO YOU ACCUSE OBAMA OF PREFERRING TO LOSE THE WAR AND WIN AN ELECTION, AND THEN YOU SELECT SOMEONE YOU ONLY MET ONCE TO BE SECOND IN LINE FOR THE PRESIDENCY TO WIN THE CONSERVATIVE AND WOMEN VOTE???

Michael, you ability to copy and paste is not in question here. Your quirky theories and vile and stupid comments are.

Willy: Let me know if you need help understanding the abstract below:

"Due to the amplified importance of forging an intimate connection with the American public, modern presidents must adjust their political personalities and leadership. To combat allegations of elitism, recent Republican presidents have adopted anti-intellectualism as a conservative form of populism. Anti-intellectualism is defined as disparagement of the complexity associated with intellectual pursuits, and a rejection of the elitism and self-aware attitude of distinction that is commonly associated with intellectual life."

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=84D67BA7AA3E5CB512BCE3FDA61E4D56.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=1020900

Hey, Cynicism101:

The WaPo should remove all your opinions for being untenable.

It all boils down to this. If you are voting for the person, instead of the accomplishments, the platform and what is best for the USA, then you are more stupid than I thought. And most of you libs are pretty stupid.

BTW, if you are not that stupid, then you will be voting for a third party this time around. The Libertarian party, for instance.
Read their platform. Keep the government out of my business. Oh, I forget, without the government help, most of you Libs couldn't function.

Willy: Let me know if you need help understanding the abstract below:

"Due to the amplified importance of forging an intimate connection with the American public, modern presidents must adjust their political personalities and leadership. To combat allegations of elitism, recent Republican presidents have adopted anti-intellectualism as a conservative form of populism. Anti-intellectualism is defined as disparagement of the complexity associated with intellectual pursuits, and a rejection of the elitism and self-aware attitude of distinction that is commonly associated with intellectual life."

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=84D67BA7AA3E5CB512BCE3FDA61E4D56.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=1020900

We should be concerned about a 17 year-old girl being forced to get married way too soon and for the wrong reason in order to appease her mother's conservative base.

"unnatural sex acts in the Oval Office"

You right-wingers are a laugh riot!

You never got a blow job?

Wow. That's sad.

Washington Post -

Today is the first time I have ever visited your site - which I was directed to based on a news RSS feed. I'm afraid I've found a significant population of hateful, baseless personal attacks and slanders directed towards two US citizens, Sarah Palin and Bristol Palin.

Based on rule 1, items 2 and 4 defined in your commentary governance - I respectfully request that you investigate, and remove as appropriate, any postings on this topic from the users "Anonymous", and "Michael Blain."

Thank you.

BRISTOL IS NOT PREGNANT. THEY ARE LYING ABOUT BRISTOL BEING PREGNANT TO COVER UP HER POST PREGNANCY WEIGHT!!! LET'S SEE WHAT THIS ALL LOOKS LIKE IN 3 MORE MONTHS.

TRIG IS BRISTOL'S BABY.

Quote: "Unlike an innocent mother, like Palin, Bill Clinton was a low life who engaged in unnatural sex acts in the Oval Office."

And his wife sanctioned it, and is a proven habitual liar, and the libs still love them.

He preyed on women since his college days, his terms as governor of Arkansas, and Hillary was still there.

See how long it takes for her to file for divorce, when he didn't help her gain the presidency or the vice-presidency. Don't hold your breath, while waiting.

Kabookey:

I'd like to toss you and your ilk aside like yesterday's newspaper!

You're a doofus.

So McCain has been calling Palin his "soul mate". Everywhere they go, he's kissing and pawing at her - acting like a giddy teenager in love. They keep showing it on the news.

I think the man has taken leave of his senses.

Hey, Willy, here's the abstract of a whole academic paper discussing Republicans' anti-intellectualism; put that in your pipe and smoke it!:

"Due to the amplified importance of forging an intimate connection with the American public, modern presidents must adjust their political personalities and leadership. To combat allegations of elitism, recent Republican presidents have adopted anti-intellectualism as a conservative form of populism. Anti-intellectualism is defined as disparagement of the complexity associated with intellectual pursuits, and a rejection of the elitism and self-aware attitude of distinction that is commonly associated with intellectual life."

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=84D67BA7AA3E5CB512BCE3FDA61E4D56.tomcat1?fromPage=online&aid=1020900

Questions:

Can someone please explain to me why Palin, a professed pro-lifer, makes a big deal about saying "We're proud of Bristol's DECISION to HAVE her baby." What DECISION? For Palin, there supposedly is NO decision in any circumstance.

While we're at it, can someone explain to me why Palin had amniocentesis done (at a time when she still had an early-term choice to abort) to detect for birthdefects. I'm told if she waited a little longer, an ultrasound -- a less intrusive and risky diagnostic -- would have given her the answer on Downs.

And, on top of that, she too is making a big deal about what a great and moral "Decision" it was for her to have that baby even though she knew she had Downs. What "decision?" I thought, according to her own public position, there was no "decision" to be made after the moment her pregnancy test showed positive

Sounds like Palin is supportive and thankful for Roe v. Wade ... she had options and could make what in the end was the right decision.

Posted by: Anne | September 1, 2008 10:56 PM

***********

I guess she is making a point on it Anne because people like you would have tossed the baby aside like yesterday's newspaper. heck Barry O would have you abort the child as many times as possible till it was dead. I guess you support that choice too? You sound like a real quality person there Anne. I am sure the family is real proud of you.

This announcement could be "Sand in your Eyes", if the young lady may not be truly pregnant. Is this damage control - fighting Fire with fire, so that 5th child circumstances do not get any focus? The smart campaign runners such as Rove and his kind must be ready to prove their way in this mess. They're getting tangled in their own web. Lies have limits. Who cares about the private stuff within a family, as long as such families do not get too eager to run and influence or control the lives o fall in the USA. Alaska will have to sort out the relevance of their Gov. to their needs in the State. We certainly do not miss her in the national stage.

McCain's judgment, regardless of his absurd experience has no place in the White House.

Quote: "I'm told if she waited a little longer, an ultrasound -- a less intrusive and risky diagnostic -- would have given her the answer on Downs."

Anne, "You are told"? Think for yourself. From what I read, she had the test, knew the child had Downs Syndrome, and decided to have it. Of course, you would have killed the child??

All you Lib/dems keep whistling in the dark.

The conservatives/religious right was never going to vote for Obama. The only issue was how many would turn out. They will come in droves because of Palins child and future grandchild.

The lib/dems mostly have broken families. (please do yourself a favor and not show your ignorance by denying it.). If everyone keeps up with out of wedock births are no good, many of them may just vote for Palin to back up their family members.

The Independents, who will decide the election, see an accomplished woman with the normal everyday problems. They're not going to be happy with people being judgemental towards Palin and her family. They'll show it by voting for her even though they may not have been for the McCain ticket so far.

Proof of the above:

Unlike an innocent mother, like Palin, Bill Clinton was a low life who engaged in unnatural sex acts in the Oval Office.

The lib/dems and the Independents were happy to reelect him to office.

Almost no one is mentioning the fact of the lefties smear of Sarah as " grandma" THe moral high ground has been ceded.

Anthony raises a great point:

If Palin is so gosh darn happy that she's about to be a grandmother, and so terribly proud of Bristol, why didn't she mention the pregnancy when she was introduced to the nation on Friday?

That would have been the normal thing to do: "And this is my daughter Bristol, who is going to have a baby before Christmas!"

Posted by: Michael Blaine | September 1, 2008 10:50 PM

--------------

LOL - Yes, she should have gone ahead and tell the world in front of her 17-year old daughter that she was pregnant. That would be throwing her under Biden's Amtrak.

I'm hearing and reading that the boyfriend and father of this child is a black rapper in Alaska. His alleged myspace page has been set to private via some blogs that had people check the myspace/google cache trying to find out who the father is. I'm wondering if this is why they are hiding him until the election is over, lol. Can ya just imagine? Not only are they sending out a message that abstinence only doesn't work, but she's 17 years old and pregnant by a black rapper. Well at least there goes them not being about change. I think I will stay home on election day.

GIVE ME A BREAK AMERICA! ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF MISSING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES.

AT THE END OF IT ALL, WE ARE CONSIDERING A MOTHER OF A BABY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AS THE SECOND IN COMMAND OF THIS COUNTRY AND NOW - SHE HAS HER OLDEST CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, THE NEED OF A MOTHER TO BE BY HER SIDE DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME.

IF SHE LOVES HER FAMILY SO MUCH AND WANTS TO BE SUCH AN EXAMPLE, SIT DOWN AND BE A MOTHER. YOUR CHILDREN NEED YOU MORE THAN AMERICA DOES

I don't think it is unreasonable to ask three questions:

What does it say about McCain that he chose a person with so much baggage as a running mate?

What, exactly, are Gov. Palin's positions on sex education, abstinence-only programs and birth control?

Is a person's family life a reflection of their fitness to stand as a country's leader?

Posted by: bill kapra | September 1, 2008 10:41 PM

****

I think it would be fair to ask those same questions of anyone supporting Barry O as well. We all know he has his own baggage of his own making and that is while he was an adult. Has anyone asked him when was the last time he shot up? He said he did some blow and felt the needle. You really want to go down that path?

Willy:

I'm not a Democrat, but I can tell you Hillary Clinton was appealing to the under-educated, not making them her VP choice!

See the difference?

And Republicans do devalue education. They always denigrate intellectuals, artists, writers -- anyone who can use their brain creatively and independently.

Quote: "See the difference?

And Republicans do devalue education. They always denigrate intellectuals, artists, writers -- anyone who can use their brain creatively and independently..."

No, that wasn't the point,as you well know. And I'm going to ask for proof and case by case on your statement. What, no proof?? Typical!

Questions:

Can someone please explain to me why Palin, a professed pro-lifer, makes a big deal about saying "We're proud of Bristol's DECISION to HAVE her baby." What DECISION? For Palin, there supposedly is NO decision in any circumstance.

While we're at it, can someone explain to me why Palin had amniocentesis done (at a time when she still had an early-term choice to abort) to detect for birthdefects. I'm told if she waited a little longer, an ultrasound -- a less intrusive and risky diagnostic -- would have given her the answer on Downs.

And, on top of that, she too is making a big deal about what a great and moral "Decision" it was for her to have that baby even though she knew she had Downs. What "decision?" I thought, according to her own public position, there was no "decision" to be made after the moment her pregnancy test showed positive

Sounds like Palin is supportive and thankful for Roe v. Wade ... she had options and could make what in the end was the right decision.

I am surprised that no one has pointed out yet that the McCain camp may be lying about Bristol being currently pregnant as a way to explain her post pregnancy weight and fuller chest. It will be interesting to see if she actually carries full term, or will it come about that she "loses the baby". This to me would prove that Trig is Bristols baby.

In lying and saying that Bristol is now pregnant, the hope would also be that people will think, how could Trig be Bristol's baby if she is currently pregnant?

I am not 100% convinced yet that Trig is Sarah Palins baby!

Anthony raises a great point:

If Palin is so gosh darn happy that she's about to be a grandmother, and so terribly proud of Bristol, why didn't she mention the pregnancy when she was introduced to the nation on Friday?

That would have been the normal thing to do: "And this is my daughter Bristol, who is going to have a baby before Christmas!"

Posted by: Michael Blaine | September 1, 2008 10:50 PM

***********

Why don't you post all your family trash right here right now then since you want to know everyone else's? This has nothing to do with policy or politics but this is how pathetic our country has become that haters like the ones posting here would push this child out here like this to make an issue. I wonder how many of you ladies will be laughing tomorrow or the next or whenever were this girl to do something crazy like take here life because of all this hate being spewed her way. I hope you all take a good long look in the mirror and be real pride of your hate.

Democrats are the bight losers of all time...They know they are in trouble with Palin, sop they turn hateful and vile....When will thse idiotys learn how to win a election...they blow it every time...Thank you Democrats for being such morons!! You fall into our traps every time exposing your hateful liberal Agenda's Suckers!!! LOL

Quote: "Hey Julianne: OBAMA RELEASED HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE MONTHS AGO! Find another talking point to deflect the issue. Here is the link to his "fightthesmears" website showing his certified birth certificate from Hawaii."

Releasing his birth cerfificate means nothing. His grandmother, and several relatives say he was born in Kenya. The law is still against him:
Should Sen. Obama truly have been born in Kenya, Berg writes, the laws on the books at the time of his birth hold that U.S. citizenship may only pass to a child born overseas to a U.S. citizen parent and non-citizen parent if the former was at least 19 years of age. Sen. Obama's mother was only 18 at the time. Therefore, because U.S. citizenship could not legally be passed on to him, Obama could not be registered as a "natural born" citizen and would therefore be ineligible to seek the presidency pursuant to Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution.

Moreover, even if Sen. Obama could have somehow been deemed "natural born," that citizenship was lost in or around 1967 when he and his mother took up residency in Indonesia, where Stanley Ann Dunham married Lolo Soetoro, an Indonesian citizen. Berg also states that he possesses copies of Sen. Obama's registration to Fransiskus Assisi School In Jakarta, Indonesia which clearly show that he was registered under the name "Barry Soetoro" and his citizenship listed as Indonesian."

The lawsuit is on going.

Willy:

I'm not a Democrat, but I can tell you Hillary Clinton was appealing to the under-educated, not making them her VP choice!

See the difference?

And Republicans do devalue education. They always denigrate intellectuals, artists, writers -- anyone who can use their brain creatively and independently.

The biggest hypocrites in America are the Republican "family values" crowd:

Hey little sister what have you done
Hey little sister who's the only one
Hey little sister who's your superman
Hey little sister who's the one you want
Hey little sister shot gun!
It's a nice day to start again
It's a nice day for a white wedding
It's a nice day to start again
Hey little sister what have you done
Hey little sister who's the only one
I've been away for so long (so long)
I've been away for so long (so long)
I let you go for so long
It's a nice day to start again (come on)
It's a nice day for a white wedding
It's a nice day to start again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Awy4biqD_dA
.

When I scrolled down to begin my comment there had been 2,214 comments. By the time I finish, who knows how many there will be?

Doesn't the fact of the number of comments, alone, answer any question as to the pending influence of this revelation? I cannot imagine that all of this traffic suggests anything positive for the McCain ticket.

I predict Sarah will be off the ticket within ten days, at the most. I expect more revelations to emerge. Perhaps, McCain will be so stubborn and/or so scared of the extreme right wing of his party that my prediction will not come about, but I feel that the odds are greater that she will bow out because "the unrelenting negativity of the media and the liberal left" has caused her to have to tend to her family to attempt to "help them regain a stable environment, especially as they prioritize the rearing of their two new additions and supporting the eldest daughter in her new marriage."

It's all over the Internet that while Governor mom was away in Kuwait, DC, etc., Bristol would go to all-night orgies in Juneau.

She would do DP, gang bang, all sorts of stuff.

Apparently, no one has any idea who the father might be!

Half of Alaska - and some of Canada - did this chick.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 1, 2008 10:38 PM

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Why don't you put your name to that post you piece of crap!!! I wonder what you are doing in the basement right now while no one is watching. I hope you don't have any pets around.

Anthony raises a great point:

If Palin is so gosh darn happy that she's about to be a grandmother, and so terribly proud of Bristol, why didn't she mention the pregnancy when she was introduced to the nation on Friday?

That would have been the normal thing to do: "And this is my daughter Bristol, who is going to have a baby before Christmas!"

Julianne: Obama has released his birth certificate months ago, and qualifies as a Presidential candidate. Here is the link.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert

John McCain, on the other hand, was born in Panama, and whether he is eligible as a candidate is still in question. Here is the Wikipedia entry, complete with links. Take a look at the links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born_citizen#US_presidential_candidates_born_outside_the_US

What Palin's daughter is doing is none of our business. Whether Palin is qualified to be President is our business, because if John McCain wins, and is disqualified, she could be President very soon.

jb - you stated that "I would much rather have Sarah Palin's Family in the White house with their real life benign issues vs. a Whining Tactless Angry B#$* Michelle Obama whom is bound to offend dignitaries and their spouses. I like Obama, but can't stand his wife."

Did you ever stop to think about the fears Michelle Obama had to overcome, and the courage that she must have to stand behind her husband through this election? I would be terrified if it were me, given the way some racist people in this country think. As for Sarah Palin, well her real life issues may have to do with her inability to be a leader.

What a bunch of pond scum we have trolling the washington post. I bet most of these pond scum are posting from their momma's basement. Keep up the good work ladies and may you reap what you sow.

What would Nelson Rockefeller and Dwight Eisenhower think of their party now?!!!!

The Republicans are a big fat joke.

Quote: "Republicans devalue academic achievement.

And that's fine. But they shouldn't then expect to be selected to lead the nation."

Michael, why don't you give it up?? The more you post, the more stupid that you look. You say "Republicans devalue academic achievement", while Hillary was bragging that they were her backers. The older, UNDER-EDUCATED, working class.

With every post, you dis-prove your own point.

Hey JB my friend, condoms break. They're not 100% effective. And to say that Bristol isn't to blame "because he should have worn a condom" is as ridiculous as saying ice doesn't melt in the heat. It takes two to have sex and make a baby.

This business about throwing her daughter under the bus is sweet too. I guess the governor should have told all of us on Friday, while introducing her family, that the daughter holding her infant son is 5-months pregnant. That would have been more appropriate. If not for idiots spreading rumors that the governor did a Houdini concerning the birth of her son, she would not have had to make the statement. So now everyone with some sense of morality is telling the rest of us what an unfit mother she is. Incredible.

Hey Julianne: OBAMA RELEASED HIS BIRTH CERTIFICATE MONTHS AGO! Find another talking point to deflect the issue. Here is the link to his "fightthesmears" website showing his certified birth certificate from Hawaii.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/birthcert

Obama is eligible as a presidential candidate. Now, whether John McCain is eligible or not is still an open question, because he was born in Panama. It's LIKELY that he qualifies, but not certain. Check out the Wikipedia entry on this, including the associated links.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born_citizen#US_presidential_candidates_born_outside_the_US

Never mind any gossip about Palin's daughter. This is a non-issue. What Americans should be worried about is her qualifications to be President from day one. If McCain wins the election, has his eligibility challenged in the Supreme Court, and is deemed ineligible, PALIN WILL BE PRESIDENT. THIS is important.

Hey, jb:

Again, we're choosing a Commander-in-Chief here, not putting someone in the White House just because we met them at group therapy.

I don't think it is unreasonable to ask three questions:

What does it say about McCain that he chose a person with so much baggage as a running mate?

What, exactly, are Gov. Palin's positions on sex education, abstinence-only programs and birth control?

Is a person's family life a reflection of their fitness to stand as a country's leader?

Guess the Republicans will want to park a Double Wide next to the White House........

Palin Walks the Walk and Talks the Talk. Hats off to her. I feel if people keep on focusing on the Bristol issue, its going to make her look more human.

If truly still endorses a "abstainance" only sex education in schools, well she needs to go back to the drawing board to realize that her ideology is not the ideology of today's youth. Its evident. Luckily, Bristol was a good and honest young lady to take her dilemna to her parents vs. sneaking off to the abortion clinic which would really hurt her mothers reputation in public office. My support and prayers to Bristol. I commend her for going to her parents and her poise for all the "mud slinging". My respect to her for marrying the young man who was responsible (he should of worn a condom, so don't blame Bristol or Sarah). I hope people and media will leave Bristol alone. What if it were your child? Sarah Palin has won my respect for her integrity!

The two serious issues raised by the illegitimate pregnancy of Sarah Palin's minor daughter don't have anything to do with whether Americans are compassionate about the difficulties that families face. The issues are:
1. John McCain has demonstrated impulsiveness and very poor judgement in choosing the un-vetted Palin as his choice for vice president.
2. However brave a face the evangelicals put on it, pregnancy in unmarried minor teens is not something to flaunt or celebrate. This is not what the majority of Americans mean when they say family values. It looks to me like the ticket for family values this year is the Democrats.

To forgiven biker:

If you're going to dole out such profound and dire judgments about Democrats, it might be helpful if you learned how to spell judgment.

It's all over the Internet that while Governor mom was away in Kuwait, DC, etc., Bristol would go to all-night orgies in Juneau.

She would do DP, gang bang, all sorts of stuff.

Apparently, no one has any idea who the father might be!

Half of Alaska - and some of Canada - did this chick.

Pretty strong reactions to a story about a soon-to-be 44 year old grandmother campaigning on 'abstinence only'.

Questions:

Governor Palin, when did you and your husband find out that your 16 year daughter was violating your family rules on abstinence? What action did you take when you learned that fact? What advice would you give other parents about how to deal with learning about that?

If you and your husband only found out that your daughter was violating your family rules on abstinence five months after she conceived a baby, what explanation do you have for that fact? Were you and your husband too busy with your other affairs to pay attention to what your daughter was up to? We note that you don't live in New York City where nobody knows their neighbors and lets each other know of coming trouble -- why didn't your friends and neighbors clue you in?

Do you think that your daughter's getting pregnant might be her way of getting you to notice her more?

Do you agree that you and your husband deserve equal blame for the neglect of your daughter's life that led to this situation? Do you believe that parents are utterly blameless when their children get pregnant? If not, in what way would you agree that you and your husband are to blame?

Was your daughter Bristol born less than nine months after you and your husband got married? Did you violate your own rules about abstinence? Was your daughter aware of this hypocrisy?

I'm betting little Bristol was in one of those abstinence only classes. With a name like Bristol, you can be sure there are trailer parks in Alaska too.

We are the laughing stock of Western Civilization...Our European allies think that we have the Beverly Hill Billies, The Bundy's or a Jerry Springer episode as the 2nd most powerful person on the planet...How irresponsible of John McCain...Arent we in 2 wars, Russia is turning into Nazi Germany, Holland is pulling spies out because the US is going to strike Iran, we have a dying economy, the earth is attacking us and energy is out of control? How arrogant to think that nothing will happen to him...Disgusting.

I think he only succeeded in firing up the American people to reject this Maury Povich whose the daddy episode disguised as our Government that is supposed to be the envy of the world and people gave their lives for.

I find it ironic that Harvard Law-educated Michelle Obama -- the woman libs love to dump on -- would likely choose to be drawn and quartered rather than put her girls through anything even a fraction as bad as this Bristol Palin fiasco.

Even Joe Biden had to be talked into taking a Senate job he'd already won.....because he was so worried his sons wouldn't have adequate attention after their mother was killed.

On the other hand, it is well documented that John McCain has spent much of his married life with Cindy away from the family and kids.

But this doesn't even touch throwing your daughter under media scrutiny of the most private part of her life.

"Pretty strong reactions to a story about a pregnant girl that will not kill the baby."

She'll wish she had before this s ***storm is over!

The point is public policy. When abstinence fails - the results are a child having a baby, or an abortion. Why run that risk? It's an important question:
W h y r u n t h e r i s k?

Because we have some desire to stop teenagers from having sexual relations? Get real. Just because we don't teach it in school doesn't mean that teenagers won't figure it out on their own. Even Palin couldn't stop her own children from sex.

It's not exclusive is it? Abstinence and education? Let's do both.

Just for fun: I think this 'planning to marry' is just a throw away line. What we have in reality is: Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter decided to become a single mother? What should the public policy be then?

Posted by: NoOneImportant | September 1, 2008 10:11 PM

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NoOneImportant - Do you think contraceptives are 100% foolproof? Do you think that kids who are taught to use contraceptives in schools, offered condoms in schools but don't have any during the heat of the moment are immune to pregnancy? Seriously, do you think that teenage pregnancy is a planned event? Should parents check their sons' wallets when they leave the house to make sure that they are stacked with condoms? Go for it son, get laid. But make sure you wear that raincoat! Abstinence is one method to avoid teenage pregnancy. But teens have minds and bodies of their own. As I said before, it happens.

Hey, forgivenbiker, as VP Cheney would say, "Go f *** yourself."

Pretty strong reactions to a story about a pregnant girl that will not kill the baby.

Think of all the babies dying without this attention.

As a 75 year old, I have observed the Democrat Party morph into a collection of "baby killing, homosexual atheists who want to take my money and give it to someone else". The leftist blog's vile and vicious attacks on the Palin's reinforce this view. God will not have mercy on their souls when they face Him on judgement day.

This scandal will make McCain wish he were back in Hanoi.

"What kind of hypocrits preach abstinence, and then make excuses when it happens in your household?"

Are you disturbed because Bristol was not quietly hustled to an abortion clinic? Whatever happened to the mantra "my body, my choice?"

The young woman made a choice; why are you not celebrating her choice especially when it was made in the hostile environment of mean ol' evangelical parents?

You are all missing the point. Her parents are happy that she made the CHOICE to keep the child.
Thank God we live in a country that allows us to make that CHOICE!

jb:

You are so wildly off base, and yet such a good demonstration of how Americans keep choosing crappy leaders.

You would rather have a guy named Todd as first spouse of the nation, a guy whose family is so dysfunctional it almost defies comprehension, hob-nobbing with the likes of Hu, Calderon, Sarkozy and Putin than Michelle Obama, a graduate of Harvard Law School?

Please; go have your head examined.

And, again, since when is electing a president about bringing "real life problems" into the White House? That is so irrational it's frightening.

America is supposed to be selecting a leader here, not someone we know from group therapy!

I'm sure Bristol Palin feels peachy that her personal business is now international news.

Trig, however, may be indifferent at this time.

To jb:
In response to your comment, "I cannot help but applaud Sarah Palin for her integrity with this situation and not "hiding" it like other politicians."
Do you honestly believe she didn't try to hide it? Haven't you seen ALL the pictures of her daughter holding baby Trig to HIDE the pregnancy?
The only reason she "came out with it" is because the story leaked. Let's not forget how she lied to all of us by saying that her daughter had a bad case of mono. She had a bad case of something alright, but it wasn't mono.

"Hands down, I thank Sarah Palin for having integrity to come forth and guide Bristol in an adult direction. "

she's going to do this as leader of the most powerful country in the world?

if this is about 'life experience', MY MOM IS MORE QUALIFIED THAN THIS IRRESPONSIBLE 'PRO-FAMILY', 'PRO ABSTINENCE' IMBECILE.

is this a joke?

September 1st, 2008 9:70 pmI had decided to vote for Mr. McCain 8 months ago. When he announced Ms. Palin as his choice for VP running mate, my confidence in that decision was severely shaken given Ms. Palin's lack of substantive experience, and some of her rabid personal views. Also, troubling matters such as during her campaign for governor in 2006 she was, in direct contradiction to her first speech with McCain in Ohio, in FAVOR of the bridge to nowhere and then after being elected pulled the funding for it.

Not to mention the tremendous challenge as a parent that she faces raising a DS baby.

Today's announcement that Ms. Palin's unwed, 17 year old daughter is five months pregnant makes it clear to me that Ms. Palin needs to be giving exclusively to her family ALL her attention for the next four or five years.

The choice of Ms. Palin as Mr. McCain's running mate was one of the biggest mistakes that the Republicans could have made.

As long as Ms. Palin is the candidate for Vice President of the United States, a position that is just a heartbeat away from the Presidency, I cannot in good faith vote for Mr. McCain. If Ms. Palin truly wants the Republicans to have a chance to win this year, and is not just in this for her own glory, she will withdraw gracefully her candidacy and allow the Republicans to name someone who is both better qualified and not so mired in challenging personal situations.

Allison, you are ridiculous. How do you
know anything about how Sarah Palin
deals with her children's feelings?
Your argument is baseless. You are
saying that some family issues should
keep her from being a VP candidate?
Obviously you would not be able to handle
those kind of pressures. And obviously
Sarah Palin is. Keep your "being greatly
troubled" to yourself. You're just making
that up. Go wash some dishes.

***Allison's comments below***
As a mother of a child with health issues, I am greatly troubled that a mother of an infant with Down Syndrome and a pregnant teenage daughter would put their own career desires first, without regarding the feelings of her children. In addition to clearly needing their mother now more than ever, they now have their private problems exposed to the world. Family values indeed.

This scandal will make McCain wish he were back in Hanoi.

What kind of hypocrits preach abstinence, and then make excuses when it happens in your household?. Is Bristol a good example for American Youth?
John McCain's Campaign has successfully put a white face on teen pregnancy. I hope Bristol's baby-dady heard Obama's tyrade to Black fathers who have children out of wedlock (which is the real issue here, not abortion). I thought Obama would definitely lose, because Mcain chose Palin, but she was chosen friday, and is wrapped in two anti-conservative issues on monday-good job, a daughter will have a child who is a year younger than his uncle, andf Palin is in a scandal wher it is alegged that she fired the public safety commisioner because he refused to fire her former brother in law . Family Values Dies in the republican party!!!!!!!! 09/01/2008

Bristol Palin's pregnancy represents REAL LIFE that Washington has been so detached from. Someone Anonymous on this board called them the "Beverly Hillbillies", I would much rather have Sarah Palin's Family in the White house with their real life benign issues vs. a Whining Tactless Angry B#$* Michelle Obama whom is bound to offend dignitaries and their spouses. I like Obama, but can't stand his wife. In all honesty, My heart and admiration goes to Bristol Palin, she is an average teenager who was brave enough to go her family for support vs. sneaking to the abortion clinic which would of done more damage to her mothers career. She was responsible and not a coward.

Her mother, Sarah Palin, Lives what she stands for. She is an example.

I'm more pro choice, but with this issue, I cannot help but applaud Sarah Palin for her integrity with this situation and not "hiding" it like other politicians. She has more balls than John Edwards to come out and me honest. Sarah Palin is REAL and not disenfranchised from issues that plague normal Americans. She also has done a great job in being an Alaskan Governor. Hats off to Sarah Palin with handling this matter with grace.

I am independent, but what I have seen with Sarah Palin and how she is handling all the "mud" being thrown at her while she is qualified enough because she "ran a state", I'm voting republican. Hands down, I thank Sarah Palin for having integrity to come forth and guide Bristol in an adult direction.

"Politico: Jewish Donors Appalled by Palin

Ben Smith reports what I've sensed: that Jews are not going to flock to a backwoods character like Sarah Palin. He says some donors are moving to Obama. Praise the lord, Smith isn't going in for the "Jewish voters" euphemism. There's a huge cultural divide to be gotten over. Sarah went to college in Moscow, Idaho. At least Bush went to Yale."

obama:
biggest campaign in history
3 years us senate
8 yrs state senate
community organizer
law professor
president harvard law review
degree in constitutional law with honors

biden:
even more in depth resume

mccain:
POW
reckless loudmouth

palin:
embarrassingly deficient

I find it remarkable that it's become taboo for democrats to speak about Sarah Palin's social values and view on sex education and birth control, but it is ALL the republican's CAN brag about. They spend hours focusing on the pro-life decision her family made. So again, it's okay for them to use the pregnancy to their advantage but not okay for anyone else to question? Yet another republican double standard - ho hum, yawn.

No one is attacking little Bristol. It is not Bristol's pregnancy that should be under the microscope. The girl made a mistake - it can happen in any family, republican or democrat.

However Sarah Palin is a woman who believes along with John McCain, that sex education should not be taught in our schools, that birth control should not be made available to our youth (not even condoms that will help stop the spread of deadly diseases), or to the poor, and that if McCain/Palin win, insurance companies should no longer pay for any form of birth control. She obviously believes that the only method of birth control is abstinence. Well, that's not the reality now, is it?

Oh, and one more thing: Thanks to the republicans we are indebted beyond the cost of our first permanent settlement on Mars, to the most pro-choice country in the world - China. In fact, 75% of their population supports their one child law unless the first child is a girl or disabled. The money the Chinese people pay their government for abortions is money we borrow to pay religious extremists for oil to fuel America and fund the biggest excuse for a war in the history of the world. Oh, the hypocrisy.
Whata' guy - whata' team.

BTW, the Clintons raised a daughter who graduated from Stanford.

Somehow, I don't think that's in the cards for Britol.

Republicans devalue academic achievement.

And that's fine. But they shouldn't then expect to be selected to lead the nation.

Speaking of morals, what about Obama's brother over in Kenya? I here he is living in a mud hut and Obama doesn't give a damn about him. That's Democratic values for you. Become a multi millionaire, and then forget about your desperately poor brother. Check it out here:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2590614/Barack-Obamas-lost-brother-found-in-Kenya.html

Free Radical:

You're blaming Clinton for 9/11?

Remind us who had been president for eight months when that happened?

What's the matter with Republicans? They can't view anything objectively. It's alway the childish, "It wasn't my fault!" or "You did it, too!"

Grow up, for crying out loud.

But, since you raise the comparison, would I rather have a Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Yale Law School on the phone with Putin, or the recipient of a degree from a third-rate state school dealing with a passel of dysfunctional children? Take a guess.

The big problem I have with this story is the hypocrisy. Does anyone here even dispute the idea that if this was Biden's daughter who was pregnant, under 18, and having sex with a man 10 years older than her that IT WOULDN'T BE NON-STOP NEWS on the MSM and Conservative Media???

Even conservative pundits here at Washington Post like Kurtz admitted to that bias: "Can you imagine what the right-wing crowd would be saying about this woman and her 20-month stint as governor of the igloo state if the tables were turned and Obama had picked her? The chortles? The level of mockery?"

Clear proof that even conservatives admit that there is a media bias against Democrats. Palin should be getting roasted for this hypocrisy.

"Bill and Hillary Clinton remained married despite high-profile marital woes. They decided to honor their vows."

See, here's the thing. Getting a hummer from a woman not your wife then lying under oath about it would be the polar opposite of 'honoring a vow'. It would, in fact, be the breaking of multiple vows; the vow of marriage, the vow of the oath to tell the truth. That's what's immoral. That liberals don't understand this is the basic reason why they have zero credibility on moral issues, and no standing to attack Palin. And of course, the law of the land, and the unstated preference, were such things left to liberals would be for the state to be required to assist the daughter with disposing of the inconvenience, the 'punishment' per BHO, of the baby without her parents even being notified. So much more 'moral'.

--"And those of you criticizing the policy of abstinence actually think that teenage sex is fine as long as contraception or abortion is used. But somehow, it is a tragedy, punishment if the young lady exercises her choice to bear the child. And you want to argue hypocrisy?

Posted by: Anthony | September 1, 2008 9:19 PM"--

The point is public policy. When abstinence fails - the results are a child having a baby, or an abortion. Why run that risk? It's an important question:
W h y r u n t h e r i s k?

Because we have some desire to stop teenagers from having sexual relations? Get real. Just because we don't teach it in school doesn't mean that teenagers won't figure it out on their own. Even Palin couldn't stop her own children from sex.

It's not exclusive is it? Abstinence and education? Let's do both.

Just for fun: I think this 'planning to marry' is just a throw away line. What we have in reality is: Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter decided to become a single mother? What should the public policy be then?

Non American,

Not being deceived, especially about politicians' private lives is an American obsession.

This is why Bill Clinton got put on the spot about Monica.

We are obsessed with rules and equal application of standards. Even a sitting President or Governor will not be allowed to get away with deceiving to their constituencies if the people can help it.

While this occasionally causes us to get in an annoying tizzy about politicians' sex lives, this more often makes Americans stand in line, self-police, and sue when the system isn't working or when we believe our rights have been violated. This is pretty much the same across the board regardless of party affiliation, socioeconomic class or ethnic group.

Any American politician who believes they can play the "my personal life is irrelevant...so what if I lied?" card doesn't understand their fellow Americans.

I for one, wouldn't presume to be the flag-waving pro-life candidate without giving the people full information on how I've lived out the issue. Americans are really forgiving when politicians spill their guts with contrition. However, we tend to "crucify" anyone who lies to us. This is how Nixon's political future was destroyed. Likewise, John Edwards has no future and Palin may join his ranks very soon.

"THE ISSUE IS -- Sarah Palin threw her daughter under the bus to save her political career."

Democrats seem to be obsessed with reproductive organs, clocks, and buses. Why?

Posted by: Stephen | September 1, 2008 9:54 PM
__________________________

Is it true the GOP trains (see, I give equal opportunity obsession to other modes of transportation besides buses) their operatives in how to obfuscate on blogs?? You know, post meaningless drivel right after a bang-on (that would reflect my obsession with organs) post so that the next person to read the blog can't see the important stuff for all the obfuscating drivel?

It ticks me off (you are SO right, I DO obsess on clocks).

Louis, I will help you out.

The Christian morality thing is this: we have a clear set of Biblical principles and guidance as to how we should live our lives. All of us Christians fail to fully live up to these ideals.

Bill and Hillary stayed married for political reasons. They have no real connection between themselves; they are pure political animals.

Not sure about McCain's story.

Biden taking the home to see his wife and kids every night is nice, but it is far from a complete picture of his morality. I'm sure he has his flaws.

Many evanglicals are in agreement with all or most of Sarah Palin's views, myself included. Once again, we acknowledge as flawed humans that we don't always live up to our high calling from God. But we don't quit, and we work with God to get better. You're the first one I've heard call Palin the "paradigm of Christian motherhood."

In politics, evangelicals love politicians who share their Biblical values and views, with the understanding that having high ideals doesn't mean that we don't sometimes fail. That doesn't make us hyppcrites, which can be defined as someone who professes a thing but in reality believes something else.

*****Louis' post below****
OK. Someone help me get this "Christian morality" thing straight. Bill and Hillary Clinton remained married despite high-profile marital woes. They decided to honor their vows. Their daughter is not pregnant. But they are "immoral." John McCain divorced the wife who stayed loyal to him while he was a POW to marry a beautiful young heiress. But he is "moral." Joe Biden takes Amtrak home to Delaware almost every night from Washington to be with his family, while Sarah Palin makes her pregnant 17-year-old daughter get married. Yet Sarah Palin is not only the "moral" choice, according to the Christian right, but also considered paradigm of Christian motherhood. I'm very confused. Shouldn't all this be the other way around?

Palin really disturbs me on so many levels: her illogical conservatism, her inexperience, the way she uses her personal life as some kind of patronizing, holier-than-thou badge.

As a mother of a child with health issues, I am greatly troubled that a mother of an infant with Down Syndrome and a pregnant teenage daughter would put their own career desires first, without regarding the feelings of her children. In addition to clearly needing their mother now more than ever, they now have their private problems exposed to the world. Family values indeed.

"Politico: Jewish Donors Appalled by Palin

Ben Smith reports what I've sensed: that Jews are not going to flock to a backwoods character like Sarah Palin. He says some donors are moving to Obama. Praise the lord, Smith isn't going in for the "Jewish voters" euphemism. There's a huge cultural divide to be gotten over. Sarah went to college in Moscow, Idaho. At least Bush went to Yale."

Does anyone else think it was loathsome and deceptively cynical of the Palin family to let Sarah's newborn *handicapped* baby be used as a SHIELD to hide Bristol's bulging belly during the celebratory press conference on Friday? Notice it wasn't the *other* non-pregnant daugher who carried baby Trig around the whole time... If McCain knew about this, no wonder his body language during that event made him look like he wanted to rip his own skin off! Think I'm kidding? Just go to YouTube and watch a playback!

MBlaine: "Give me a break.

'Oh, Todd. Tell me if Putin calls. I'll be busy helping Bristol nurse her baby.'

Jeez."

Almost reminiscent of the Clinton years.

"What's that, Hil? Saudi hijackers have enrolled in some US flight schools? I'll get to it as soon as Monica finishes ..."

The Democrats are going to kick our butts. If we need a woman lets draft Condy Rice as our choice; if we want the most qualified; Mitt Romney. If we want an ex-model, mommy and soon to be 44 grandma lets keep our VP candidate. Obama is going to kick our butt.

First of all, I do not belong to any party. While I do not like Palin, I do, however, like Senator Biden. I honestly believe he is an experienced and good person. I know I will get slack from republicans about his so called plagiarism, and his gaffes, but who here can say they never copied or used something someone else said? Who here can say that they never said something they shouldn't have? At least the man is honest, and no one can put down his family values.

In the democratic debates almost every candidate at one time or another made the comment "I agree with Senator Biden." This made an impression on me, because it seemed that while they were all attacking one another, they did not attack him, instead they followed his lead. This is significant in a potential leader. Also, He is well respected in the Senate, and to be elected as many times as he has by the people of his own state speaks volumes. So while the republicans can put him down, and Hillary supporters can be disappointed, the truth is the man would make a great VP.

Most likely, he wasn't the popular choice by the Democratic Party. After all he wouldn't pick up the woman vote, the gun people, or any other special interest groups. However, Obama picked him anyway. This said something big to me. It said that Obama was not just looking for someone to help him get elected, but for someone who could help him with the position of running this country. To me, that was the most significant thing of this whole election.

I have only voted once in my 47 years of life, and that was a local election in which one of the candidates was a danger to children, so I voted to help keep him out of office. The reason I have not voted in any other election is because I never found a politician that I felt actually cared about anything other than his own personal gain. If Obama was indeed like that he would never have chosen Biden. He would have picked Hillary or someone else who would have been a sure bet, like McCain was trying to do with Palin. So I will vote in this election, and I will vote for Obama/Biden.

Please take off your party hats and think about this country, the country where your children will grow up, the country that Americans once had great pride in, the country that was once respected worldwide. We have gone down hill so badly in both morals, and economics. We do need a change in this country and I am sorry but McCain and Palin are not it.

"our country needs her" . . . like a hole in the head!

What are you smoking, Massachussetts Independents For McCain/Palin?

Palin patently is NOT an accomplished woman. She believes the world is a mere 5,000 years old, and her family is a big fat mess.

Accomplished my foot!

This is hilarious! Isn't Obama the product of his teenage mom getting knocked up by a polygamist Kenyan? And now the Palin nonsense? God Bless America.

The hypocrisy and insincerity of the GOP is stunning.

It's sad that the reckless ambition of McCain and Palin have put such an unfair spotlight on this poor young girl.

Are Democrats angry because Bristol's interpretation of "my body, my choice" will result in a child?

Are Democrats angry because she did not seek their permission?

What gives?

Michael - I'm so glad you agree.

And yes, every posting you've made supports the bigot label I've placed upon you.

My biggest concern with Bristol Palin's pregnancy is the hope you are not the father. I don't want you procreating.

John Sidney "Songbird" McCain III:

Graduated 894 out of 899 students in his college class.

Rails against gov't waste, yet draws a $58,000/year disability pension (for mental reasons?) from the gov't while earning a senator's salary and enjoying his wife's $120 million inheritance.

Made far and away the worst VP choice in living memory.

Why should HE be president?

There is little the Republicans could do at this point that would be more of a turn-off than what Obama and the DNC pulled on Hillary.

Former Dem

Sarah Palin is an excellent leader, an accomplished woman, and and up and coming star in the Repub party. Her Christian background and beliefs and her willingness to go against the status quo make her a perfect fit for the needs of our country in this time. Washington needs her, our country needs her.

She has years of executive experience as a mayor and as a governor. Obama has zero executive expereince. Obama has done little to nothing of note in his state and federal legislative experiences.

Let's see how the debate with Biden turns out.

**Massachusetts Independents for McCain/Palin

OK. Someone help me get this "Christian morality" thing straight. Bill and Hillary Clinton remained married despite high-profile marital woes. They decided to honor their vows. Their daughter is not pregnant. But they are "immoral." John McCain divorced the wife who stayed loyal to him while he was a POW to marry a beautiful young heiress. But he is "moral." Joe Biden takes Amtrak home to Delaware almost every night from Washington to be with his family, while Sarah Palin makes her pregnant 17-year-old daughter get married. Yet Sarah Palin is not only the "moral" choice, according to the Christian right, but also considered paradigm of Christian motherhood. I'm very confused. Shouldn't all this be the other way around?

"THE ISSUE IS -- Sarah Palin threw her daughter under the bus to save her political career."

Democrats seem to be obsessed with reproductive organs, clocks, and buses. Why?

Michael asks,
"why do you care if we grow up or not?"

Because in a global society we are wise enough to realize the importance of your country ... maybe you don't and that is the real issue!

I still do not believe that McCain was aware of Britsol Palin teen pregnancy, and he accepted her mother as his running mate.

I still do not believe that McCain was aware of Britsol Palin pregnancy, and he accepted her as his running mate.

"Just how could Bristol have been five month pregnant before she gave birth to Trig, who is four month old?"

The Palin camp claims Bristol is around 5 months pregnant TODAY and will give birth sometime in December. Perhaps it'll be one of those rare cases where the baby is late though.

Trig was born on April 18, which is about 5 months ago. It is chronologically possible. There are people who have their kids a year apart all the time.

It would make Palin look really bad if an underage daughter got pregnant twice in two years. I don't understand why the governor doesn't just release the medical records showing that Trig is hers and end all of the speculation.

The real issue is that this is a perfect example of a non issue!

I don't think Russia is going to invade another country because that girl got pregnant.

Live this girl alone and go back to discuss the real issues!

Chris,
Here are a few questions I would like answered.

How many more scandals will it take for Palin to withdraw her nomination as vice president?

How many political and personal enemies does Palin have in Wasilla who are willing to go on the record?

The family values crowd and "moral majority" have historically promoted the idea that women's roles should focus on putting their children before their career. How then, can they reconcile Palin raising 5 children AND a new granddaughter (while her daughter finishes school) while performing her duties as vice president? Either the kids are raised by nannies (not exactly, the family first message) OR Palin's role as VP would be mostly symbolic.

What is Mccain suddenly dies in office during his 1st term and she has to assume the Presidency while raising two babies and three teenagers? Is she going to expect that her husband will be "Mr. Mom?"

What is Todd Palin's view on all this?

Mblain, you are an idiot. You have know ideas what evangelicals believe. Your comments indicate your ignorance. Your place is away from the computer.

Evangelicals of today are far different than the picture you present. In the best cases, our families are centers of strong, connected, and godly life. Those restrictions on women you talk about are apparently Obama's thinking. Otherwise, Hillary would have been his VP choice (that choice would have also have ensure his victory).

***Mblain's spew below***
Family values folks ought to seriously consider that a mother with this many children should be at home with them. Truth is, social conservatives often say, had she taken care of her motherly duties instead politics, her daughter might not have become pregnant. Wouldn't it have been better to have the seventeen year old on birth control, pope or no pope? Then abortion and premature pregnancy would have not been the poor girl's only option.

In fact, evangelicals widely teach a woman's place is in the home, not the state capital. Palin and her supporters on the right are all little more then hypocrits.

"I have news for you, we stopped waiting for American leadership long ago!"

Just curious, then, Non-American: Then why do you care if we grow up or not?

Also, please let me apologize for the erratic behavior of my country the last few years. I can't quite explain it myself, but it sure appears as if this whole place has gone crazy!

Don't get sidetracked on the wrong issue in this mess today.

1) It's NOT about whether abstinence education works or doesn't.

2) It's NOT about whether Palin was vetted thoroughly by the McCain campaign.

3) It's NOT about parenting skills.

4) It's NOT about hypocrisy of saying one thing and having your family do another.

It IS about a desperation to "answer" rumors on the freakin' Internet about whether Trig is actually Bristol's baby.

Instead of issuing a statement that said, "Trig is our darling son," the Palin's issued a statement saying their daughter Bristol is 5 months pregnant now leave us alone.

THE ISSUE IS -- Sarah Palin threw her daughter under the bus to save her political career.

Even if she did it at the urging of the McCain camp, she still

THREW HER DAUGHTER UNDER THE BUS.

"Palin's daughter is an error prone human being like all of us."

THAT IS NOT THE POINT!

By that reasoning, we should just have a lottery to see who becomes President of the USA and Commander-in-Chief of the military. One mediocre American would be just as good as any other in the White House, right?

But we are talking about the presidency, where - I've always assumed - we should strive to place a great leader and exceptional human being.

The Palins are a motley bunch of dysfunctional troglodytes. And that's fine. But do you want their fingers on the "nucular" button?!

Give me a break.

"Oh, Todd. Tell me if Putin calls. I'll be busy helping Bristol nurse her baby."

Jeez.

Michael,

You say "it's time the world start looking elsewhere besides the USA for leadership".

I have news for you, we stopped waiting for American leadership long ago!

Just how could Bristol have been five month pregnant before she gave birth to Trig, who is four month old?

Can we use our brain and internet for something more productive such as education, energy and national security?

This is laughable in the 21st century. We are so conservative compared with Europeans.

For the record: I might be vicious, but I'm not an Obama supporter.

It's just that the Republicans are a global embarrassment, and now - by wanting to put an absolute mess of a woman next in line for the presidency - have put my country and the whole Earth in danger of untold disasters.

For the good of Bristol and all the rest of us -- why doesn't Sarah just stay home?

Family values folks ought to seriously consider that a mother with this many children should be at home with them. Truth is, social conservatives often say, had she taken care of her motherly duties instead politics, her daughter might not have become pregnant. Wouldn't it have been better to have the seventeen year old on birth control, pope or no pope? Then abortion and premature pregnancy would have not been the poor girl's only option.

In fact, evangelicals widely teach a woman's place is in the home, not the state capital. Palin and her supporters on the right are all little more then hypocrits.

The latest rumor is about Barack having an affair shortly after he was married. And Michelle Obama approved. Got to go check that out....spread the news...

I wonder how old her boyfriend is? I hope he's not like 27.

"America, please grow up and get serious!"

Good point, Non-American, but I'm afraid as long as the mainstream remains mediocre and ignorant, the Republicans will stay viable.

So if you didn't already get the very strong hint over the Iraq debacle, it's time the world start looking elsewhere besides the USA for leadership.

We have lost our will, ability and minds.

"Palin's daughter is an error prone human being like all of us."

THAT IS NOT THE POINT!

By that reasoning, we should just have a lottery to see who becomes President of the USA and Commander-in-Chief of the military. One mediocre American would be just as good as any other in the White House, right?

But we are talking about the presidency, where - I've always assumed - we should strive to place a great leader and exceptional human being.

The Palins are a motley bunch of dysfunctional troglodytes. And that's fine. But do you want their fingers on the "nucular" button?!

Give me a break.

"Oh, Todd. Tell me if Putin calls. I'll be busy helping Bristol nurse her baby."

Jeez.

Bristol Palin better make sure McGrampy or MaPalin aren't behind her when she's walking down any stairs, because an "act of gawd" might then mysteriously occur and make this whole pregnancy issue go away.

Being a mother and women , I am sickened by this women Sara Palin . Regardless of who this precious little baby boy Trig's mother is , his grandmother/mother needs to be at home with her family and to care for this young baby . What sort of mother with young children much less disadvantaged children goes about running all over the country trying to exploit her political aspirations ? Not a women or mother that I would trust in any executive office much less VP or God forbid President . John MCcain has really missed the boat on this . God Help us All.

frederick2,

Perhaps there are some vicious Repubs. But in this blog,the inhumanity and the twisted vicious logic for political gain is all coming from the left. It's very ugly.

And, generally speaking, the repubs are more civil, much less vicious. IMHO.

Good riddance, LEAVING AMERICA SOON....

Obama has TWO years in the Senate, not eight.

Palin has been governor less than TWO years, no two terms.

But still, you can leave when you want to.

Sarah and Todd obviously were not providing the supervision needed for teens. Sarah does not seem to care about her future grandchild by putting her daughter thru all this. How can she and Todd do all this? She will be a bad mom, bad grandmom, and terrible vice-president.
I thought of voting for John McCain but if I did it would be voting for Child Abuse!!!

John M.

Do you think only the Democrats are vicious. There are a few Republicans on these various blogs that could qualify.

"America, please grow up and get serious!"

Good point, Non-American, but I'm afraid as long as the mainstream remains mediocre and ignorant, the Republicans will stay viable.

So if you didn't already get the very strong hint over the Iraq debacle, it's time the world start looking elsewhere besides the USA for leadership.

We have lost our will, ability and minds.

A lot of the liberal Obama supporters on this blog are truly vicious and inhumane. Obama seems like a decent man, but many of his supporters are just plain garbage.

Palin's daughter is an error prone human being like all of us. She is a teenager. I'm sure all of you were/are straight laced perfect young men and women as teenagers.

Christians are not perfect. Neither are you. We don't always live up to our high ideals. Believe me, the more you trash Palin and her family this way, the more the conservative backlash will be. So,say whatever you want.

I am just floored and disgusted by all of this. I am a registered republican, a woman, and I cannot stomach what is happening in America now. I am sure we have single-handedly become the laughing stock of the world. I had every intention of voting for MCcain because of my conservative values, and now with this stunt of a VP Selection, I am not voting at all. I will not taint myself with this faux presidential election. This woman has no experience whatsoever, Obama with his eight senate years, did not convince, me and now this two-term govenor is who I should put my confindence in?

Americans, democratic or republican should be outraged, But America is so divided by its party lines, that each will defend its own like a cheap gang of cowards. Even if it means the destruction of our future.

I am leaving this country very soon.

Reading this blog is scary!
The criteria to select your leaders is idiotic and irrelevant to solve America's problems or to regain international prestige.

Yes, Cynicism101, I believe a woman has no place in the workforce and my comments represent the worst of humanity. You're on to me.

Actually, I don't think a woman whose "nucular" family is a disaster ought to aspire to become Commander-in-Chief of the US military.

Can you imagine her in some historical situations?:

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this . . . Bristol, honey, I told you, the pacifiers are in the black handbag . . . where was I? Oh, yes: Mr. Gorbachev . . . What now, Bristol? Trig is spitting up? Do have to do everything around here? Mr. Secret Service guy, give Bristol a hand . . . OK. Mr. Gorbachev . . . umm . . . oh, forget it."

I hate conspiracy theories almost as much as I hate small town liars that think they can out smart all of America.

Trig is her daughters and this whole announcment today is a sham.

The truth will come out because I am sure there are plenty of 16 and 17 yr olds that went to school with Bristol Palin that know the truth and high school kids LOVE to gossip.

Sarah Palin lost the ability to control her kid's, and the daughter Bristol Palin took advantage of her mother's irresponsible and ignorant behaviour.

SO MUCH FOR THE PALIN FAMILY'S FAMILY VALUES.

Posted by: SIERRA HOLMES

You are SO right. they'd have had better morals if she'd a had a abotion huh?

Let's see, abstinence is not 100% fool proof. So let's get rid of the notion altogether. Brilliant. The young woman is not the first to get pregnant. She will not be the last. It happens. The family is dealing with it. Unfortunately, the family has to deal with it among millions throughout the world. That is life sometimes. This unexpected pregnancy was of her own doing. Her mom was already governor when she had intercourse. Again it happened. A little of an embarrassment to her, her mother and the family but not some great sin to any of them. And those of you criticizing the policy of abstinence actually think that teenage sex is fine as long as contraception or abortion is used. But somehow, it is a tragedy, punishment if the young lady exercises her choice to bear the child. And you want to argue hypocrisy?

Hey Pat who cares about birth records. Your a conspiracy nut.

For the "good" of the party, Mrs. Palin will "voluntarily" decline the VP nomination and her "15 minutes of fame" will be tragically over by Thursday!

Smithfield,

It seems the "bad omen" is your attempted propagation of untrue information.

Since you claim to have found this in three sources, how 'bout you bolster your nonexistent credibility by providing at least one reference?

SO MUCH FOR THE PALIN FAMILY'S FAMILY VALUES.

SO MUCH FOR THE PALIN FAMILY'S FAMILY VALUES.

Sorry for the all caps but I do not understand why no one is talking about this.

This is not some wacko leftwing blog or some phoney crap it is the hospitals official webpage, you think if they mistakenly left his name off you think they would have corrected it within 4 months.

I'm just saying.

Hi anonymous,

My reply to your question (which is included below):

Right, she has a special needs infant, which will require lots of care. She also has a husband and a family, and a huge conservative base that is enbergized by her. She is a VP candidate, my friend, which is a very important "calling." I don't think she is self centered, family centered, or career centered. Based on what I know about her, I would say that she
is God centered. That's how a lot of us evangelicals think. Get to
know us.

Believe me, if she is the VP, her special needs child will be very
well taken care of. While she is campaigning, I'm sure that her
husband, family and extended family will help her all that they can
in caring for the special needs infant.

*******
John M - Don't you believe that someone who claims to have high family values, and then leaves their special needs infant to be raised by someone else is a hypocrite? This is someone who has chosen to put her career over her family, and this is self centered, not family centered.
*******

The issue here is not her daughter and her mistakes. Or even her parents mistakes in raising her, but that's another discussion.

The issue is a candidate who runs on, among other ideas, "teaching abstinence only in public schools". I guess her daughter forgot to take that course.

The hypocrisy is astounding.

I feel sorry for the girl. This is such a big deal, and now, because of her mom, THE WHOLE WORLD is in on it.

Let's all pray for her. Sure, it makes the Republicans look stupid, but the fact is, everyone messes up. I just think Liberals admit it and Republicans pretend they don't.

While Russia invades Georgia the rest of us couldn't care less about the families of the poker of characters that aspire to 'lead the Free World'

America, please grow up and get serious!

EVERYONE PLEASE VISIT THIS WEBSITE FOR YOURSELF AND SEARCH FOR TRIG PALIN'S NAME, EVERY OTHER BABY BORN AT THAT HOSPITAL IS LISTED WHERE IS HIS NAME?

http://www.matsuregional.com/nursery/?sub=Static

Anonymous, or should I call you Michael Blain, or should I call you Anon -

Show your courage - step and actually say what you mean: She's a woman and a mother, and thus has no place in the workforce.

Your comments are bigoted and asinine - and genuinely represent the worst of humanity.

A real mother would stay home and take care of her downs baby and pay more attention to her daughter. A woman cannot expect to hold a important job and be a mother. Palin is a lousy VP choice.

Obama/Biden 08 Hill 16

A Becker you are so right. The key word here is "decision". They are praising her "decision" to keep the baby, as if it were her choice. But, according to what they claim to believe, they are against choice. I don't get it.

It is still to be seen how Palin's daughter's pregnancy will impact McCain's push for the white house. One thing seems evident, this woman was clearly not vetted. Almost from the announcement of her joining the ticket there has been a steady stream of unflattering news about her. First it was the investigation she is under for abuse of her power and office in the firing of the top official for public safety, because he in turn refused to fire her brother-in-law, as he was being pressured to do. Then came word of her flip flopping on her position to the 'Bridge to nowhere.' Now the pregnancy of her teenage daughter. McCain has got to be of the verge on cardiac arrest at this point as he waits with bated breath for what else may come to light.

how can the delegates draft Mitt Romney as the VP?

BAD OMEN

ABC, NBC and AP REPORT MCCAIN IS RE-VETTING SARAH.

The Palin wome are welfare queens, having more children than they can care for, and living off money provided by the State of Alaska.

It's disgraceful and un-American.

It was fun reading through the comments. SOme real pissed off liberals, leftist crowd here.
Dems blew 08 for not having Hillary on the ticket. Now the same Hate machine trying to torpedo another woman. Go get a life and a job. You'll might need it again.

Her teenage daughter makes a mistake Does the right thing by her baby, and now you say her mother is some kind of hypocrite?
Do you really think this comes across as hypocrasy by any real christian?
What an amazing bunch of monsters so many of you are!
All of us make mistakes. It's what we do about them that matters. Could you imagine saying the same things to your own daughters?

Politics in this country is a grand charade, a massive fraud.

The Palin debacle merely underlines this.

Don't we have a Democratic candidate who is the result of a pre-marital pregnancy? Apparently his mother left the responsibility of raising her son with her parents. And how many of his supporters are single unwed mothers? At the same time, one wonders why the Governor did not say "thanks, but no thanks" to this honor.

Wait, I'm confused. I thought the Christian right was against pre-marital sex. But now they're holding Bristol Palin up as the new icon of their values because she had pre-marital sex and decided to keep her baby? Aren't they worried about the kind of message this sends to other teenage girls, whom they are supposedly urging to remain abstinent out of the other side of their mouths? And how is it that a 17-year-old is ready to commit for life to a husband? Aren't they worried about the message this obviously shot-gun wedding sends to teenage girls? I'm really confused. Maybe they're just gloating because it's the first time that one of their scandals didn't involve gay sex in bathrooms, drugs or hookers!

McCain is playing with the hearts andminds of America. Thinking that females will vote for Palin just because she's a women, well women aren't dumb so think again. Everything that they have said was a plus for her is a negative. She wants money for the bridge, there was no shake up in Alaska it is what happens when someone new takes office. She began to ask questions because she was a young politician and mistakenly shook things up. Her daughter shouldn't be up for discussion, but Palin's decision's should. She didn't put her family first in trying to be Gov of Alaska (daughter pregnant) which means she won't put the American people first. McCain is playing America saying that the rumors had surfaced on the internet in the last 72hrs, but they have been on there for months. They put the information out there when the nation was acting like a family and focusing on Gustav. He's deceiving the American people and the conservatives love it. Please don't let him manipulae you like he's try to do.

Help me figure this out. We should not be commenting on this pregnancy because it's a private family matter. OK?

However, a great deal was made in the announcement of Palin's selection about her decision to bring to full term a pregnancy of a child with Down syndrome?

NOT a private family matter??? Help me understand why one is OK and the other is not.

OK - so you think the villain here is Gov Palin for accepting a VP nomination knowing her daughter is pregnant. You can't possibly be serious?

How about you put the true blame where it belongs - on obvious consumer demand for the hate machine tabloid politics that make this an issue? Obviously, you're not going to take that approach - it would force you to acknowledge you excessively petty behavior.

She's still the Governor of Alaska - do you suggest there is no local hoopla that will be generated in AK? Sure, it's unlikely that Kos/Moveon/huff-n-puff wouldn't focus on slandering her family if she was still the unknown Alaskan. But again, how do you not see that the true evil is from those sources, and not from her. Could it be you're part of the sleaze force?

Politics in this country is a grand charade, a massive fraud.

The Palin debacle merely underlines this.

Wait, what were the kids' names again? Track, Trig, and . . . Tramp?

John M - Don't you believe that someone who claims to have high family values, and then leaves their special needs infant to be raised by someone else is a hypocrite? This is someone who has chosen to put her career over her family, and this is self centered, not family centered.

Well that is interesting. I guess race won't be an issue now that Palins new son in law is BLACK. But I read he was in jail and is a rapist. If those are the family values that Palins family accepts.

I WILL VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA

The candidate's family should not be the focus today. Palin lied about the bridge to nowhere in her first words to the country. She misrepresented her opposition. McCain's belief in her was apparently spurred by her staunch opposition to wasteful spending. However, Palin supported the bridge before she opposed it, and the dollars for it merely went to other projects in Alaska. Did McCain know these facts? If he did, he misled the public as much as Palin did. If he did not, he seems not to have vetted her at all.

The candidate's family should not be the focus today. Palin lied about the bridge to nowhere in her first words to the country. She misrepresented her opposition. McCain's belief in her was apparently spurred by her staunch opposition to wasteful spending. However, Palin supported the bridge before she opposed it, and the dollars for it merely went to other projects in Alaska. Did McCain know these facts? If he did, he misled the public as much as Palin did. If he did not, he seems not to have vetted her at all.

The important point is NOT that her daughter got pregnant.
The key question is, Why did Gov. Palin and John McCain KNOWINGLY ignore this poor girl's right to privacy on such a sensitive issue?
Did they not realize that millions of people would now invade this girl's privacy when Gov. Palin agreed to the VP job, especially when they parade her around as the "family values" candidate?
The callousness and judgement says alot of both of them...as parents, as well as leaders.

Obama is right, reporters and rumor mongers should lay off Palin’s daughter.

But what about millions of other women faced with the same difficult situation, whom Palin and McCain vow to deny the right to make the decision they praise Bristol for making (whether to end the pregnancy). Will the Republicans lay off of other women’s right to make their own decisions?

Though her mom extolls abstinence, Bristol apparently was having sex while home from school sick in bed with mononucleosis. Never mind “values” – what kind of family is that?

Elderly McCain’s cynical choice of a VP candidate with zero national or foreign experience and only 20 months running a small state government was dubious. Even more dubious is how Palin and the First Dude have run their family.

America deserves executives with better judgment than McCain and Palin have shown.

Republican---> Moralistic person with good intentions and with human failings. Striving to be a better person.

Democrat----> Amoral person with good intentions and with human failing with no desire to become a better person.

As a conservative and an evangelical,
I'll make a couple of points here:

1) While I don't condone pre-marital sex,
her decision to marry the father is
a good one. Like everyone else, we
evangelicals make mistakes.
2) A hypocrite is better said to be one
who says he/she believes something
thathe/she really does not believe. Not doing what you know/think
is right is really not being a
hypoctrite. It's being an imperfect
human.
3) This issue will do little to know harm
to McCain/Palin suport. In fact, its
backlash might actually cause the
already energized base to be even more
energized. Myself, I will send my first
$50 donation to the McCain/Palin
campaign tonight.

Posted by: John M. | September 1, 2008 8:46 PM

=====================

The scraps from the edges of Karl Rove's playbook are still hanging off of this post.

Some staffer calling the base "energized". No real voter uses this word to describe him or herself.

Even pink bunnies wearing sunglasses and beating drums don't use this word to describe themselves!

So the primary assertions I see here are that:

A - Gov Palin is unqualified because her 17yr old daughter is pregnant.

B - It's appropriate for the "democrat hate machine" to openly attack and vilify the immediate family members of a candidate because they're still sour about the attacks made against Kerry, the actual candidate.

C - Because her daughter is pregnant, she should recuse herself, or the Republicans should rescind her nomination.

Is that really all you've got? Is that really your best demonstration of your faith for your Obamasiah?

A - maybe the pregnancy could be construed as a campaign issue if at the time of conception, she uttered - "finally, for the first time in my life I'm (really) proud of my country"

B - Chelsea Clinton was off limits. Malia and Sasha Obama have been off limits - and will continue to be. The Bush children have constantly been vilified by the left, and now the same holds true for the Palin children.

Democrat party as the party of tolerance - No, no you are not - and you're doing a great job of proving you're not.

C - Sorry, but I can see through your duplicitous transparency. You're salivating at the opportunity to get John McCain to dump Gov Palin so you can begin attacking him for being so ruthless to women for throwing a candidate under the bus for no campaign-relevant reason...

This only emboldens the terrorists: They see that in America even the upper echelon of political elites is not impregnable.

Forget the unimportant pregnancy. The real news, from ABC, is that she is a secessionist.
God help us all.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/members-of-frin.html

Oh you guys! Don’t you get it? This is all a big ploy by the republicans to wait until the last minute, and then have McCain have a stroke or something, and have Palin drop out due to family commitment. See then they can bring in their real candidate.

'Michael Blaine wrote: "The federal government ought to promote an anal sex-only curriculum in our schools so that our daughters arrive at the marriage altar at least technically virgins."

Anal sex is normal in many parts of southern Africa for the unwed for this very reason. It is also the reason for the high AIDS rate among heterosexuals. Not something anyone should be promoting, anywhere.'

But American youth would be told to use a condom.

If Gov. Sarah Palin knew her daughter was pregnant before Sen. McCain offered her the job why in the world would she accept it. She is busy cleaning up Alaskan corruption when she should be parenting her daughter. It amazes me that she can sit back and watch her daughter go through this media circus. How can Gov. Palin push abstinence as sex education in schools when it didn't work in her own home. I think the Gov. has a 4 month old who needs her at home and a teenager who is going to need her more than she thinks. And based on this she better stay home and keep an eye on the other kids.

Numb-WHAT?!? "Oh, NUMNAH!" National Spelling Bee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaQ22DM0mjs

Karl Rove can spell? - National Spelling Bee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65I0HNvTDH4

Palin Scandals inside scoop http://www.theveep.com

As a conservative and an evangelical,
I'll make a couple of points here:

1) While I don't condone pre-marital sex,
her decision to marry the father is
a good one. Like everyone else, we
evangelicals make mistakes.
2) A hypocrite is better said to be one
who says he/she believes something
thathe/she really does not believe. Not doing what you know/think
is right is really not being a
hypoctrite. It's being an imperfect
human.
3) This issue will do little to know harm
to McCain/Palin suport. In fact, its
backlash might actually cause the
already energized base to be even more
energized. Myself, I will send my first
$50 donation to the McCain/Palin
campaign tonight.

Who says she got abstinence only program. Did anyone think that maybe she had sex education in school? Or that maybe she WAS on birth control or condoms and it did not work?

Maybe its the fault of all you hollywood tramps and macho absent dem fathers fault!

This is Classic McCain - Ready, Shoot, AIM!

NBC news just reported the bf of Bristol is 18. Good job to all of you rumor mongers saying the boy was much older. Brilliant... I guess you can take back all the BS you spilled on that topic. Oh!! you can't.. it's already posted.

Bunch of boneheads..

Obviously the Republicans stand on "teaching abstinence" in the classroom isn't so effective! Bristol is a poor and DISGUSTING reflection of her mother's parental values. What sort of message are the Palin's sending to 17 year olds around the country? That it's acceptable for young ladies STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL to get pregnant? Sarah needs NOT to sugar coat the issue.

Yes, I understand Bristol is not the candidate running for Vice President but I expect Sarah Palin's family to be exemplary role models for other families. THIS IS DOWN RIGHT SHAMEFULL!

Michael Blaine wrote: "The federal government ought to promote an anal sex-only curriculum in our schools so that our daughters arrive at the marriage altar at least technically virgins."

Anal sex is normal in many parts of southern Africa for the unwed for this very reason. It is also the reason for the high AIDS rate among heterosexuals. Not something anyone should be promoting, anywhere.

As for Palin, I think its time she stopped lying to the American people. She has failed as a mother, her governorship is under investigation, and has said she believed she could be a governor and properly take care of her family. Anyone with children, especially teenagers, knows what the Palins must be going through, but they also know why it happened, an absentee mother. And now, with more children to raise, she wants to serve as Vice President. This woman is either a bad mother or thinks, like "liberals", that you can have it all.

Do her a favor in November and stay at home and don't vote republican. She should not get the vote of one caring parent. Once she loses the election in November, and is impeached by the Alaskan legislature (another story), she will finally be where she should be, at home taking care of her kids.

Now we know why Track volunteered to go to Iraq: To get away from his dysfunctional family of lunatics!

OK Chris, get to work... Which potential Vice presidential candidate said No to McCain precipitating this debacle ?

I'm not going to do all the work for you.

Gosh ... hope you're all Gretchen Wilson fans, because I'm guessing 'Red Neck Woman' will be Palin's campaign theme song!

Karl Rove's fingerprints are all over this one ... the last untapped demographic to mobilize.

Let me hear a big hell yeah from the redneck girls like me! Hell yeah!!!

The rumor about Trig being Bristol's baby has been circulating in Alaska since his birth 4 months. I keep hearing that this rumor has been around for about 72 hours on the internet and is the product of the Liberal's imagination. Both the birth rumor and its invention by the liberals are pure fabrication.

More from the soap opera that is Sarah Palin's life to follow...

The point is that Palin reportedly wants to criminalize the use of (all) contraceptives even between married couples. You don't have to be pro-choice to find this very extreme, and a violation of privacy. Unfortunately, in this context her family life does become relevant information for voters to weigh.

Moreover, Palin has played the downs baby as a politcal card (to woo evangelicals), maybe even her strongest one. If the story as she tells it is a fabrication, we need to know. At the same time I feel this attention is tragic for the daughter, and that many of the comments on this site (those that joke about the situation) are highly inappropriate.

"Songbird"/"Trailer Trash" In '08! God Bless The USA!!!!

I feel sorry for Bristol, but hope the family values group gives up on abstinence-only education since one of their own has provided proof of what a waste of time and energy it is.

Wrong: Gallup has Obama up 6 and CBS has him up 8, according to Drudge.

So despite the racial drag, flaws in poll methodology, and under-the-radar campaigning against him by the Clintons, he got his bounce.
________

Polls have Obama and McCain dead even or within 1 to 2 points. So much for that boost the Annointed One was suppose to get after the convention.

Posted by: Anonymous | September 1, 2008 8:04 PM

is it too late for mitt or pawlenty?

Wow Jimmy thanks for the link to the http://www.veeppeek.com Those Pictures are hallarious., Ha Ha. I think we should leave the youngster alone.

"I havent heard one lie yet about the girls pregnancy. It was private but it came out and the family said yes she's pregnant. What lie?

Posted by: Anonymous | September 1, 2008 7:13 PM"

Gov. Palin withheld a material piece of information relevant to her pro-life platform. Her supporters had a right to know her family situation, and since Bristol is still a minor in her custody, it's relevant.

Also, Gov. Palin still hasn't shot down the allegations that Trig is Bristol's son and that she (Gov. Palin) faked a pregnancy to cover this up. The statement from her only announced that Bristol is currently pregnant. Nice try to get the blogs off her back, but not going to persuade the increasingly suspicious masses.

Another low move was to leak the first name of the baby's father. Her daughter lost her privacy (not her choice). Did the governor get the baby's father's parents' permission to release his first name, which is a lot less common than "John" or "Mike". Somehow, I think it's doubtful, and through light websearches people have already identified the boy's last name as well. That will send the press hounds on a different track for about 5 minutes. Does a boy who made a mistake also need to get dragged through this so that Sarah Palin can get a shot at being VP? This is disgusting, disgusting.

As a seventeen year old girl raised in Catholic school, the idea of abstinece has been emphisized heavily throughout my life. I agree that the press should leave Bristol out of the picture, and perhaps focus more on the mother. My mother brought me up right, with good values and making good decisions. She has always been there for me, giving good guidence.

I question what guidance Sarah Palin gave to her daughter. Its seems like she didn't spend enough time with her instilling those good Christian morals. Now Mrs. Palin has taken a job that will take her further away from her children...now what will happen to the other ones?

The Right has made fun of Hillary Clinton, but Hillary Clinton has raised an intelligent and thoughtful daughter. Oh irony...

its 2 am sarah, do you know where your daughter is?

http://www.stupidsheeple.com/images/stories/palin/l_26a4878e413d15515859a652d714fa5f.jpg

NEWS FLASH

FATHER OF PALIN'S UNWED DAUGHTER HAS ANOTHER CHILD FROM A PREVIOUS GIRL FRIEND HE DID NOT MARRY.

WILL THIS NEVER END????

SEE HIS WEBSITE

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=7775827

Good idea Michael. We'll let Barney Frank know that you are in favor of anal-sex.

Shoulda killed that downs baby in the womb and paid more attention to her daughter.

Obama/Biden 08

Repubs were all over Chelsea for smoking a cig, seems only fair the dems chastise Bristol for smoking a pole.

This is not about Palin's parenting. It's about the fact that conservatives like Palin have been making personal issues into political issues for years to get votes. They never seem to learn that messing with other people's personal lives can come back to bite them in the behind, as it has with David Vitter, Larry Craig, and now Palin.

If Governor Palin wants Americans to leave her personal life alone, she should set the example by keeping her mouth shut about the personal lives of others. No more speeches about abstinence education and same-sex marriage, Sarah! People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

I like Palin, Her kid gettin pregnant just shows that she has to deal with the same stuff as the rest of us. There are other scandals with her that hold more wieght you can see them at http://www.veeppeek.com

This is the same cr^p Obama and his gang pulled on Hillary.

Spreading lies and then saying Obama didn't do it. This cr^p is getting old.

Horrible. If Palin's cannot keep control of her underage daughter, then how will she be able to keep control of our country. I think this is a perfect example of people who want power but clearly cant keep control of the power they have. I am Republican and this just disgusts me. If McCain doesn't do the right move and drop her from the camp then i will be forced to not vote for him, period.

The federal government ought to promote an anal sex-only curriculum in our schools so that our daughters arrive at the marriage altar unpregnant and at least technically virgins.

Are my fellow Democrats insane? This family drama has nothing to do with the race, isn't a "tragedy" and says almost nothing about Sarah Palin. Commentary on Palin in general and on this in particular has ranged from disgusting to inexpressively repulsive. Hillary and Bill got a lot of this too. In the last week I've move from holding my nose and going with Obama, to not voting to seriously looking at McCain.

Who is taking care of the children now, especially the youngest? That child needs all the attention possible. Who will take care of the children should they win? My observation is as follows: 1)If John McCain was thinking beyond himself he would have never in a million years asked this family to be part of his run for President. I can't even guess how this woman can try to raise a family and run a state while the husband works. Now wanting to be 2nd in command of the entire country!! 2)If this woman was not so into herself, she could have just said no. Now the most holiest of us now are defending the both of them! So much for worrying about the family. Judgement by the both of these individuals are poor at best. I guess "Do as I say not as I do" should be their new talking points.

Bob North Smithfield, thanks for the knowledge (below).

Note to Obama: it is arrogant of you to tell the press, including the blogs (who have doggedly tracked this story when mainstream media wouldn't) to "stand down." This is bigger than you.

The press has a higher responsibility to report on matters affecting the presidential campaigns.

Misrepresentations by a vp candidate about biographical matters central to their message, as we have here, is news.

Because of the blogs/Enquirer's reporting, it seems likely now that Palin will soon step down under the pretense of needing to devote more time to family. If that happens, then Senator McCain might pick a qualified veep like Colin Powell or Michael Steele that might well make me vote for McCain. So you, sir, stand down and chill...look, bro' it ain't always about you.
_______________

NEWS FLASH

NBC and ABC REPORT MCCAIN CAMP IS RE-VETTING SARAH.

A TEAM OF 10-LEFT FOR ALASKA THIS AFTERNOON.

McCain looks like a fool!!!

Posted by: Bob North Smithfield | September 1, 2008 7:58 PM

just suppose Obama had chosen Hillary to be his running mate, and just suppose it was learned that Chelsea was 5 months pregnant and planned to have the baby and marry the father at some point.

Can you imagine the firestorm the GOP's thugs would ignite over that, not to mention the snide asides McCain and his top spokespeople would engage in in that circumstance?

What hypocracy!

What vetting was actually done? I bet McCain really didn't know this imortant fact when he chose Sarah Palin. But if he did what does that say about his judgment in making crucial decisions?

These Palin Women seem to be quite fertile and clearly not big on birth control! How demanding is the role of VP and can it be fulfilled whilst pregnant?

"Abstenance"?????????????
How about "abstinence"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where did some of you bozos get your education? Dumb s**t school????

The spelling and grammar on this site is atrocious!!!!! If you can't spell, how can you form an intelligent political position?

It is 3am. As predicted by Hillary, the phone always rings in the white house at this time.

Cindy McCain is fast asleep after a late night beer bask party at the local brewery.

Ring Ring. McCain answers the phone thinking it is Merckel calling him saying
Putin has invaded France.

McCain: hell ohh!!

On the other end: John this is Sarah Palin. I ran out of diapers and both my kid and my grand kid are pooping on my bed. What should I do?

McCain: Sarah, just leave those kids alone, let them clean their own poop. I want you to come over here right now and run this damn country. I am tired of sitting by the phone every night at 3am. I have to take care of Cindy now who is barfing all over the bed in the Lincoln bedroom.

This is insane. The media has gone nuts about a teen pregnancy. This is a personal matter and who really cares.

On the other hand, here is Obama committing crimes - election fraud and violating voter's rights by sending his thugs into caucuses to steal delegates using theft, threats, force, and every kind of fraud imaginable.

He ended up stealing the nomination! And, does anybody care? We care when this happens in other countries, but not here in America?

This is shameful, undemocratic, and un-American.

http://wewillnotbesilenced2008.com/video/index.htm

...

NEWS FLASH

FATHER OF PALIN'S UNWED DAUGHTER HAS ANOTHER CHILD FROM A PREVIOUS GIRL FRIEND HE DID NOT MARRY.

WILL THIS NEER END????

SEE HIS WEBSITE

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=7775827

Since when does failed parentship give one any credentials? Palin's daughter, if she were a daughter of a democrat, would be leveled by religious charges by the crazy right wing of the evangelical republican party. But since she is "one of them", its all ok, and its ok for her to marry a guy who got her in this condition. And the Palin's are happy!

I'm sorry, these republican religious fascists really live in another world. A world of relativism.

Typical evangelical republican meeting a 17 year old girl who is pregnant out of wedlock: 'Oh, you're 17 and you're pregnant? Before I judge you I have just one question: Are you a republican or a democrat?

FamilyFirst? has it down to the brass tacks...

"Where is the thought that a "pro-family" candidate is throwing her own family under a bus? She has a newborn that needs SO much love, help, and attention; yet she runs. She has a 17 year old who is pregnant, knows the entire country will now be judging her daughter, and still runs.

Where I come from, this isn't pro-family. It's selfish."

And yes, it DOES matter that her daughter is pregnant--and I am not condemning the daughter here. I think it is highly irresponsible of Palin and McCain--to the country and to her family. The Palin's do have a right to their privacy and I truly wish them the very best. With a lot of love and family support, they will make it through this. But it is not wise to lay out this example as an entree to national leadership.

Walking the walk has as much to do with being there for your family, guiding their steps, knowing what is going on under your own roof--as it does with standing by right-to-life convictions. We bear at least as much responsibility to those children we bring into the world after they are here as we do before they arrive.

The federal government ought to promote an anal sex-only curriculum in our schools so that our daughters arrive at the marriage altar at least technically virgins.

"Have all of you forgotten about John Edwards love child which was covered up for 2 and 1/2 years? Edwards wife is dying of cancer. The left, who has NO morals of any kind is so quick to condemn those who do. Obama believes that a baby is 'punishment' to a girl and should be murdered.

What hypocrisy,"

if this is the best you can do then you should just forfeit now. There is no comparison..none..you can keep trying but your efforts will be fruitless. Just realize your candidate is an idiot and your party is going down the tubes. Even rats abandon a sinking ship. good luck

In her statement, Palin writes, "We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents." But Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol never had a "decision" to make, since she and her mother believe there is no alternative to an unplanned pregnancy than to carry the baby to term. And, if it were up to Palin and McCain, no woman in the country who faces an unwanted pregnancy (or the birth of a child with Down syndrome) would be left to decide for herself either.

I thought that was soooo funny, too, when Obama asked about Alaska's entrance ranking in the US. 56th? 57th? 58th? Which states are the 51st through 55th?

As long as John McCain is not the father, I will still vote for him. Or will I?

Oh... premarital sex among minors is OK! And of course, they should be making babies as long as they get married! Palin's PTA membership is a sorry excuse for horrible parenting.

And the Christian right celebrates this and covers it with requests for privacy? Bristol is now in league with Britany Spears sister! Lousy example and lousy parenting.

While candidate's children are not fair game, if little Trig is actually Bristol's daughter (Bristol! Why didn't they name her Philadelphia? But I digress...)

If Trig is Bristol's daughter then Ms. Moroni, I mean Ms. Palin has been lying to everyone.

Have all of you forgotten about John Edwards love child which was covered up for 2 and 1/2 years? Edwards wife is dying of cancer. The left, who has NO morals of any kind is so quick to condemn those who do. Obama believes that a baby is 'punishment' to a girl and should be murdered.

What hypocrisy,

Maybe Sarah Palin should have concluded the abstenance lecture with a few warning shots over the head.

The baby daddy is Levi Johnston of Wasila, Alaska. He's a senior in high school and a hockey player. I guess There will be two "hockey moms" in the family now.
Justin, you rock! I almost fell out of my chair!!
Republican D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R!!

Ok, time for round two!

Hey, it is so EXCITING to be in the company of SO MANY pure, moral male and female virgins! I musta died and gone to heaven with all of the precious "saints" who have commented on here!

Obama to an advisor, "Was Alaska the 56th or 57th state admitted to the union?"

My biggest problem with the Bristol pregnancy is it is fair game for the MSM. Because of Sarah Palin's political views it should be fair game.

Sarah Palin is a supporter of abstinence-only education, yet she cannot teach that lesson in her own household. Obviously, this approach is flawed, and for many others less fortunate than Bristol the right to choose is fundamental.

Sarah Palin would take away education that helps others less fortunate than Bristol because of her religious beliefs. It's also possible that she is forcing her daughter into this decions to protect her political career. If she doesn't support the right to choose these assumptions can and should be made.

I hope the so-called liberal media doesn't drop the ball on this. It is relevant and deserves discussion because it's hypocrisy at its highest.

In this case this is not about Bristol herself, but it is a referendum on the failure of abstinence only programmes. They simply do not work.

Furthermore candidates' children are not fair game. They have nothing to do with how the candidate will govern.

Teen-pregnancies happen because a large number of teenagers do not have the appropriate information about reproduction and how to prevent getting pregnant. I do not recall the statistics, but since Bush has made abstinence-only a cornerstone of his presidency, teenage pregnancies increased.

It is not fair to promote abstinence only. Let's face it some teenagers have sex. To reduce the number of pregnancies give them the education they need to prevent them from ruining their futures.

If Bristol had, had sex ed we probably would not be having this conversation. She is fortunate to have loving parents.

Lastly on the other hand, if Bristol all of a sudden miscarries it will raise doubts about who really gave birth to Trig. Into her 6th or 7th month of "pregnancy" Sarah Palin was walking around in 3" heels. That is unheard of.

See here (fast forward to 5:30 minutes):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C21HdCJKM60&feature=related

See here also:

http://www.politicalbase.com/profile/jnail/blog/&blogId=3422

To clear up any doubts Palin needs to provide her medical records.

So let's leave Bristol out of it. Children are off-limits. This is a referendum on abstinence only and whether Sarah Palin has used good judgment and if she has been forthcoming.

I predict IF Obama is elected President he will be a one term president and will go down as one of the worst presidents in US history. He'll make Jimmy Carter look freakin' brilliant!

Palin is a disaster!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCpCAcyJGDI

Polls have Obama and McCain dead even or within 1 to 2 points. So much for that boost the Annointed One was suppose to get after the convention.

The baby daddy is Levi Johnston of Wasila, Alaska. He's a senior in high school and a hockey player. I guess There will be two "hockey moms" in the family now.

http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2008/01/15/sports/doc478c411e72a8d457315639.txt

Sorry, but I see most teenage pregnancies as a lame excuse for poor parenting and neglect. As a PTA-soccer mother of a 15 year old daughter (a total of three girls), a key parenting responsibility is to know that my daughter is safe and limit her exposure to risk if I believe her maturity doesn’t reflect sound judgment, nor the life skills to protect herself.Undoubtedly, having the child is the right thing, but who was coaching the daughter before she started dating on the responsibility of respecting herself, and family, by behaving accordingly. What mother would take an eight hour flight (as Sarah did),with a high risk pregnancy, in labor to give birth in AK? What mother of 5 would take on a position she's not even sure what the job description requires of herself, at the cost of her family? What mother of a special needs infant (which the daughter is always holding) would take on such demanding positions? This is very contradictory...

This evangelical “she’s living the pro-life” choice is hogwash. It’s just another “Oops, I did it again, luckily I am forgiven,” irresponsible, hypocritical behavior from a reckless politician that is selling herself on a false premise..…Let's just say, she stays out of my personal business-I will stay out of hers...

The Palin statement that she was disclosing her child's pregnancy to quell rumors about the child's [alleged] earlier pregnancy does not make any sense. It is game of distraction.

Palin's statement implies that if her child is five-months pregnant now (if that is even true), she could not have given birth in April 2008. But of course that doesn't follow at all. It just means we are dealing with back to back pregnancies of the child [allegedly].

This is an attempt at distraction from Palin's hoax regarding the first pregnancy of the child, which Palin falsely claimed as her own pregnancy [allegedly].

The press is focusing on the second pregnancy (which isn't much of an issue beyond that fact Palin concealed it from the campaign until now) to avoid reporting on the real story: the elaborate [alleged] hoax surrounding the first pregnancy of the child.

This is an important story, as newsworthy as Palin's abuse of power in trying to get her brother in law fired and then firing his boss when he wouldn't follow her illegal orders.

The Obama campaign has asked the press to stand down on this story. The American people, however, want the press to stand up. The so-called mainstream press has no excuse not to cover it. It's no wonder they are losing circulation and ratings.

If Palin's family has so much christian values as she claims, why didn't her church instill the right values in her teenage daughter? If Palin couldn't teach her daughter to keep her legs together, and she couldn't find any other intelligent human beings to teach Bristol the right christian values how do you expect Palin to make any decisions for this country? If Palin was running on a liberal ticket as a democrat, this may all sound fine. But she is running on a conservative platform with so much emphasis put on family values. This is the party of veep Dan Quayle who critized a TV show called Murphy Brown for having a kid out of wedlock. Now we have a veep candidate who has taught her teenage daughter it is okay not only to have a baby out of wedlock but also when you are a teenager. Talk about double standards here.

The question is it responsible for America to ask Palin to take care the business of this country or let her take care of her own two children with special needs, her 4 month old with down syndrome and 17 year old who could really use some help from her mom during the early years of rearing a baby. McCain still has time to make the right decision by letting Palin go and take of her family instead of dragging her around the country. He still has the other candidates from his short list that he can enlist. The republican party elders should really ask McCain to reconsider another person for the job. It is never too late.

"the pregnancy is of no consequence and nobody's business. This includes you. "

Oh I beg to differ Bill, this is my business! Palin says one thing and then does another. Humm I wonder where she learned that from?? The way she runs her family is a direct correlation to the way she would run the country. Her "family values" are in question concerning this unwed, underage, irresponsible pregnancy. Now because of her ignorant belief system her child is going to become a statistic.. She will most likely divorce due to marring to young. Not to mention attending college with a child and having to hold down a job and a home etc.etc.
Palin's irresponsibility and lack of judgment concerning this issue is frightening!

Wow, these comments are horrendous. You know, it's easier to take jabs at other people's personal lives when you are not under the public microscope yourself.

Pathetic.

So McCain knew Bristol was pregnant. And yet he still went forward with Sarah Palin's nomination?

Regardless of how you feel about the pregnancy itself, it says a lot about McCain that he would do this. Surely he must have known that by putting Gov. Palin's name into the national spotlight, he would be exposing an innocent minor to intense national scrutiny and judgment. He would be telling the world, not just the relatively small enclave of Alaska, that this girl obviously had premarital sex. He would be opening up a whole Pandora's box of whether a conservative upbringing really does make one either unable or unwilling to use birth control effectively. (Never mind abortion: What, exactly, ARE Gov. Palin's views on the use of contraceptives by minors? That will be a HUGE issue in the aftermath of this.) He would be putting additional physical and emotional stress on a young girl during her first pregnancy. And of course, he would be exposing Bristol to, in some Christianist corners at least, public condemnation for her "sinful" ways.

From another angle: What kind of message does the whole Bristol situation send to America's youth? That premarital sex between minors really is okay? That if you do pregnant, you don't need to worry--the guy is going to marry you and everything will work out fine? (Side question: Is it technically a shotgun marriage if the groom is being forced at gunpoint by Secret Service guys with Glocks rather than a daddy with a 12-gauge?) Not only that, but you get to live a fairy-tale existence with your parents in a huge pretty mansion. (Nevermind that the VP lives at the National Observatory grounds rather than the White House; such a distinction will be lost on the average 15-year-old.) The underlying impression will ultimately be that for a young girl, pregnancy (via premarital sex) is the road to wedded happiness.

And, on a more personal note, how long can Bristol's marriage last when its every detail will be on display ad nauseam, thanks to our media-obsessed nation? Is this in any way fair to Bristol and her future husband, not to mention the baby?

As I've said from the start, it all goes back to the question of McCain's character. (Although, to be fair, Gov. Palin now seems to be totally lacking in character as well, putting her ambitions ahead of her daughter's need for a "normal" life at this critical time.) Since McCain knew in advance about Bristol's pregnancy and couldn't see what a firestorm it was bound to cause, it just points once again to his total lack of sound judgment. Or, far more damning, he DID realize that Bristol's life would be made fodder for the grist mill and thought the sacrifice was justified.

McCain is either fatally inept or cynically ruthless. Either way, he's not fit for this country's highest office.

McCain just crapped all over your values platform.

When people on this site throw around the word "retard" like they do it just shows me how small minded they are. Calling someone a "retard" is the equivalent of calling someone the N-word.

The Palin baby daddy already has one son named Cooper. Now, he'll have two children. He's 25! I love the Republicans. Jesus would be so proud!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=7775827

NEWS FLASH

NBC and ABC REPORT MCCAIN CAMP IS RE-VETTING SARAH.

A TEAM OF 10-LEFT FOR ALASKA THIS AFTERNOON.

McCain looks like a fool!!!

We can all agree that the press SHOULD leave stories like this alone. We also can agree that it is beyond foolish to think they will. Sort of like hoping Democrats and Republicans could come together to balance the budget. Nice sentiment. Ain't going to happen.

This is a disaster for the McCain campaign. It looks like they didn't vet the choice. It looks like his biggest decision in this race just backfired. And in politics, perception is everything.

Not to mention the timing overshadows what is already an overshadowed convention.

Better question -- if the McCain camp KNEW about this, why did they announce today? Was this their original plan, or did something cause them to push the announcement up to today?

I vote to spray and fumigate this site because it has really become so infested with vermin.

Wow. Just when you thought the Obama people couldn't possible get any trashier, they decide to out the opposition's teenage daughter.

Even Richard Nixon would blush.

If Sarah Palin has done such a poor job of rearing her daughter, and based on the religious rights approach to religion, I would have to conclude that being unmarried, 17, and having a child would qualify as "having done a poor job" of rearing her daughter, what can we expect as vp, more os the same? McSame/Palin

I believe women can be good leaders. I believe women can work a full time job and still be a good mother. I also think it's possible that Sarah Palin can be a good mayor of a small town and be a good mother of four. It is also very likely that she is a good governor of a sparsely populated state and be a good mother of four with a fifth on the way and a pregnant teenage daughter. But I think the Vice President of the United States (and someone next in line for the Presidency) takes a lot more time and commitment than a mother of five and soon-to-be grandmother can afford to withhold from her family. In four or eight years she could be a forceful candidate for VP, but now is not the time for Sarah Palin. Good for her for showing that women can be mothers and politicians, good for her for standing by her daughter and supporting her decision to keep the baby, but shame on her for thinking she can put her family's life on the back burner while she pursues her own aspirations. Her family needs her more than ever right now and the best decision for her to make is to step aside and ask McCain to pick someone else.

OK; I've posted some outrageous things here, but the Republicans are THE party of outrage.

They've trashed our country, made it look ludicrous and worse in the eyes of the world.

Enough. No more Republican-initiated destruction of America.

Who's the baby-daddy?

The spelling on here stinks!!!!!

Instead of going through the glass ceiling, Palin crashed through the glass floor and landed in the glass toilet.

I vote to spay and neuter.

Children not only learn what they live, they live what they learn. This child apparently has been given the responsibility of parenting her sibling as her mother's responsibility of politics overshadows her own parenting responsibility. Bristol Palin should have no qualms about becoming a parent to her own biological child as her responsibilities for her brother(?) Trig, which should have been her mother's responsibility, makes it alright for her to be a parent instead of being a teen.

A mother who states that she is proud to be a grandparent when her teen daughter is pregnant, is in denial that something went wrong. It appears that she endorses the premature marriage of this young couple. Statistics show that young marriages tend to end up in divorce. Really, the values of family are muddled in politics.

Sure her mother is anti-abortion, but being pro-responsibility is a stronger value, as that includes prevention (including abstinence as an option) and responsible decision making. When this value is upheld, the issue of abortion is moot. What do pro-life groups do beyond protesting abortion and encouraging the destruction of family planning clinics and physicians. Regarding the parents who are not ready, willing or able to support and parent their children and end up abusing or neglecting their children, how much energy is placed by pro life people on the care of these existing lives. Leave it to the government? I suppose if that is the case, then the government should control the morals and individual rights of citizens.

Why Sarah Palin want the VP job: She needs the benfit of free daycare provided by the Secret Service!

For a different Party, or under other circumstances, this might be much less of a problem than it is. But John McCain is following an administration whose first impulse was to lie to the American People, or stonewall them, or try to keep secret things that they might find embarrassing. John has had his VP nominee for just 96 hours and the stories, counterstories, calls of "Trust Us." and "It isn't any of the public's business." and in general a willingness to hide facts that cannot be hidden, and hope nobody finds out.

More of the Bush Cheney attitude from a Party that has already forfeited the public's trust.

John MIGHT get back on the right foot IF Sarah Palin immediately resigns, citing bad judgment in accepting the nomination in the first place, given her circumastances, which she feels should be left private by the press. Since she is asking us to let her replace the darkl Lord himself, it is NOT a fair request.

ONLY a completely honest, open, and forthright McCain campaign deserves any trust at all. An administration that starts out without the trust of the people is just four more years of George, which we can't abide.

Palin should resign, and John should apologize. Otherwise John should be deemed untrustworthy for his demonstrated bad judgment.

No trust, no chance.

Actually, some cretins may like nasal sex better, like, say, Michael?????

Quote: "There are two legitimate issues here: (1) Did the McCain Campaign know about this before hand? If they didn't then it'sd another sign that they didn't vet ther or she kept the information to herself (or most probably, Bristol kept it to herself) If they did, why didn't they release the information when they picked her? (2) Why did she accept if she knew it would bring this firestorm of publicity on her family (and particularly her daughter)?"

Yes, according to the news reports, Palin told McCain about the pregnance of her daughter when he was interviewing her. He and she accepted it, because she is much more accomplished than Obama or Hillary and the pregnancy is of no consequence and nobody's business. This includes you.

Sarah Palin is a liar. She claims to have reformed Alaska pork barrel politics by stopping the Bridge to Nowhere. But she never tells you that Alaska kept the money anyway.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3125537020080901

Why didn't Sarah teach Bristol that if you only have anal sex, not only can you not get pregnant, but you're also still a virgin!

Michael Blaine
Good GOP tactics of attacking, then can we all can claim to be victims!!

No Liar, there will be NO moratorium. This goes to the heart of the republican party and their so called "values". When you through rocks through a "glass ceiling" you can expect that something is going to break!! We will take this country back come hell or high water from the right-wing so-called "moral conservative" neocons. Republicans, you are to blame for your own fate! Americans believe in justice and a government who does as they wish. Don't worry we'll play Tapps on your way OUT!

No Liar, there will be NO moratorium. This goes to the heart of the republican party and their so called "values". When you through rocks through a "glass ceiling" you can expect that something is going to break!! We will take this country back come hell or high water from the right-wing so-called "moral conservative" neocons. Republicans, you are to blame for your own fate! Americans believe in justice and a government who does as they wish. Don't worry we'll play Tapps on your way OUT!

KathyLibbey:

What is rude is these Republicans making a mockery of our government.

With "leaders" like these, I figure it's open season on the comment boards, no?

==============
Bristol Palin is NOT the candidate.
The press has gone all National Enquirer on his running mate’s pregnant teenage daughter, Bristol. Is there no shame? This is not even an 18 year old we are talking either, here. A little common decency, people? Can someone call a moratorium?

http://thetownliar.blogspot.com/2008/09/bristol-palin-is-not-candidate.html

Posted by: thetownliar | September 1, 2008 7:22 PM
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Thanks for the thoughtful post. None of these are candidates either and have much more remote relationship:
Wright
Ayers
Rezko
Britney Spears
Female white models/prostitutes

It is unconscionable that people make such FILTHY and flimsy associations.