Palin daughter pregnant - McCain/Palin admit

[creeksneakers2]

Source: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/

Bristol Palin pregnant -- right nowPosted: Monday, September 01, 2008 11:58 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: 2008, Palin
From NBC's Mark Murray
Reuters: "The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said. 'We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us,' the Palins' statement said. 'Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support,' the Palins said."



Read more: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/

[stray cat]

1. Another failure in abstinance only education

[SpiralHawk]

18. Typical republicon hypocrisy

The 'family values' republicons are shameless hypocrites, as they prove once again.

[bulloney]

148. Things like this happen to any family.

My only knock is that if this would have happened to Chelsea Clinton or Amy Carter, can you imagine the phony outrage that Limpballs, Insanity and those other RW hypocrites on the radio would have expressed?

And the so-called MSM would have had stories on this 24/7 for weeks if it happened in the Carter or Clinton families.

Mark it down as another 'oops' moment in the McCain campaign vetting process. But they'll turn it around to appease the right-to-life crowd and convince them that a liberal family like the Obamas would have aborted the baby had this happened to them.

[polmaven]

187. "Hillary Clinton is NOT qualified

to be a United States Senator/President of these United States of America if she can't even 'control' her own daughter!!!!".....THAT kind of phony outrage!

OMG! it would be 24/7 saturation coverage about what horrid people the Clinton family...all of it...are!

[George II]

214. Two points..

1. It does happen to "any family", but that it happened to a rightwing fundamentalist family with a VP candidate running on that ethic is reprehensible.

2. It did NOT happen to Chelsea Clinton or Amy Carter. So much for "them" being morally and ethically superior and "us" being immoral and unethical!

[Blaq Dem]

241. I find it ironic how they announced this during the middle of a hurricane.

Everyone is paying more attention to the hurricane. Nothing else. The Palin's assume this story will be forgotten soon.

[George II]

254. Which hurricane?

Gustav or the birth of her "fifth" child?

I guess the second isn't a hurricane, just a firestorm!

[Thor_MN]

311. The spinning around this will make Gustav look like toy top

Watch how quickly it gets morphed into some kind of heroic challenge, plus Sarah now has more experience, she's a preemptive Grandmother.

[jasmeel]

258. Amen-the dems seem to have their shit together as parents-

even though they are satan's spawn :sarcasm:

[regnaD kciN]

288. Plus (and this is what makes the story important)...

...the first thing the Palins apparently tried to do was make up a case of mononucleosis as the excuse to keep her out of school (and out of sight) until she was no longer visibly "in trouble."

Some say this refutes the "Grandma-Gate" rumors. But, to my mind, it only affirms the essence of them -- that Sarah Palin & family were so concerned with her own self-righteous image and political career that they would make up a lie (the case of mono) to cover up the facts. Whether they say "oh, no, this baby is her mom's" or "she's got mono, that's why she has to remain out of the public's sight," it's still a lie -- one designed to cover up the "inconvenient truth" that the daughter of a strict fundie family had sex before marriage. And can there be any doubt that the only reason this is being revealed now is because the "Grandma-Gate" rumors made the cover-up impossible to continue? A lie is a lie is a lie...

[BearSquirrel2]

347. I proves nothing ...

Obviously, they are trying to knock out the fake pregnancy rumors before they hit MSM sources. Because, there is no feasible reason why a sane women would get on an 8 hour flight when labor was imminent.

a) Bristol got knocked up again right after she gave birth. That's 1 or two months off what they're claiming so this is a suitable cover.
b) This is a fake announcement and the second Bristol child will "miscarry".

This was released to throw everybody of the scent of the other case. The thing is, no one is getting into Bristol's business. She's a minor and by definition, off limits. It is Sarah's behavior that we are looking into.

By releasing news that Bristol is pregnant, they are trying to make any story about Sarah look like a story about Bristol. If it was a non-story, they wouldn't even release it.

[Ghost Dog]

399. Looks like a carefully-documented timeline is required,

pinpointing what happened when, who said what when, with timestamped photos attached.

For example, I believe I read that Ms. Bristol had been out of school on the mono excuse during 8 (eight) months. But 8 months up to what date, I don't now know.

I also read that one month (again, we need exact dates) before the Trig delivery, Ms. Sarah announced she was pregnant (is this announcement photographically documented?). Her staff and colleagues commented that they all had no clue. "She just didn't look pregnant". Airline employees just hours before the birth also said she didn't look pregnant. When exactly did she look pregnant?

... Lots of questions still. Give her enough rope and she'll predictably hang herself in a tangle of lies, in front of the Corporate Media, now.

One does of course wish the kids could be left out of this, and it could just be about Ms. Sarah's 'family values', fundamentalist dominionism (why is dominionism not illegal in the States?), and hypocritical and probably incompetent dishonest corruption, and what that would mean for society were she ever to approach or obtain real power in the field of far-right politics she herself has chosen.

[CoffeeCat]

444. Bristols pregnancy answers NONE of the....

...questions that caused me to doubt that Trig was Sarah Palin's baby.

First off--I still don't understand why she leaked amniotic fluid and then got on an 8-hour
flight home from Texas to Alaska--all supposedly under the advice of her family physician.
A 44-year old, high-risk, Downs Syndrome pregnancy, and we're supposed to believe that her
physician advised Sarah Palin to avoid going to the doctor, and instead hope on plane and
travel half the day?

What about Sarah Palin's staff never suspecting that she was pregnant, even when she was
supposedly 7 months along? What about the flight crew who said she showed no signs of pregnancy
or never mentioned being pregnant, or leading amniotic fluid or being uncomfortable or concerned?

What about Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol disappearing from school for 5-8 months prior to
Trig's birth. This would have been last fall 07 - spring 08. No one is out from mono
for 5-8 months. This has not been explained.

What about all of the pictures that were online, in which Bristol looked pregnant and her mother
didn't? These photos were dated BEFORE Bristol would have been pregnant the second time.

I'm sorry if people think I'm petty or reckless. This is not about Bristol. This isn't about
teenage pregnancy, and it's not about "family business." This is about the possibility that
Sarah Palin has been lying to the people of Alaska and the people of the United States, and committing
major fraud on this nation.

I still see many unanswered questions. Possibly, there is an explanation for all of this, but all
I've heard in response is that Bristol is pregnant. Many women get pregnant very soon after giving
birth. After my first, my doctor warned me about this and said it's possible to get pregnant right away,
after giving birth.

I am not a gossip and I do not think that personal attacks are fair. This is not a personal
attack. I respect what Senator Obama said about this issue. However, this is about Sarah Palin's
honesty, integrity and if she is in fact, a serial liar.

I think there are still many unanswered questions.

When this new "Bristol is pregnant" story emerged today, at first the line was that Bristol was "five
months pregnant." The story changed throughout the day, and then the line was she's "about five months"
and now the McCain camp is saying that she is "in her second trimester." They're parsing. They're changing
things. Furthermore, Trig has always been five months old. Today, Trig was said to be "four months old" in
a CNN story. Maybe this was reporter error. However, these curiosities are the latest batch in a very
convoluted, bizarre, contradictory story--that really does not add up.

Maybe this story isn't for the Democrats to figure out. Maybe it will die, and everyone will move on--with several
questions unresolved. However, I really do hope that someone does some real investigative journalism on this, and
fleshes out all of these answers. The possibility exists that Sarah Palin has lied repeatedly and has concocted
lie after lie with a straight face--all for political gain, and at the expense of her daughter.

America needs to know if that is true or not.

[Ghost Dog]

458. More than a possibility, a high probability. Agree.

Serious investigation should continue.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

459. Re: "Palin's staff never suspecting that she was pregnant,

...even when she was supposedly 7 months along". Palin's a slender woman, how could there be no baby bump?

[Just-plain-Kathy]

460. ...another thing, what kind of name is Trig? Is it short for Trigger?

:shrug:

[JeanGrey]

419. Stop. Just stop.

[BearSquirrel2]

429. It's worn out ..

It's worn out here. But I'm sure some enterprising reporter will snoop around and piece things together.

I'm really not sure if it's true or not. But a lot of things seem to point to the possibility. Because if she DID, it's fraud and that would end the Palin campaign.

[JeanGrey]

448. What is Fraud? Are you for real?

You're helping her with this stuff.

[Nine]

437. I completely agree. (nt)

[MindMatter]

338. I don't understand how she could be showing her pregnancy in the January pictures

And not yet have given birth.

Perhaps we still don't know the truth.

[skooooo]

465. hypocracy?

Embracing and supporting a family member's decision to keep this child is in line with "family values".

[skooooo]

468. The above post was not made by me..

...someone's hacked my account.

[kestrel91316]

47. Another failure in parenting, I'd say. As Palin and friends will tell you,

it's not the school's responsibility to teach sex education, it is 100% the parents' responsibility.

If Palin can't handle teaching her kid about sex, how can she handle running the country?

[1Hippiechick]

104. LOL. I like your premise and conclusion.

[JeanGrey]

420. I'd say we need to be very careful about saying a pregnant

daughter is a "failure of parenting". Wouldn't you? Or do you want to really piss off the mothers and fathers of pregnant teens who are dems?

[adamuu]

86. Family opposes contraception, pregnant kid results n/t

[Festivito]

127. NOT a failure. More ignorant Republicans, faster and faster.

Dems go through the motions, yet have fewer offspring.

These guys will go through six generations of many more each, while we go through two and fewer in each.

They make voters faster than we can educate them.

[BrklynLiberal]

150. That is actually a very scary, and very valid point.

The fundies of EVERY stripe have huge families. I do believe they are just intent on winning by outnumbering their opponents.

[Mist]

160. "Idiocracy" in action! nt

[JackInGreen]

195. frighteningly true

the ignorant and the foolish will one day rule the world by simple population.

[adamuu]

334. yes they are trying to out-number us

Remember what Rush said about minority birth rates?

[connecticut yankee]

213. Am I being cynical

if I predict that in to weeks Bristol will have a "miscarriage?"

[willing dwarf]

253. My thought too

The whole thing just smells strange. This is weird!

[SoCalDem]

286. Would they really fake a baby-funeral too?

rhetorical question.. yes she would

[nosenor]

337. Crystol's NYT Palin column today "A Star is born" JAJAJAJA

He should have called it "a star is going to be born."
He writes:

If Palin turns out not be up to the challenge for which McCain has selected her, McCain will pay a heavy price. His judgment about the most important choice he’s had to make this year will have been proved wanting. He won’t be able to plead that being right about the surge in Iraq should be judged as more important than being right about his vice-presidential pick.

Looks like McCain's judgment has been proved "wanting." That was fast!
TOO BAD Crystol doesn't read "liberal blogs," he could have saved himself a complete embarrassment. today. JAJAJAJA

[sharesunited]

2. Pro-life family values means NO CONTRACEPTIVES. Say goodbye to Roe AND Griswold!

[Joe Bacon]

182. Yeah, and say "HELLO' to Britney values

Yep, looks like that abstinence stuff works real good :evilgrin:

[George II]

218. Sure hope the Obama campaign runs a "Britney/Paris/Sarah" ad!!!!

[krkaufman]

297. Because you want Obama to lose the election? nt

[George II]

302. Doesn't ANYONE around here have a sense of humor?

[Demeter]

395. Depends on the Topic

but not that I've been able to detect.

[krkaufman]

434. Sure... but there are plenty of crazies, as well, who would think such an ad a good thing.

For future reference, absent the ability to communicate through body language, emoticons and other mechanisms (e.g. "</sarcasm>") provide good substitutes.

[George II]

435. Well, part of the point of the suggestion for the ad was...

...McCain criticized Obama for speaking about serious issues in front of 200,000 Germans, whose lives pivot around American foreign policy. McCain ridicules him and calls him a "celebrity" and compares him to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Then he turns around and gets his ticket's families to pose (with the single underage pregnant daughter included) for the cover of PEOPLE Magazine. Not Time, not Newsweek, not National Review, but freaking PEOPLE!!!

More McCain hypocracy!

[depakid]

377. That's the real story here- and has been all along

Not sure what it's going to take to get the timid Dems o run with it.

[Mike Nelson]

3. I don't believe the daughter had a choice

considering her mother's the Governor

[lapfog_1]

10. She could have waited to have sex until marriage.

That's what the fundies all say that they want for every child in America.

What a horrible failure of Sarah Palin's parental skills.

[MindMatter]

342. It is a failure of her PHILOSOPHY, not her skills

And this is why no fundie should ever be allowed to be in charge of anything.

They have heads crammed heaping full of shit.

I wish I could adopt Bristol and give the girl a chance of a fulfilling life in the real world.

[lapfog_1]

450. Sorry, I should have added one of these...

:sarcasm:

I forget sometimes. Trying to be better about it.

[kestrel91316]

51. If there's a Planned Parenthood in town, she could have gone there.

[kestrel91316]

If there's a Planned Parenthood in town, she could have gone there.

Free birth control. No phone call to mom.

[amandabeech]

275. She would have had to have gone at least as far as Anchorage.

Wasilla is too small for a Planned Parenthood, and in a small town, everyone would have known that she was there, if by nothing more than her car, which would have been recognizable to more than a few locals.

In the town in which I grew up, which is smaller than Wasilla even though we have a nice, but small, townhall and a pretty county courthouse, girls would take a day off from school and go, "shopping" in a small city of 150,000 to the south. A month or two later, they would have gained weight, especially in the chest, from the potent birth control pills available in the early 1970s. Everybody knew.

There were surprisingly few out-of-wedlock births, although one girl in my class disappeared for half the year, and returned married and with a kid.

[Ghost Dog]

118. Did she have a choice as to what church to attend,

what indoctrination to receive, or not as the case may otherwise be?

[NC_Nurse]

4. No wonder they have a lot of shotguns...

:P

[wtmusic]

20. They keep forgetting to load them. nt

[Loge23]

5. This is getting very whacky! (eom)

[Mz Pip]

6. Terrific job

as parents Sarah and Todd! You instilled those conservative family values in your daughter well. :sarcasm: Heck of a job, Sarah.

If you couldn't do it in your own family, how do you expect to do it in the country?

[elocs]

7. My God! Does that mean that Palin's baby is actually hers?

How bizarre is that? I glad this aspect of the whole thing is over before Dems look too stupid.

[CreekDog]

82. Name even ONE prominent Democrat who has even touched this story

whatever.

[pampango]

Thankfully none. Can't say the same for internet posters, but we're not

running for public office.

[elocs]

353. No prominent Dem would touch it, but many DUers were all over it

just in case you hadn't noticed.

[BearSquirrel2]

414. It's not over ...

This story is a coverup. So Sarah Palin threw her kids to the wolves to make up stories that she lied about Trig. That's her story.

The media is going to get into this. It's too juicy not to. I just hope they aren't to quick as after the nomination goes through and the ballots are printed. At that point, they're stuck with her. If they were smart, they would force her out before the end of the convention.

[Ghost Dog]

131. Look at the way she handles the poor kid,

compared with the way Bristol holds him. Do you really think he's hers? Show me some more loving photos (and more of Sarah actually looking pregnant), and provable documentation, and I might begin to believe it.

[Peregrine Took]

217. I guess if she held him in normal, motherly way he might have blocked her

in the photo. Look at the scary way she looks at the camera "ME" "ME" "ME"

[JDPriestly]

303. And I have seen pictures in which the daughter is treating and holding the baby

as if it were her own. It may simply be that the responsibility for caring for the baby has been left to the daughter and that it is the daughter who has effectively adopted the mother's child. That happens too.

[Ghost Dog]

391. Eg. here:

[JimDandy]

410. NOW we know it's more likely that

the Palins instructed Bristol to hold the baby at public appearances in order to cover up her pregnant belly. Look at all the videos and photos since the VP announcement. In every one in which Bristol is present, SHE is always the person holding Trig. If Bristol had been allowed to also pose on the cover of PEOPLE, who do you think would have been holding Trig then (remember the People cover was prior to the prego announcement.)

My two cents - The People cover is pure exploitation of that poor soul. They've added a new word to the lexicon - "Downsploitation"

edited to add last sentence

[krkaufman]

307. Wow, that's an exploitive photo. Why just the one child in the pic?

Hmmm... to remind or inform voters of Palin's choice to keep the baby, I expect. These people scare me.

[Hansel]

330. Why is the baby even in this picture? nt

[JDPriestly]

469. Bristol appears to be very, very fond of Trig. Maybe she just likes

babies. I did. So I can understand if that's it. But, she does hold that baby as though he were her own. She holds him even when they are all sitting down.

[krabigirl]

192. I dunno - the whole thing is still pretty fishy.

[connecticut yankee]

276. my theory is

that they're trying to cover up the cover-up.

If the original story were pursued any further, it would have come out that Bristol was the mother and it would have shown Sarah to be a liar, as well as possibly engaging in falsifying public records.

So, they realized that they can't protect Bristol any more. They announce that she's pregnant (making it impossible that she's Trig's mother). She has a "miscarriage" in a couple of weeks, so there won't be another baby.

The young man she's supposed to marry is probably Trig's father, anyway.

[SoCalDem]

283. Coming soon to a theatre near you."Throw Bristol from the Train"

Directed by Sarah Palin...
Screenplay by Karl Rove
Co-starring:
Grandpa McCain
Levi Whats-his-name
Snowmobile Dude

[MindMatter]

362. That is so twisted

And I wouldn't doubt it for a minute. These fundies are not rational people. If you can believe shit like God punishing New Orleans because of a gay parade (and not also figure out that means that God is now punishing the GOP by sending another hurricane to mess with their convention) your brain is not working. As twisted as it appears to sane people, this is exactly the sort of mental contortions that fundies do every day of their lives. This tangled web would make perfect sense to that whole family.

[Ghost Dog]

405. My conjecture also.

More or less.

[klyon]

289. to me that makes the story worse, that she endangered her baby

by ignoring the leaking fluid and labor pains to flying home and go to tiny hospital when she could have seen doctors in Dallas or even Anchorage, which she passed through to get to her doctor. And why wasn't the doctor on the trip in the first place, after all she is the Governor? Pregnant women should not be flying at the end of pregnancies. What if the plane had had to make an emergency landing because she started to deliver? Looks like very bad judgment to me.

[BearSquirrel2]

352. This is what they want you to believe ...

The timeline given was chosen so that the Bristol being the parent of the child would seem impossible. The only thing you have to go on for ANY of this is the word of Sarah Palin and her actions don't seem to match the facts. Nor does the prolonged absence of her daughter from school.

I think we're all sorry here that Bristol has such a fucked up wackjob mamma.

[MindMatter]

369. Please explain this to me

This story started with a picture from "late 2007" which seemed to show Bristol in early pregnancy:


And another published on March 9, that evidently shows her well along in her pregnancy:


How is it that she hasn't had the baby yet? Can somebody please give me any plausible explanation?

[hay rick]

453. 12 month gestation period n/t

[Virginia Dare]

373. Who knows, you couldn't make this shit up if you tried...n/t

[jgraz]

8. "Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby"

Uh huh. I'm sure there was no pressure from her Dominionist freak parents. :sarcasm:

[1Hippiechick]

90. Would someone please clarify this for me?

The implication is that she COULD have given it up for adoption, which would fit right in with prolife, I guess.

So.....if I am understanding this far right fundie rationale:

It seems that one has to HAVE a baby at all costs unless the mother's life is in danger (forget her mental health).

Doesn't matter if you want the child or not, but you HAVE to HAVE the baby.

Then abandon it if you don't want it.

If this is their stance, I hope she gets HAMMERED on clarification. Or maybe I'M the one in the dark on this.

[Ghost Dog]

406. Indeed. But many people had to make that terrible choice before Roe v. Wade

in your country and similar laws in others.

[JimDandy]

407. You've got it right:

Fundies like Palin and family are taught that once a baby is conceived (when the zygote is formed) the female (woman, teenager, girl) MUST have it. Therefore, Sarah is trying to float a lie. The lie being that, she had ANY CHOICE in the matter at all (like many of us Dems do.) She is not a heroine for keeping a Downs Syndrome baby - she HAD to. It was hypocritical for her to even make that implication.

If someone were not raised like that, then they would actually be faced with a decision - a CHOICE - to keep the baby or not. Keeping a baby with Downs is only heroic and worthy of praise, if you had the CHOICE to do so or not. Sarah Palin HAD NO CHOICE!

[Divernan]

359. Choice: Have baby or be thrown out on the street and shunned by entire family & burn in hell.

Need I say, I don't believe she'd burn in hell - but that's what her minister & parents would be screaming at her.

[creeksneakers2]

9. I'm wondering

Will they bring the pregnant daughter out for the whole family shots after the nominations are accepted?

[Arugula Latte]

372. They're probably hiding her the same place they're hiding John McCain's dark-skinned daughter.

[Lebam in LA]

11. Having been a 17 year old new mom

I can only wish her the best. Its a hard road but I wouldn't change it at all. I have a wonderful grown daughter.

[1Hippiechick]

113. Congratulations. Please understand that this criticism is about Palin, NOT her daughter

just in case you are wondering. I don't think anyone would be so crass as to criticize the child - it's all about the self-righteous-hockey-mom-turned-PTA-president-turned-small-town-mayor-turned-small-populace-short-term-governor-who-would-be-vice-president-and-a-heartbeat-away-from-being-POTUS.

[Lebam in LA]

220. Wasn't wondering or accusing

I just think we need to be careful and make sure we DO critize Palin for her putting her political ambition before her family. She had to know this would explode all over the world. Palin is a terrible mother for doing this to her family, her special need child and especially her daughter. Maybe this will open up the abstinence only debate.

[1Hippiechick]

232. I agree 100% !! n/t

[norepubsin08]

230. Bull fucking shit...

the child is old enough to get pregnant and form opinions on her own..she's part of a family that chose politics...as a former liberal dem US congressional candidate...YOUR WHOLE FAMILY IS OPEN SEASON...you can thank repukes for that! Bristol could have gone to a Planned Parenthood clinic gotten the baby aborted with out letting her parents know...but oh know, she's bought into their wacky fundamentalist crap! She deserves what ever she gets unless she were to repudiate them!

[willing dwarf]

261. Boy do you sound angry

How much did you know about life at 17?

[Stryguy]

287. I knew..

I respected human life enough at 17 to know that I could not properly raise a child on my own thus I practiced safe sex.

I respected my parents enough to not burden them with a offspring that I produced due to my lack of sexual responsibility.

I respected my country enough to not add to it's burden of raising unwanted children.

I was raised by liberal parents and had plenty of pre-marital sex starting at age 16. I had my first child at 29 with my wife after 4 years of marriage and after we purchased our own home. Why? Because my parents taught me sexual responsibility instead of sexual abstinance nonsense.

[Stryguy]

268. *agreed* and I recall...

I recall Rush Limbaugh saying that Chealse Clinton was "a barker" and "the whitehouse dog" when Chealse was 13 years old.

This girl made a choice knowing that her mother was in the political spotlight and the mom made a choice knowing that any vp candidate gets her/his whole family scrutinized.

The repugs have made their bed. Let them lay in it.

[LeftishBrit]

300. The girl did *not* know Mum was in the political spotlight, because that came as a shock to all!

All right, she was a governor, but that's hardly the same thing as being part of a national campaign. Most of us hadn't even heard of her before she was selected.

Palin is an evil extremist, but the girl seems just young and foolish like most 16-year-olds, except that most aren't living in a world where any birth control is considered a sin.

[Stryguy]

333. She was the governor and before that mayor

This isn't a family new to politics. I don't buy it

I again stress that the 17 year old girl knew what she was doing. You have to live in a hole somewhere to realize that unprotected sex will often result in pregnancy. If you're willing to defy your parents and have premarital sex you can defy your parents and slip on a 99 cent condom at the same time. In the eyes of your false God your sinning having premarital sex anyway, it doesn't make it any better that you didn't use a condom.

[Ghost Dog]

409. Mayor of a small town that then enjoyed a construction boom

(but had a hard time financing a previously-good local school, apparently).

Plenty of room for kickbacks in that line of work...

[Virginia Dare]

379. Mommy has been lobbying to be V.P. since last February...n/t

[bobd0]

327. +1

[BearSquirrel2]

357. dough in the oven ...

Bristol could have gone to a Planned Parenthood clinic gotten the baby aborted with out letting her parents know...but oh know

You meant terminate the pregnancy or abort the fetus. A fetus is not a baby any more than dough is a loaf of bread. If the bun in the oven doesn't finish cooking, it's still just dough.

[Ghost Dog]

408. Yes. Up to 20 weeks, is it, to be on the safe side,

as in the UK; or is it within 12, which is to be preferred?

[1Hippiechick]

456. Right back at ya! Are you crazy? Bristol is a CHILD herself living in fundie hell! You're missing

the point, IMO, although there ARE several points to be made here.

(1)If her mom weren't a far right fundie NUT, Bristol could have been put on birth control pills. Apparently the far right fundie nutjobs don't remember raging hormones in their youth BESIDES the fact that her own mom was preggers when she got married, I think, but don't quote me on that.

(2)Her mom's CHOICE to take on VP challenge w/a 4 m.o. baby w/special needs AND a teenage out-of-wedlock daugher screams that mom is an ambitious, narcissistic, self-centered (fill in the blank). What 'mother' would subject a 17 y.o. child to the RISK of WORLDWIDE humiliation, thus making her own grandchild a footnote in history (which will have to be explained to grandchild at some point). What 'mother' would abandon a 4 m.o. special needs baby on the alter of AMBITION? Where are HER family values?

The parents have said that they had "...hoped to keep Bristol's pregnancy a private family matter...." which indicates the intent was to keep it covered up until AFTER the election. Why?

All the above paints Palin as an AMBITIOUS HYPOCRITE, who touts family values,IMO.


The entire story is NOT being told here. No one has raised the question about WHY the girl has not gotten married yet. Personally, I think Bristol & 'boyfriend' broke up, based on language on his FaceBook - "single again and blah, blah, blah"

So, don't crucify Bristol - I sincerely believe that she had NO CHOICE in her family matter, which, again, goes against what her mother said--all for political gain.

Attack MOM's CHOICES which SHOW A CRITICAL LACK OF JUDGMENT, MAKING HER QUESTIONALBLE AS A VP.

[MadinMo]

462. My thoughts exactly!

(2)Her mom's CHOICE to take on VP challenge w/a 4 m.o. baby w/special needs AND a teenage out-of-wedlock daugher screams that mom is an ambitious, narcissistic, self-centered (fill in the blank). What 'mother' would subject a 17 y.o. child to the RISK of WORLDWIDE humiliation, thus making her own grandchild a footnote in history (which will have to be explained to grandchild at some point). What 'mother' would abandon a 4 m.o. special needs baby on the alter of AMBITION? Where are HER family values?

The parents have said that they had "...hoped to keep Bristol's pregnancy a private family matter...." which indicates the intent was to keep it covered up until AFTER the election. Why?

All the above paints Palin as an AMBITIOUS HYPOCRITE, who touts family values,IMO.


Boy oh boy, these are my exact thoughts! I would not subject my daughter to this kind of humiliation and scrutiny. She is going to be in the spotlight for many months, and as you point out the grandchild will be a footnote in history. I feel very sorry for this girl and her boyfriend.

[Virginia Dare]

375. Luckily for you your mother didn't thrust you into the public spotlight..n/t

[Hawkeye-X]

12. And Palin is badly vetted before selected - hence the scandal.

Palin will have to decide if she wants to resign to be replaced by Plan G.

Hawkeye-X

[Liberal Veteran]

16. I think it will be Plan L

for LIEberman.

[SpiralHawk]

21. Plan G = Governor Mittsy Romster

"You rang?" - Mittsy

[wtmusic]

206. Make Mitt take a pregnancy test?

Better be sure this time around.

[KamaAina]

374. Naaah. Check the roof of his car for dogs tied onto it.

:evilgrin:

[BrklynLiberal]

155. She entered the public scrutiny KNOWING her daughter was pregnant. I think she

cares more for her personal ambition than for the welfare of her family..
A perfect match for McSame.

[ladywnch]

228. I think that was proven by how she behaved while carrying her son

flying while 7+ months pregnant, leaking amniotic fluid and not going to a hospital but instead making another 7-8 hour flight and an hour long drive before seeking medical attention all so she could give a SPEECH to a bunch of oil men. Yeah, her family comes first...not her ambition.

[qwlauren35]

296. Ding, ding, ding...

That's the correct answer, and you've won...

actually, we don't know what you've won yet. We'll let you know in 2 months.

[bananas]

13. Her first or her second?

[The Hope Mobile]

229. Or . . . who knows what number?!?!?

[Critters2]

14. So what exactly does "family values" mean? nt

[madrchsod]

63. mom cares only about herself-

she has a downs syndrome baby that needs her 24 hours a day 7 days a week..she has a 17yr daughter who needs her more than ever.

and dad is along for the ride.


she`s a self center failed beauty queen who in her fading years wishes she could do everything over.

[klyon]

290. so true she has no business accepting the job of VP

poor judgment all around
McCain was probably turned down by everyone else or told he couldn't pick them like Lieberman.

[BearSquirrel2]

360. Hold on ...

Hold on now. Dad is a commercial fisherman and a roughneck. He's off on his own ride. Sarah is off on hers. Exactly who is it that raises the Palin children???

That doesn't sound like good "family values" to me. I'm sure Dr. Laura would agree.

[Raksha]

396. Who raises the Palin children? The teenage daughters,

of course...Bristol and her sister. Whether Bristol is Trig's natural mother or not, it's obvious from the pictures that she has the primary responsibility for taking care of him. Guess it works that way in most fundie families, especially big families. And in Africa when both parents have died of AIDS or been murdered. The older siblings become "parents" to the younger ones out of necessity. :cry:

Family values, all right!

[Ghost Dog]

412. Yet dad receives CCs of the Governor's emails,

and intervenes in some Gubernatorial business...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3885714

[JimDandy]

428. No, No, No.

Um, remember... Dad is an 18-year employee of a FOREIGN OIL COMPANY! That oil company is heavily involved in negotiations with his wife's administration. And by the way, Sarah Palin was so taken with that oil company that she named har daughter, Bristol, after the city where it is located.

[Athletic Grrl]

449. His REAL job?

The Palin watchdog/defender. I've seen tape of Toddy boy screaming about allegations about his wife. Why isn't he at...HIS OWN JOB?

Because his "union job" is at this point a facade to get union support. I forgot what his second job is supposed to be, but he's not working at it. These people have more money than they let on, but living in what is apparently the Tammany Hall of 2008, Alaska, she is getting kickbacks from SOMEONE.

I feel sorry for the girl. One condom could have stopped the Palin amniotic hemorrhage. Does anyone think a paternity test on Trig (did they really name him for a gun part?), conducted by outside sources, will be performed?

[eridani]

455. No, his name is short for Trigve

Run of the mill Norwegian name.

[MNDemNY]

15. "Again"???????

[angstlessk]

19. that was my thought too, this proves nothing regarding Track

[wtmusic]

22. It's evidence. nt

[Mz Pip]

25. Do the math

Bristol is 5 months pregnant. Baby Trig is 4 months old. I think that's makes it biologically impossible for Bristol to be the monther of the infant.

[SpiralHawk]

31. Is this the republicon homelander "No Baby Left Behind" kind of math?

[Mz Pip]

50. LOL

Baby Einstein. :rofl:

[kestrel91316]

58. We're gonna accept THESE people's word about the dates? ROFLMAO

[Bennyboy]

212. Anyone see a full term 8 pound preemie coming?

"around 5 months" they say. Well what if she is only four months? Then the timeline fits. And to fake a baby delivery date is pretty easy I think.

[The Hope Mobile]

238. YUP!

[wtmusic]

247. or that 8-lb preemie being kept in an incubator

in neonatal intensive care to maintain the illusion? I'm sure they've covered all the bases.

[MNDemNY]

78. Can you say "Miscarriage" in a week or two?

[wtmusic]

89. Ooh. The possibilites are endless.

:thumbsup:

[Native]

145. You need to start a "possibilities" thread - you are so right, they are endless!

[snappyturtle]

308. And can you imagine the empathy pouring out of the repukes? gag. n/t

[Igel]

101. They can't.

It detracts from the personal attacks and mudslinging, and making sure that family members suffer because of the parents politics.

Any advantage in underhanded, old-fashioned politics of personal destruction is fair game. The only morality is that if I do it, it's right; if they do it, it's wrong.

I'm trying to get my 4-year-old past this stage, and having trouble. Then again, he's 4. Perhaps when he's 14, he'll be beyond it. And if he's not beyond it when he's 24, I'm going to be deeply ashamed and embarrassed at how horrible a parent I was.

But, at least, I'll obviously have lots of company in the "bad parent" department.

[wtmusic]

156. Who brought this on her but her own parents?

I feel sorry for her, but it sure as hell is no one's fault but that of her own dominionist freak parents.

[Name removed]

243. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JDPriestly]

461. You are having trouble gettiing your 4-year-old past "this stage'

because "this stage" is a basic part of being a human being.

Why do you think ordinary people would rather read about Brittany Spears than Hillary Clinton's health care plan or Obama's energy plan?

It's because the story of Brittany Spears is human and exciting to them whereas the discussions of policy are abstract and boring. People love gossip. Always have. Always will. Go with the flow. Stop fighting it.

[SOS]

124. Doing the math

based on a McCain/Palin campaign press release may lead to erroneous results.

[BDunn827]

175. Do the math . . .

Here's my take. They are trying to explain away the already present postpartum weight gain. I'll bet that she will all of a sudden "lose the baby." Why was she taken out of school for the final months of "her mother's" pregnancy. I for one would like to see some pictures of a very pregnant Ms. Sarah. Are there any out there? And why would she be down in the States at the end of "her" obviously high risk prenancy? You are not going to tell me that she "all of a sudden" had to fly back to deliver "her" baby. I know for a fact that when you are laboring a fifth pregnancy, a high-risk one at that, there is NO WAY you would have time to fly all the way back to Alaska to deliver. Sounds very suspicious to me. Time will tell.

[eagertolearn]

227. I imagine here will be a correction of her true due date later afteer the election. n/t

[The Hope Mobile]

233. IF that information is accurate . . .

Thought about that too . . . but maybe Bristol is just determined to expose her mother as a fraud.

[BearSquirrel2]

363. How how easily fooled ...

Oh boy, you added the variables. But you have no idea what their values are. The only source you have for your dates are Sarah Palin. Who is to say that Bristol isn't exactly four months pregnant having hussied herself out again after giving birth? Given that Sarah looked ZERO months pregnant for so long, what's to say the Bristol is pregnant at all.

These are sick mofos we're talking about and I don't think the church doctor would be any iota above lying when the ends justify the means.

[MindMatter]

380. No. YOU do the math. There are pictures published March 9

that show Bristol very well along in this pregnancy. Now that we know she is (or was) pregnant, there is no longer any question that this picture shows a pregnancy, as opposed to a kid eating too many blubber-on-a-stick treats.

Considering the was another picture showing early signs in late 2007, the date of conception must have been around October 2007. So you tell me how it is she has not yet given birth. Last I heard, the normal gestation period was 9 months

[TheWraith]

64. It's Trig, not Track. nt

[MNDemNY]

81. Potatooo, potaaato

Hillbilly's is hillbilly's

[wtmusic]

84. On AK state records it's listed as Track.

I believe Trig is a nickname.

[MNDemNY]

95. Actually twodifferent palin spawns, the 19 yo is track, the 5 month old is trig

[wtmusic]

99. Oops, my bad.

[bettyellen]

144. Trig... Track? Are they named for things Dad did well in High school?

[Codeine]

426. "Trig" is a Norwegian name.

"Track" is a Fucking Stupid name.

[blossomstar]

184. She named them after sled dogs.

[angstlessk]

116. trig, track...so many strange names hard to keep 'track' of since they 'trig'ger

no thoughts in my mind like a normal name would...johnny or bruce or some such regular name

[ksimons]

36. odds are.... getting more likely

I think if they report she has mono again, we'll really have an idea of what is going on. WTF is going on - and I had to laugh out loud at John McCain's interview on Fox - watch the entire thing - each section has a few laughs and I can't believe how bad a liar he is - it is shocking.

They also weren't very specific about the months - I think that was on purpose to give them an out.

[uncle ray]

73. this would mean she got pregnant while she had mono. n/t.

[Revlon10]

79. this would mean she got pregnant while she had mono. n/t

Good thinking.

[ladywnch]

237. I had the same thought!!! well, I guess when you're bed ridden

you can also be ridden in bed!!!!!

[wtmusic]

259. ROFL

(for shame) :thumbsup:

[SpookyCat]

339. .....

:rofl:

[CoffeeCat]

447. Too sick to go to school...

...but not to sick to have sex?

I feel sorry for Bristol. She did nothing wrong. Her mother seems
to have concocted this parallel universe to further her political
career. This is not putting your family or your daughter first.

I bet you anything, her mother wanted Bristol to give up the
child for adoption, and Bristol refused and stood her ground.

Many mothers initially agree with adoption, but after carrying
a baby, you fall in love with it and bond with it. You feel it
kicking inside of you and maybe see it on an Ultrasound, and
suddenly, you can't imagine adopting out your child.

That scenario would certainly explain why all of a sudden, Sarah
Palin had to tell the world that she was pregnant. Bristol
refused to give up the child.

I'm betting that is what happened.

[wtmusic]

96. good observation!

This only gets weirder.

[City Lights]

157. While she was too sick with mono to attend school. nt

[adamuu]

17. is Sarah Palin's mom gonna take care of that baby too?

She takes care of all the other kids, since both parents both work full time. What's one more?

[MNDemNY]

28. No,Bristol is going to marry the boy.

[wtmusic]

32. Maybe "the boy" would submit to a DNA test with Trig.

*Not*.

[mikeargo]

164. Can't resist...

Will it be a shotgun wedding?

[norepubsin08]

248. Shouldn't that "boy" I heard he's 45 years old, be up

on charges of Child Rape?

[BearSquirrel2]

381. Good angle ...

That's an awesome angle and some enterprising prosecutor could definitively prove the issue one way or another by supeanoing Trig's blood to determine how many counts of statutory rape to file.

[NMDemDist2]

452. 45?? wtf?

:puke:

but it was posted elsewhere that the age of consent in alaska is 16

[madrchsod]

he does`t work full time

from what i have read he works part time for bp and i have`t read what his job is.

[MNDemNY]

122. Wal-Mart is hiring.

[chatnoir]

200. "First Dude" is a part-time "Production operator", IIRC

I think I just gagged typing "First Dude"

[madrchsod]

23. looks like sarah`s husband will be raising some more kids

....i have to admire dad for taking care of his family while she`s off on her trips...

well that does put to rest the sarah problem but she`s still a crappy mother....

[adamuu]

48. thats what she said when she ran for Governor, too. It never happened. n/t

[TXDemGal]

69. Don't think Mr. Mom is actually taking care of them

Elsewhere on DU, there was a link to a blog where someone in Alaska who claims to know the Palins said Mr. P tried the Mr. Mom thing and basically couldn't hack it & went back to work. So the kids are farmed out to various relatives, etc. Sarah Palin has said, "My mom does whatever I want her to" (i.e., raises the grandkids?).

[madrchsod]

87. that`s nice...i just gave dad some props ->

he`s just as self centered as she is.

[adamuu]

91. i read that too. n/t

[sniffa]

24. She's having Irish twins?

Damn, she's prolific.

[bleever]

60. My mom did.

And I'm curious about the veracity of the "five months" statement...

[YDogg]

72. heh. I LOLd.

[stuckinlucky]

26. I'll take "News You Release During a Hurricane for $1000, Alex"

n/t

[huckleberry]

45. thanks! that is so funny!! :)

[habitual]

57. brilliant! the only time better than late friday, a hurricane. n/t

[1Hippiechick]

126. ROFL

:rofl:

[SmokingJacket]

284. Hilarious!!!!! nt

[Virginia Dare]

378. The Labor Day Major Hurricane news dump, LOL!...n/t

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

27. So much for Kooky Who-mommy Conspiracy Theories

[MindMatter]

386. I guess we should save part of this thread for the apologies

from all the weenies who thought there was nothing to these stories and no questions should be asked.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

436. But then where will the sanctimonious asshats post?

[MindMatter]

440. Everywhere else, of course.

[wtmusic]

29. What's the fundie view on chastity belts? nt

[nickyt]

30. Wishing Bristol and her baby all the best. However...won't this raise a few

eyebrows in the fundie base Palin's selection was meant to secure for McSoulmate?

[MindMatter]

392. No way. They are used to sweeping this stuff under the carpet

Have to protect the flock, you know. This will just bring them out to defend her even more. It is genetic with these pea-brains.

[XemaSab]

404. The FReepers are LOVING it

"What a strong testimony to the blessings of the Lord that unlike one of those unwed, black, underage, liberal, welfare-mom whores, not only is this beautiful young woman keeping the baby, but she's marrying the baby's dad, 'cause her own dad, in the spirit of Isaiah 3:17, threatened to cut the little fucker's nuts off if he didn't marry the daughter! Praise!" :eyes:

[wuushew]

33. This if anything vindicates the high level of scrutiny spent on the Palins by DU

There is gold in the muck, let us continue panning.

This disclosure was clearly forced by external circumstances, there is no logic or tactical sense otherwise.

[MNDemNY]

34. Will Thursday's agenda include a baby shower????

[MUAD_DIB]

35. Answer me this...

If Palin's daughter is pregnant then she is going to be attacked by the fundamentalists and dooshes like Limbaugh, right?


If this had happened to Chelsea Clinton at 16/17 then we all know what would have happened.



Don't give these guys one inch to squirm because you know they won't give you any either.
Go for the throat and eviscerate them.

Take the rat-phuck GOPygs down!

[jberryhill]

129. No, she won't

You don't understand how these people function.

They would prefer that their teenagers not become pregnant. When they do become pregnant, they are subject to a certain amount of public humiliation and the tut-tutting statements you see in the release to the effect of "they are going to have to grow up early", but they do treat shotgun marriages as "the honorable thing to do."

[BrklynLiberal]

161. oh noooooooooooo. You see she chose to have the baby..not get an abortion. So that makes it ok.

:sarcasm:

[pnwmom]

37. So this is a 2nd generation shotgun marriage -- perfect for Alaska,

I guess.

(I read somewhere that the Palins first full-term pregnancy ended with the birth of their son 33 weeks into their marriage.)

[torbird]

88. Alan Colmes

Alan Colmes had that story on his blog. For whatever that's worth.

[pnwmom]

94. Thanks, torbird. And welcome to DU! n/t

[torbird]

133. You're welcome

By the way, when does one stop being "new" around here?

[pnwmom]

189. I'm pretty sure there's no general rule.

But IMHO, you still qualify.

:)

[BrklynLiberal]

166. The dates of their marriage and the birth of their first-born were pretty close.

The wedding was an elopement...with witnesses from down the block from the chapel.

[Blaq Dem]

271. Sarah Palin married her high school "sweetheart"?

Hmmm, We need some dates.

[LibDemAlways]

393. The Reagan's daughter arrived a few months after the

wedding, too. When it's repukes, however, no problem. Just don't let a Dem try it. Then it's practically grounds for impeachment.

[kestrel91316]

38. Ok, I have a theory that will make your heads explode.

What if Bristol is pregnant with her SECOND child? What if Trig WAS hers, and then she turned around and got pregnant again right away? Wouldn't be the first time.

I'm not saying it's the case. I'm just wondering if it's possible. They claim she is 5 months along, but we already know they lie, so ir makes me wonder.

But back to the legitimate concerns, like Palin's complete and utter lack of qualifications.......

[wtmusic]

46. Makes sense to me.

Then that second baby is born a month premature, but full size - weight. It happens, you know.

[Nine]

441. no, it would be the opposite

The baby would be born later than their claimed due date, not sooner. But of course the election will be over by then anyway.

[bananas]

97. LOL

A lot of us thought the same thing!
See posts 13, 15, 19, 24, 59, ...

[babythunder]

125. That happened to

my friend her children aren't a full 12 months apart.

[KoKo]

135. That might be possible. Getting pregnant right away often happens

and it could be they put out the "five months" pregnant as a cover up when she's only a couple months pregnant to cover up the first pregnancy. They are desperate ...with a ruined RNC Convention and Katrina II all over the news...now they have picked a liar for Veep...what do they do? :shrug:

[Native]

149. You need to add this to the new "possibilities" thread!

[Virginia Dare]

383. It's hard to say what the hell is going on at this point..

me thinks it won't matter much longer.

[Wilber_Stool]

39. RAPE!!!!

She's 17 right? If the boy is older will he be charged for child rape?

[Imagine My Surprise]

Some states have age 16 consent laws n/t

[itsrobert]

53. Probably not in Alaska

Different states have different rules.

[tammywammy]

56. The age of consent in Alaska is 16

:eyes:

[wtmusic]

66. Ah, so the FIRST one would have been a rape

starting to add up...

[tammywammy]

93. That's if you believe that ridiculous rumor

:eyes:

She's 5 months pregnant and Trig is 4 months old. Let it go. Trig is Sarah Palin's baby.

[wtmusic]

105. You're right.

They say she's 5 months preggers, and Republicans never lie.

So she got pregnant while out of school with mono? For six months, exactly coinciding with Mom's pregnancy? Mom flew 10 hours on a plane while in labor?

You really have to let go of those ridiculous rumors.

[nyhuskyfan]

40. So we have

A son who couldn't meet the minimum academic requirements to play college sports (standards which are not very hard to meet). And a daughter who's pregnant at 17.

[Sweet Freedom]

153. Wow, who raised her kids? Lynn Spears? /nt

[City Lights]

196. Ha ha! McCain picking Palin knocks the whole Obama is Britney/Paris meme

down now that McCain's team has Jamie Spears on it! :rofl:

[amandabeech]

281. ???? Did I miss something? Is this the son in the service?

Please explain or provide links. Enquiring minds want to know!

[Divernan]

387. When oldest son couldn't get a 2.0(C)average to play college hockey, Dad forced him to enlist.

Kudos to U. of Alaska that it didn't cave and make an exception for him - given how the Palins use Sarah's political office to wreak revenge on anyone who is uncooperative, that took some guts.

Now, let's think about what kind of loving, rational parents would force their only (at the time) son to enlist during the middle of the Iraq/Afghanistan clusterf**k. It's one thing if a young adult goes off and enlists on their own, but the story going around is that his Dad pushed him into the military cause Dad was angry at son.

I have a close friend whose 22 year old son has been screwing around for 4 years now - still living in great comfort at home - no student loan payments; no car payments. Dropped out/failed out of 2 different colleges. His Dad has often said a stint in the military is just what the kid needs, but as long as the US is at war, that's not an option he'd push on his son.

[denverbill]

41. Well, I hope the father has health care benefits and makes enough to support the family.

I don't want my hard-earned tax dollars supporting the little bastard.

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[chat_noir]

54. “a classy way of saying redneck”

Palin stayed out of politics for more than two years, acquiring a business license in the interim for a marketing and consulting company named Rogue Cou, “a classy way of saying redneck,” Palin said in a June 2005 interview with the Anchorage Daily News.

[itsrobert]

43. I guess they used a Hurricane to leak this

How low do they stoop.

[FightingIrish]

44. What kind of a mother would subject her daughter to this kind of

national embarrassment and scrutiny? Imagine how the young father will feel when his identity is made public. This woman's ambition is pathological.

[IndianaGreen]

55. Unless the father is Bristol's father

A lot of bizarre things happen in fundie families.

[Ghost Dog]

194. .

[Mist]

219. I've wondred too. nt

[adamuu]

67. "Imagine how the young father will feel" .. proud that his fish swim. n/t

[Roy]

202. Have they selected the young father yet?

Or are they still vetting likely candidates?

[Igel]

136. What kind of people take delight and political opportunity in attacks

on a kid?

Imagine how the girl will feel when kids at school start asking if she and her daddy had Trig? How the other family members will feel?

How they'll feel when it's rumored that somehow she had a kid, but got pregnant a second time within weeks, and is obviously lying about how long she's pregnant the second time. Not just a slut, but a lying slut. Or maybe child abuse victim?

I feel sorry for Bristol. Some people's love of mudslinging is pathological. I consider hateful mudslinging to be a lot more immoral than teenage pregnancy, and possibly more harmful in the long run. Regardless of the political activities of the parents.

Most repubs only hate it when repubs are attacked; most dems only hate it when dems are attacked. In other words, far too many on both sides have hypocrisy and dishonesty as part of their personal party platform. This, I find very sad, but a fitting commentary on the state of political discourse in the US for the last 35 years (at the very least, I'm 49 and have only been observing for 35 years).

[norepubsin08]

256. Grow up!

This is how the Repukes have treated us and dealt with the problems of liberal candidates. Sorry to say..it's the muck, slime and dirt that wins elections in America nowadays!!!

[qwlauren35]

315. This won't be a pretty election.

People on both sides are going to get ugly. I don't wish to attack Crystal Palin. However, I think the Dems here are missing the point. This is a second generation of Palins that are saying: "marriage, not abortion, is the proper answer to an unplanned pregnancy."

Crystal Palin will probably have the wedding of a lifetime. Especially if she has it before November 4th. Everybody loves a wedding!

Yes, I feel sorry for Crystal. And her mother disgusts me.

But this is politics. I leave the mudslinging to others, hoping I continue to get people to focus on my candidate, his positions, and his message of change.

[whopis01]

425. Brisol, not Crystal. n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

171. That was my first reaction..even when the discussion was about the first child in

question. It is one thing to have a family scandal limited to the remote localities of Alaska..but to subject your daughter to worldwide humiliation?
I guess there is no limit to her ambition.

Very very sad....

[IndianaGreen]

49. to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy

Bristol Palin pregnant -- right nowP

Posted: Monday, September 01, 2008 11:58 AM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray

Reuters: "The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child.

Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband, Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, the Palins said in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, McCain aides said. 'We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us,' the Palins' statement said. 'Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support,' the Palins said."

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/

[ksimons]

76. then along comes a 'miscarriage', no one is the wiser, who can prove any date- Rove you're brilliant

Let's face it, Republicans have proved they will lie about EVERYTHING - from Larry Craig to Mark Foley to Ted Haggard - the bigger the hide, the bigger the lie.

[George II]

Well, they screwed up dismissing the rumors, too..the first baby was born on Apr. 18..

"five months" could actually be 4-1/2 or even 4 months, meaning that Bristol could be the mother of both of them anyway!

[jimshoes]

331. If the first lie isn't working

make up an even bigger whopper. Yeah. It's what repigs do, they've gotten pretty good at it.

[Ghost Dog]

415. Psycho/Sociopaths do the same. n/t

[GinaMaria]

52. knock down rumors by liberal bloggers

Power to the bloggers. Great job, you guys. Any ideas about how to show the world that McSame is bat-sh%^ crazy and should be no where near the oval office?

Side Note: Does anyone have any concern about a teenage girl being pressured into marriage? Seriously? this is frightening.

[wtmusic]

62. Those rumors that birth control is effective?

Nope, they're still standing tall.

[madrchsod]

75. shows the lack of parenting .

that their daughter becomes pregnant at 17. so much for the family values.

people who throw rocks.....

[BrklynLiberal]

177. Gee. Did "Liberal Bloggers" make this up out of whole cloth..or were there

stories in the Alaskan papers that implied this? Where were the first questions asked...in Alaska, or on the "Liberal Blogs"?

[Window]

240. Exactly.

[Ghost Dog]

216. "Teenage girl being pressured into marriage": Absolutely. That is immoral.

In the case of whatever boy they've picked, too.

Funny thing is, I'd swear just yesterday some supporters (who produced a photo of a largely pregnant Bristol, date unclear) were claiming she had already married, on the quiet. Hmm. I seem to have cleared that link already. Anyone?

[qwlauren35]

329. It's only frightening...

if you don't believe in it. If you come from a culture where it's expected, then you do it - you might even look forward to it.

All the stats say that a child is better off with two parents. So, this child will end up with two parents.


I am NOT a fundie, but I must admit that if this girl has only had sex with one guy, and that guy has only had sex with her, and they both knew that if she got pregnant, then they would get married, then everything is pretty much going according to plan.

From their point of view, getting pregnant is one easy way to speed up the marriage process, to get parents to stop pushing for college if you don't want to go, to get parents to get over qualms about your boyfriend when he offers to marry you, etc.

I am quite sure that Crystal Palin knew what she was doing start to finish.

[2Design]

59. so is this really bristols 2nd child n/t

[progressivebydesign]

61. Interesting on many levels... ah.. politics...

First. I knew that the Daddy Warbucks/Caribou Barbie's people would spin this to make the "liberal bloggers" look like assholes for "FORCING" them to out their daughter's pregnancy. The indignant little church ladies that swooned over the selection of CB, are now wagging their well manicured fingers that WE forced them to bring this family situation out. Oh.. shame on us. This is why so many seasoned DUers were cautioning against making this a big deal. I had NO problem discussing the issue of the daughter and mother thing, as it was clear that the pregnancy rumours about the daughter were coming from inside their own town. Having said all that, fuck their campaign - WE DIDN"T START THE DAMN RUMORS!! It came from the people around her... not us. But now the cynical jerks like Rove (the boil on the ass of politics) is playing it like we're the bad guys.

Having said all that. It's RICH that McCain said that he knew that the daughter was unmarried and pregnant before he chose Caribou Barbie. I call bullshit on that! He can't even remember her fucking name most of the time, and they hadn't even vetted her. Considering the only conversation they had was back in February, I hardly believe that she was honest with him. If she was.. then why the fuck did they hide this girl like something out of a bad 1950s movie? if they're so damn proud of her being pregnant and getting married at 17, then why did they try to hide her?? And why are the making her the caregiver for Trig? Are they helping her practice for her new life as a mother and wife at 17? Wonder how the boy that got her pregnant feels about getting married at this young age? It feels like an arranged marriage to save Mommy's political career.

And.. it really tears apart Caribou Barbie's abstinence-only obsession. Yeah.. worked great for your own family you idiot. Thanks to the repukes for choosing someone that has the BIGGEST chance of becoming President of ANY VP in history, given Daddy Warbuck's declining health, mental facilities, and age, and making her an Assembly of God Dominionist religious extremist with outrageous views on what women should be doing with their lives and bodies. She opposes ALLL birth control. If she can't keep her own house together, then wtf would anyone believe that she is capable of determining what ALL women in America should do in their own lives.

The republicans have officially shown that they are putting tax breaks and religious extremists first NOT OUR COUNTRY, If they had, they'd never support this insane ticket. And the media lapdogs keep pushing them... at the expense of the well-being of America and the rest of the world. God help us.

[1Hippiechick]

65. Neil Cavuto on MSNBC is saying that this pregnancy sort of just fits this ticket

because it is so atypical and unexpected blah, blah, blah" (VERY loosely translated.)

What a fucking joke!

[bleever]

111. Cavuto's on Faux News.

I doubt he could get a job sweeping the studios at MSNBC.

[1Hippiechick]

208. Well no damn wonder! We were watching TVNewsMix (8 screens) and must have clicked on FAUX in error.

THAT explains the insane blabbering about the Palin episode!

Thanks for correcting me on this - I am not in the same room - 'puter in one room, tv in the other....

Anyway, the British commentator really gave Neil a fit with the questions he asked, and totally caught Neil offguard.

Sure hope this turns up on YouTube. Neil just made a complete ASS of himself saying the utterly stupid things he said. He is bound to be an object of ridicule to his friends.

[alarimer]

68. Marry at 17? Oh, sure, that'll last.

Why are these people compounding the problem of teenage pregnancy by adding teenage marriage to the mix?

Fundy Christians with their bizarre sex fetishes raise non-abstinent kids, who know nothing about birth control or how their bodies work and so, end up in trouble. SO much for an education (not that higher ed matters to fundies- the girl would probably have ended up at Bible college, which is worse than useless as an education).

[GinaMaria]

83. I've noticed that people are not

as shocked or horrified at the thought of teenage marriage as they are of teen pregnancy. Teenage girls should not be pressured, coerced or even forced into marriage. Nor should people tell them "it's the right thing to do". This is the wrong message. A child bride is not the right thing, IMHO. It seems that people don't really have a problem with a teenage girl 'having' to get married. Sad.

[Giant Robot]

123. Well I never took it as they were getting married soon

From my experience with teen parents, which is not extensive, someone saying they are going to get married, is more a way to comfort themselves adn rationalize the situation. It has little baring on reality, and they often do not get married.

But she is way too young and vulnerable to get married right now. Just so I can go on record with that. I do wish her all the best with this. It is a hard road to take.

[alarimer]

147. It must be hard.

And it must be hard to deal with parents like that too. They claim that the daughter is making her own decision but I wonder if that is really true. I knew people as I was growing up with parents like that; they were rigid and domineering. But I can't say if that is true of the Palins or not.

[Revlon10]

70. I don't BELIEVE it

too fishy, I don't believe it.
Why this statement now, it has nothing to do with the election.

[fascisthunter]

71. oooops

[CreekDog]

74. Palin should speak on the efficacy of abstinence only sex education

:eyes:

[Hugin]

77. Innocent question:

Is one considered a 'bastard' if:

One is conceived out of wedlock.

or

One is born out of wedlock.


Maybe I should be asking this over on the Religion/Theo forum?

[wtmusic]

80. Born.

type "definition bastard" in your google searchbox. :thumbsup:

[Hugin]

102. I'm guessing the next thing I should type into the google search box is...

"definition: shotgun wedding". ;)

[muriel_volestrangler]

85. Born, not conceived - and it's more of a legal question

in the places where it still has any legal meaning.

[Hugin]

112. Thanks for the clarification.

Quite frankly, I'm glad it's losing it's definition legal or otherwise.

I'm still waiting to hear if Jenna was pregnant. Odd how the priorities shift, isn't it?

[IndianaGreen]

92. Bristol Palin looks pregnant in this photo

while grandma Sarah does not:



http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/archive/2008/08/30/bristol-palin-pregnancy-is-sarah-palin-s-baby-really-her-daughter-s.aspx

[madrchsod]

98. she certainly does...and she does`t look comfortable....

[mrfrapp]

204. Re-dated

That top photo is going to be passed off as a recent photo. Just watch.

[ksimons]

244. And I don't see it here - but

but I betcha they'll start fakin' it. Plan A - she really is pregnant, but not by 5 months, but we'll say that to ditch the other baby rumors, or if she isn't pregnant (still possible) Plan B - We'll fake a pregnancy whose timeline will block the other baby rumor attacks (let's say it's 5 or so months). Yeah, yeah. Then, down the road, there will be a fake 'tragic miscarriage' which will keep anyone from ever figuring out there never was a 2nd pregnancy or what dates it related to - and we're all off the hook. woo hoo



I dunno, I don't see 5 months in this current pic - am I blind?

[Nine]

443. This is current?! Where did you get it? (nt)

[RamboLiberal]

294. As has been pointed out numerous times - Top photo is from 2006

http://www.adn.com/photos/v-gallery/story/509850.html?/1521/gallery/509852-a509987-t3.html

[MindMatter]

389. So you're telling me she was pregnant in 2006 also?

Man, I can't keep up with all the plot twists here.

[Ghost Dog]

427. Really? Registration required to access that page.

But I did manage to access this in that Anchorage Daily News blog, which I found relevant (emphasis added; + there are some links in text at source):

Rumor patrol -- Baby drama
Posted by Alaska_Politics
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/130178
Posted: August 31, 2008 - 9:15 pm
From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

OK - the Palin baby speculation is inescapable at this point. The left-leaning Daily Kos posted an item Friday called "Palin's faked "pregnancy"? Covering for teen daughter?"

It's a version of a rumor - long simmering in Alaska -- that Palin's daughter Bristol was pregnant and the governor somehow covered it up by pretending to have the baby (Trig) herself.

Then the also-left leaning Huffington Post slammed all the speculators saying that Democrats have plenty to target Palin on without the baby drama. "Guys, its a loser. Can we not do this?" writes Bart Motes. And then there's this from the Atlantic Web site , pursuing the questions.

So, time for some rumor patrol. It'd be nice to put this to bed.

The answer here should be pretty simple. It happened or it didn't. For months, we have been getting anonymous people telling us they "know" it's true, or people we do know telling us they've heard it fifth-hand. We haven't seen anything resembling proof. We asked the governor's office, and the governor, multiple times about it.

Here's a story we wrote soon after the birth. At that point, the questions were all about whether Palin should have flown back to Alaska to give birth. In the story, Palin's doctor talks about the labor and addresses questions raised at the time about Palin's decision to board a jet and fly to Alaska from Texas when she showed signs of early labor.

"The stage of her pregnancy was not apparent by observation," said an Alaska Airlines spokeswoman. The doctor, Cathy Baldwin-Johnson, said she induced labor once Palin was at the hospital.

What's the McCain campaign say? Nothing so far. I've called and e-mailed for an on-the-record response, but haven't heard back.

What's Palin's in-state spokesman, Bill McAllister say?

That it's not true. "The answer to that is no," he said.

"But beyond that, I don't know, why should we even have to say anything," he said.

McAllister was an Anchorage TV reporter before working for Palin. He said Palin once approached him - before people knew she was pregnant - assuming he'd been hearing rumors.

"She said it's not true about Bristol," McAllister said.

At the time, the rumor would have been that Palin's daughter was pregnant.

How does McAllister know it's not true?

"The governor's not a liar. That's the main reason. But also this would have to involve some sort of conspiracy with the hospital of Wasilla. They said she gave birth there. Is the doctor, the nurses ... are they all lying?" he said.

Why not share the birth certificate?

"What a thing to request -- prove that this is your baby," McAllister said. "I mean, my god, that's horrifying to think that she would have to do that."

I said one reason is to put it to rest.

"In my mind, there's nothing to put to rest," he said.

No, Alaska birth certificates are not public record. Meantime, this is all a plotline straight out of a recent season of Desperate Housewives.

[noel711]

100. As I said before: we shouldn't touch this..

The 'liberal bloggers' are already the target,
for putting this story thru the meat grinder,
and we will continue to be as long as this is
the hot button issue.

We are better than this;
NO more blather about Palin's judgment about her family.
Let the obvious elephant in the room speak for itself.

We have other fish to fry.

We keep talking about this in a nasty way,
we look nasty.

Let it go.

[madrchsod]

107. this woman is going to be one heart beat away.....

she`s running for the vice president of our country....we have the right to question every detail of her life. we are going to put our lives in the hands of a person like her?

no thanks

[wtmusic]

109. This issue is about honesty and hypocrisy.

It don't get much bigger than that. Last time it got us into a war, remember?

[LiberalHeart]

335. Speaking of hypocrisy...

Remember when liberals still supported a woman's right to privacy when it comes to reproduction? And now look at the posters trashing Bristol in the name of political expediency. Reminds me of when the neocons decided Valerie Plame was "fair game". There was nothing fair about that, and there's nothing fair about this. BabyGate is a path no one should go down. It not only doesn't benefit the progressive agenda, it makes many so-called liberals here look like like the biggest hypocrites ever born -- and we'll all be smeared by their actions.

[2Design]

114. the story is about palin - and yes we should pursue lies of the

possible vp - if the story was only about her daughter being pregnant that would be another story - but the fact that the daughter was pregnant last year is the story and that the mother said it was hers is the story

[Psephos]

130. One small voice of reason on a very ugly thread n/t

[adamuu]

132. good luck getting the toothpaste back in the tube.

at this point i feel foolish for even trying to prevent it.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

139. I beg to differ. This is a woman who preaches and wants "abstinence only" being taught.

See how good her position worked in her own life?

As long as Palin goes on record wanting to dictate reproductive policy, she is fair game IMHO.

[Blaq Dem]

250. Bristol is a lady in the streets and a FREAK in the sheets.

All this time, I thought it was the moose meat they were eating.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

265. That was unnecessary.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

103. I guess she didn't educate Bristol so she wouldn't have to make that decision.

I don't care about any child of Bristol's.

I find it appalling that Sarah would endanger both her life and the fetus she supposedly wanted to keep in order to give a speech. Then, instead of checking into a Texas hospital, as any sane mother-to-be would have done, she insisted on flying 10 hours to Alaska.

Sarah Palin, on that day, demonstrated precisely the sort of judgement calls we can expect of her in any leadership role. To her, appearances are more important than human lives...even those closest to her.

[Paula Sims]

106. NOW this can be used as a "judgement" issue against McCain

Palin obviously wasn't vetted and the decision was made as a reaction to the popularity of the Democratic convention. Snap judgment? You can change your mind here but once you start a war (which McCain is itching to do), you can't say "Sorry, do over".

I say she's going to resign by the end of the month, definitely before the Biden debates.

[madrchsod]

115. she has a baby with downs syndrome-who`s going to raise the child?

john just lost what ever support he had from the undecided voters

[Love Bug]

368. I agree! In fact, if anything else comes out, she'll be gone by

the end of the week. Right now some Repub big-shots are probably in smoke-filled rooms trying to find a way to get Palin replaced with the least amount of political damage. In fact, the daughter's pregnancy can be a handy excuse: "After much prayer and discussion with my family, I have decided to withdraw my name in nomination for VP to be there for my daughter and my 5 month old baby."

On my way home this afternoon, I passed a hotel on 494 that had a line of busses in front waiting to take delegates to St. Paul. Wanna guess what they're all talking about? I'll bet it ain't Gustav!

[kwolf68]

108. This and...

The comment that her son had a poor GPA and was unable to goto college to play hockey, so he join the service.

Quite a crew.

[NotThisTime]

354. How do we know about his gpa? As for the person who is going to raise the 4 month old - it will be

the same person who has done it for the last 4 months.

[amandabeech]

442. Some combo of Bristol and Grandma?

Daddy apparently can't hack it.

[olddad56]

110. Oh what a scandal this will be among the Christians, oh wait, shes a republican

never mind

[kwolf68]

121. Yea really

What bothers me is this women wants to get rid of birth control and choice for women. We on this side believe that would have disasterous consequences for women.

The fundies say they know how we can protect women ...with 'good family values'... We argue against the religious zealots that people need to be educated, need to have access to methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

So this nutjob removes the education and the protection and viola'...pregnant. We want this to be our society's outcome?

[MNDemNY]

117. NO, it's not Bristol that is PG, it's Willow, It IS Bristols turn to "take one for the team">

[Pale Blue Dot]

119. Mark my words: She'll be out of the race in the next 24-48 hours.

Somebody else will be accepting the VP nomination on Wednesday night. She'll drop out, and McCain and the Republicans will try to spin it as positively as they can.

This is an unmitigated disaster. Like Harriot Myers on steroids.

[wtmusic]

120. Buy your McCain-Palin campaign materials right now

and you will make a fortune on ebay.

[PSPS]

143. I agree

That's why they shut down the RNC and publicly confirmed this scandal today. In the next day or two, I expect they'll announce Palin's withdrawl and wheel out Mittens.

[GinaMaria]

179. That is sad news

Don't know about you but I was really looking forward to the VP debates. Biden vs. someone who thinks the founding fathers wrote the pledge, come on, this is must see TV! :)

[ksimons]

252. I doubt it - they doubled down and don't have any other bets to play... nt

[NorthCarolina]

394. I doubt it, the MSM is just getting started in spinning this turd into gold

eom

[1Hippiechick]

128. Palin not going to the telethon this afternoon - MSNBC calls it a "bombshell

right in the middle of the Republican Convention." Talking about fallout, and now they have THIS issue to deal with.

I'm LOVING it

[liberalmuse]

152. What was McCain thinking?

I can't think of anyone who would be considered qualified to be President wishing to take on this baggage. And that young girl is going to be needlessly subjected to the spotlight. Well, I have to hand it to the babygaters, you certainly forced out something huge, and it's a damn good thing it came out before the election. Jeez.

[BrklynLiberal]

181. What was Palin thinking? She KNEW and still stepped into the spotlight....

[southerncrone]

351. She's a selfsh bitch. PERIOD.

[CJCRANE]

246. To those "nasty liberal bloggers" - well done!

The bloggers said the daughter was pregnant...and she was!

Now it's about finding out *when* she was pregnant (if Palin decides to stay in the race that is. Otherwise she'd be better off hauling herself back to Alaska and spending more time with her family).

[LiberalHeart]

336. Oh, yeah. It's great. Wonderful. Let's find some more kids to trash.

[CJCRANE]

350. Palin isn't Mayor of Podunk anymore.

She's on the (inter)national stage and in the running to be the 2nd (or even 1st) most powerful person in the world.

And it is Palin who has deliberately used her children to promote her religious fundamentalist family values. So it's fair game to analyze her parenting skills.

[1Hippiechick]

463. You're missing the entire point. It's NOT the child - it's Palin's "judgment; or lack thereof.

[1Hippiechick]

464. From post 451

there ARE several points to be made here.

(1)If her mom weren't a far right fundie NUT, Bristol could have been put on birth control pills. Apparently the far right fundie nutjobs don't remember raging hormones in their youth BESIDES the fact that her own mom was preggers when she got married, I think, but don't quote me on that.

(2)Her mom's CHOICE to take on VP challenge w/a 4 m.o. baby w/special needs AND a teenage out-of-wedlock daugher screams that mom is an ambitious, narcissistic, self-centered (fill in the blank). What 'mother' would subject a 17 y.o. child to the RISK of WORLDWIDE humiliation, thus making her own grandchild a footnote in history (which will have to be explained to grandchild at some point). What 'mother' would abandon a 4 m.o. special needs baby on the alter of AMBITION? Where are HER family values?

The parents have said that they had "...hoped to keep Bristol's pregnancy a private family matter...." which indicates the intent was to keep it covered up until AFTER the election. Why?

All the above paints Palin as an AMBITIOUS HYPOCRITE, who touts family values,IMO.


The entire story is NOT being told here. No one has raised the question about WHY the girl has not gotten married yet. Personally, I think Bristol & 'boyfriend' broke up, based on language on his FaceBook - "single again and blah, blah, blah"

So, don't crucify Bristol - I sincerely believe that she had NO CHOICE in her family matter, which, again, goes against what her mother said--all for political gain.

Attack MOM's CHOICES which SHOW A CRITICAL LACK OF JUDGMENT, MAKING HER QUESTIONALBLE AS A VP.

[lonestarnot]

210. Holy crap the Straight Talk Bus, hanging on by 1 wheel! Bridge to Nowhere standing despite

earthquake!

[johnfunk]

134. Preggers Story Hits Blogosphere Like Hurricane Katrina

Uh-oh!

UPDATE: Lying Isn't Palin's Only Problem

MSNBC's Mark Murray is reporting on the First Read blog that the 17-year-old daughter of "family values", "Intelligent Design" shilling, stealth-Dominionist, Evangelical "dog-whistling" Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant and out of wedlock.

And there's speculation that this might not be her first pregnancy.

This revelation – arguably the most explosive and damaging to emerge since McCain announced his choice of Palin as his running mate – can only lead one to conclude that McCain and his team didn't make any serious effort to vet his Veep choice.

— Gene Gaudette

That was tagged on to Jeff Koopersmith's withering takedown of lying liar Palin.

[torbird]

142. Good! WE have to stay on this (I don't mean Obama)

WE have to carry this story for several reasons.

NUMBER ONE: the Obama camp cannot even mention Bristol. That is unacceptable and raises more problems than it solves--remember Cheney's daughter? It's an invitation to GOP attack. The surrogates (us) must keep it relevant (and it IS).

NUMBER TWO: Unlike the baby-swap story, which was sleazy, unproven, and premature at best (no pun), this story has actual newsworthiness. Abstinence-first and absolute morality are cornerstones of the religious right, which Palin is supposed to be delivering for McCain. This story speaks to that.

And, if your mom is the VP nominee, you don't get privacy. Blame the media, if you must. Or, look at your own party and blame Republican "great minds" like Scalia and Bush. National politics is not the game for you if you want your children to be shielded from scrutiny. If Bristol Palin is old enough to be used as a shield by her mother's campaign ("she's decided to keep the baby! SEE? I'm a good mother!" and "we're so proud of how grown-up Bristol is!") then she can face the music for knowingly engaging in one of the activities that her mom and her party have made absolutely clear are unacceptable under any circumstances.

The story is relevant. We're not picking on a kid. We're helping to undermine a stupid moral position that has sullied our national politics, and we're trying to undermine the party that forced its irrational, stupid policies on all of our children for the better part of a decade. If we "respect" Bristol Palin's "privacy," the Republicans get to keep their illusory moral superiority.

[SpookyCat]

367. You are exactly correct.

This is what foot soldiers are for. Obama/Biden keep their hands clean, but we do not.

Clean Democratic fight = 4 more years!

This is where people learn that Liberal does not necessarily mean pacifist.

[gauguin57]

137. If this story is all true, I feel SO bad for Bristol. 17, pregnant and in the national spotlight.

I have no idea if the Palins' version of events is true -- the timeline, the baby bulges, whatever.

What I do know, having BEEN a 17-year-old girl myself many years ago (who had wonderful, caring, involved parents AND also had a couple of pregnancy scares, because of my own irresponsibility in the hormonal heat of the moment ;) ) I really feel for that kid. She has to play out this drama in front of the national TV cameras.

I will NOT use words like "bastard" in relation to the baby. And I have PLENTY of other things to judge Sara Palin about (her stands on the ISSUES, for instance -- troopergate, bridgegate, you name it), so I really don't need to judge her as a hypocrite because her daughter's boyfriend talked her into having sex without a condom or WHATEVER happened. I'm sure I'll have OTHER things on which to judge her as a hypocrite (LOL).

Let's try to lay off the pregnant teenager, huh? Being pro-choice, for me, means accepting her choice (or at least not implying she's some sort of slut for having sex before marriage).

Now, if this story all turns out to be bullshit to cover Palin's lies ... ALL BETS ARE OFF! But I still won't diss Bristol (since, if this is a lie, that means she's a pawn in all this).

[bitchkitty]

141. Thank you for this post. n/t

[wundermaus]

170. Thank you for your personal insight, clarity, and candor...

That young woman is at best a pawn and at worst a victim of being the child of a rightwing nut case. Regardless, Bristol is not the target of our interests, she is merely present at the scene of a political car wreck. Lasers of truth should be brought to bear on Sarah Palin to cut through the smoke and mirrors of her classic, conservative hypocrisy and deceit.

[Digit]

183. As a mother myself, I would rather spare my daughter than to pursue my own political pursuits

It is so selfish of her, and I really feel for the daughter.

[NotThisTime]

356. I totally agree with you, I'm liberal, pro-choice, but I put my family first, no way would I do this

to my kid....

[liberalmuse]

185. Palin dragged her daughter into the spotlight.

Apparently the VP position was more important than her pregnant daughter's privacy and her special needs baby. :mad:

[Blaq Dem]

260. You're right. Bristol didn't choose this national attention.

But her mom did. Sarah knew. She should've declined the offer for VP rather than putting her family through tight scrutiny.

[dysfunctional press]

262. the stress of the situation just might cause her to miscarry...

with the dems getting the blame for their horrid 'whisper campaign' against her and her mom, and with sarah getting mountains of sympathy support.

has kkkarl still got it, or has kkkarl still got it?

[Oak2004]

273. FYI: It's probably best that non-bastards not use the word, but "bastard" has been reclaimed

http://www.bastards.org/

by some of us, anyway.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

138. Rick Santorum, please pick up the white courtesy phone...

It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good



http://www.amazon.com/Takes-Family-Conservatism-Common-Good/dp/193223683X/

The Pennsylvania senator explains the difference between social programs based on misguided intellectual ideals (liberal) and those based on a moral code (Santorum's). His oversimplifications are innocent, and he is not sanctimonious. His smooth rhetorical skills will make listeners tolerate, even empathize with, his consternation. Instead of counterproductive government programs, he wants to improve "social capital" in communities by supporting strong families, involved fathers, community initiatives, and people who use their strengths to work instead of scheming for handouts. He's resonant, uplifting, and fun to hear as he explains how to empower two-parent families instead of undermining them. Strangely appealing, it's a noble polemic that will fascinate listeners across the entire political spectrum.

:spray:

[SunDrop23]

140. Palin family values (nt)

[davidwparker]

146. "is going to keep the child and marry the father" - Aren't you suppose to

get married first and then conceive a child? I thought that was the order in right-wing households. I'm just shocked.

[rayofreason]

151. Thanks for giving McCain the election

Reading the Palin threads over the last few days (and similar fare at DKos) makes me feel like I have been rolling in muck and need a shower.

The level of disrespect for women, pregnancy, special needs kids, etc. I have seen just blows me away. I have a close friend who was a big HRC supporter and who was totally turned off by how she was treated. Now he tells me that he is is 100% voting for McCain! His wife too!! In Ohio!!!!! And I suspect that he is not the only one.

Obviously this was part of the plan - a tar baby strategy one might say. Nominate a woman and and let the intemperate attacks come. Know that crazy shit will pop up, and like lemmings to the slaughter, a whole bunch of "progressives" will become unhinged and march off the cliff. Just go to the DU and DKos, take a few representative sample posts and mail them to the demographic that supported HRC the most and were most turned off by what happened to her. Bingo - swing the swing states. Just wait a couple of weeks and look at the polls for Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota - places that should be true blue this year. Folks in places like that just tend to be plain NICE. The caricature on Bevis and Butthead of the Minnesota Mom is based on truth. And nice folks don't care for the kind of venom I've been seeing. Especially after the HRC debacle. Just wait and the shrill calls of "corporate MSN", "lying polls", "believe those #s? ROFLMAO" will start to bubble up. And come November they will evolve into "vote fraud", "Deibold hacked", "Voter suppression", "STOLEN", anything except the truth.

In the early days of September the democrats were undercut by some of their strongest supporters who so turned off so many moderate people that McCain won the election.

Thanks a lot.

[Name removed]

158. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rayofreason]

167. And trolls to stoke the fire n/t

[wtmusic]

173. Buh-bye

:hi:

[torbird]

159. Really?

I mean this in a nice way, but get over yourself. Don't be a drama queen just because there are some cretins in the world and (gasp!) even right here on DU! This is a discussion forum. Just like any forum for ideas, if you don't like what you hear, go get into another discussion. You don't have to read any of the "muck" you don't cotton to. This story is a legitimate story, though, and you need to see that.

Anyhow, I very much doubt that McCain is getting a big bounce from the DU message board.

[rayofreason]

176. All part of the tableaux.

The DU is the canary in the mineshaft.

http://thepage.time.com/2008/08/31/dead-heat/

Only one poll to be sure, but where did the bounce go?

[wtmusic]

186. Reverse psychology - we're merely the victims of our own policies.

Masterful! :crazy:

[rayofreason]

264. Policies?

What policies?

Pursuing flimsy rumors that Palin's youngest is really her daughter's and talking about it in a way certain to turn off undecideds is Policy?

[krabigirl]

197. Are you kidding?!? The woman was a train wreck WITHOUT the scandals.

[Bluebear]

332. LOL

[rayofreason]

398. Obama's not laughing

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3464980

[SpookyCat]

376. Any Democratic or Independant woman

with progressive leanings of any kind who votes for McCain out of some misguided sympathy for Palin is at best an idiot, at worst, well, looking for a reason not to vote for the black guy.

I do not believe HRC supporters are going to turn to this ticket b/c Palin is a woman. THAT is a patently sexist notion IMHO. That we can't think with our heads, that we are completely ruled by emotion and without any power of critical thought.

Bullshit.

Democratic "high road" = 4 more years.

[rayofreason]

401. What about...

...a Democratic or Independant woman WITHOUT progressive leanings. You know - the traditional, blue collar types in western PA or Ohio?

I say it is sexist to think that all women should think and vote in a particular way. My friend's wife is pro-life catholic who was going to vote for HRC with her husband. Now they will vote for McCain. How many more in West Virgina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio will be driven into the McCain camp by this scummy speculation about Palin and her family? At least Obama is trying to shut this crap down - he knows how it could damage him.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3464980

[SpookyCat]

413. Sorry if one is pro life, one is not a Democrat.

Period.

At no time did I say or have I said that all women vote the same. That is about 180 degrees from what I said.

If a woman holds those views, she may well vote for this nut job. But if she does not, and votes for McCain/Palin, she's an idiot at best, as I said before.



We need to clean out this element from the party. This primary particularly has exposed the misogynists, racists, homophobes and people who otherwise do not belong in the Democratic party. Time for the Dixiecrats to go.

We're a big tent in a lot of ways, but there are basic party platforms. Pro choice, stay out of my womb is one of the biggies.


****Edited to change the specific "you" to the general "one". This is not directed specifically at the poster I'm replying to, but in general.

[annabanana]

400. Nurtz... If we hadn't, they wouldn't have revealed that fundy mommie

has a preggers kid. We put them on the defensive for once.

[rayofreason]

403. I guess Obama disagrees

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3464980

[Politicalboi]

154. This is bullshit

They are up to something. I still don't believe that last baby is Sarah's. Either she'll "miscarriage" or they will pick up a baby from her cult. They are trying to put the genie back in the bottle on this one. I don't believe that Bristol is pregnant this time. Again child abuse charges should be looked into since Bristol is 17. Do recent pictures from last week of Bristol give any indication she's pregnant?

[wtmusic]

168. Looking more and more like a Rove construct

It takes a truly diabolical mind to invent such a tale. This one will explode in his face.

[CJCRANE]

234. I agree with you both.

I don't know what to believe except that I know Rove could easily create a lie to cover up a previous lie.

[MaineDem]

203. CNN reporting it, too. n/t

[YDogg]

304. I agree. Thsi could all be a ruse to distract from a less-attractive truth.

[scarface2004]

162. where s daddy!

what is age of consent in alaska...14?!?!

[Kablooie]

163. Ah'm votin' fer Makain now. Dat girl one'a us. Special if dat boy's her cousin.

[Psephos]

207. What's with the verbal blackface? n/t

[Kablooie]

209. Oh. It was supposed to be hillbilly backwoods talk, not blackface.

Guess I'm not too good with accents.

eh.

[1Hippiechick]

223. "Guess I'm not too good with accents." Or couth. :(

Nice attempt at humor. I guess you see that it failed, and miserably. Too easy to alienate others who are sensitivie to stereotypes, i.e., hillbillies. I'm not from the mountains, but I just have a real problem with making assumptions about others, particulary because of where they live or what their livelihood is.

Raising questions about Palin is a different can of worms to me. She's lied and put herself out there as a viable candidate, etc., etc., so she gets what's coming to her.

[rayofreason]

165. The blowback...

...is already evident

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/tamcam/archive/2008/09/01/top-hillary-supporter-switches-to-mccain.aspx

Keep up the sexism. McCain is counting on it!

[GinaMaria]

201. The real blow back

is that the Cons are already backing away from her. They are floating the issue that she misled them about a bridge issue... blah blah blah.... This Harriet Meyers nonsense has to stop. We have had way too much stupid in the exec branch for too long. Do you really think HRC supporters only vote by gender? Palin does not represent their interests. She is nothing like HRC and cannot even begin to touch HRC's achievements. HRC supporters are not shallow, like the GOP.

[Window]

280. Any blow-back will be on McCain & Co. This is there mess. Palin has been lying

and denying poor Bristol's pregnancy for many months in Alaska, where the rumors began.

Surely, if a Democrat were involved in something like this, it would be 24-7 unmerciful coverage.

Call it sexism if you will, but, there are some people who were never going to vote for Barack Obama anyway.

[rayofreason]

445. I guess Obama disagrees.

In fact, referring the the Palin pregnancy stuff he said "And if I ever thought that it was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that - they’d be fired."

Smart guy, that Obama. A lot smarter than many here.

[susu369]

169. Did Andrew ever find that birth certificate?

Seems that would be a real simple way to clear everything up.

"Palin said Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child."

[Name removed]

172. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Wednesdays]

174. When I first saw McCain and Palin in a picture together

I swore they looked like the leads in a sitcom.

Now, it really IS a sitcom. My God, they are starting to unravel. :popcorn:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

255. McCain + Palin = BORIS and NATASHA

Coupla Nogoodniks. lol

[SunDrop23]

178. What would make this even better is if the child's father is not a Christian (nt)

[NorthCarolina]

390. If the child's father is a black or hispanic the fundies will be apoplectic

eom

[dropkickpa]

180. Now which political story arc is more like the Spears'????

17 Year old daughter, havin' a baby, getting married to father of child, la di da di da!! Now which celebrity story does this remind me of??

[wtmusic]

191. McCain/Spears? McCain/Hilton? This campaign needs some respect.

:rofl:

[orleans]

188. talk about your news dump. release this news on the day the

hurricane makes landfall and people won't even notice.

msnbc just said mcbush knew about the daughter's pregnancy before he chose palin to be the running mate. sarah said they are proud of her daughter's decision to have the baby and even prouder to become grandparents.

my thought: AGAIN!

[sandrakae]

190. Is she going to go to college?

Im stretching my memory here but im thinking back to some things Rick Santorum said. This Republican mouth peice beleives woman should be home taking care of their children and not trying to better themselves by going to college.

[krabigirl]

199. Probably not, and the party of family values will say how great that is.

[Tutonic]

193. About five months pregnant....Wait until the Enquirer gets ahold

of this one. Baby No.#1 and 2 belong to Bristol. Timelines were fudged with by MCain/Lyin.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

231. Anthrax envelopes being addressed to the Enquirer now

Look how they were punished after the front page pic of drunk, smoking Jenna on top of her girlfriend.

[Ghost Dog]

251. My (unmarried) lifetime partner used to work

in a famous Harley St., London abortion clinic. She explained a lot of details to me, including the fact that medical professionals discuss pregnancies in terms of number of weeks, not months.

I would push for a lot more specific, and verifiable, detail here in this case.

[1Hippiechick]

198. FAUX commentator asking if McCain knew of the pregnancy before tapping Palin

because it calls into question McCain's judgment,

Neil Cavuto is f*cking crazy! He's comparing this to a soap opera that is probably welcome to America on the unconventional ticket....


Well, if it helps broaden our image to a broader base.....

Will be tough for the Dems to challenge this Bristol predicament....

Makes repub supporters feel that we have issues that they can relate to - that we are in touch

"had this been a democrat--Joe Biden's daughter--haven't heard from the Dems on this

There are going to be the extreme liberal haters who criticize and say republicans preache family values..

Man o man this has been a humanized (?) party this week.. they've had to foregoe their convention this week. they've stopped to raise money for the hurricane victims, the now have a fmaily member, blah, blah, blah.

"We ultimately elect the 'top guy' blah, blah, blah

Neal Cavuto: "I think it's gonna help."

I am going to FAUX right now and tell them what an IDIOT Neal Cavuto is, and then I'm gonna write Olberman! Does Neal Cavuto have ANY idea how utterly STUPID he sounds?!? OMG

The straight talk express has thrown FAUX under the bus and wrecked! No survivors!

[madrchsod]

236. he did! some judgement....

[Blaq Dem]

278. CORRECTION: he did! AFTER watching the news.

McCain found out the same way we did--by watching the news. He knows nothing about that woman. He saw a "pretty" face and a "tight ass" and thought he had to put her on GOP ticket.

[blossomstar]

205. This is really a science fiction movie.... isn't it?

This "trash" can not be coming from the "world's super power USA". The potential VICE PRESIDENT of the USA's daughter who's children sound as if they are named after sled dogs is going to marry her 17 yr. old boyfriend LEVI because she is KNOCKED UP? This is what I call a "cheezy poo" mom. Except she gets her mom to do all the child pampering while she plays with her blackberry and tries to figure out just what it is a VP does. We literally look like a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY to the rest of the world. It is all literally UNBELIEVABLE. Somebody tell me that it is McPow's idea of a BAD JOKE. PLEASE. If this is all FOR REAL, we ALL need to be VERY AFRAID for the safety of this once great country that we all love.

[HughBeaumont]

211. With this 20-ring circus, I'm reminded of a Dilbert punchline which I'd like to paraphrase . . .

"Ever get the feeling we're ALL driving the getaway car?"

[Epiphany4z]

215. did they really

vet this woman?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

221. AGAIN?

She, or somebody other than Sarah Palin (:puke:curse the name) delivered when - April? What is this BS? I hope all these lies blow up on them.

[Maestro]

222. Yeah for abstinence education!

Yet another fundievangelical failure. The sickening thing is that this is probably the second time she has been pregnant and she is probably being forced to marry someone whom she may or may not love really. Even more sickening is that the family will play this off as "God's will."

[defendandprotect]

224. Could we just call them MC PAIN . . . ????

No matter how many grandchildren Sarah Palin may be hiding as her own children --

the right-wing pro-life crowd will love them even more ---

Meanwhile, a poster of a pregnant 17 year old with a shotgun behind her ---

and the question "Abstinence Only-?" . . . will be highly effective in our schools!

[1Hippiechick]

225. If you can stomach it, WATCH FAUX NOISE. They are stepping all OVER themselves. It is hilarious!

[madrchsod]

226. ....sarah throws her daughter under the bus to save herself

and johnny boy who knew of the daughters condition....

[wtmusic]

235. It's not the liberal blogs but her own ambition

which is taking a toll on her daughter.

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.

[madrchsod]

245. it`s become a bad lifetime movie

[1Hippiechick]

239. FAUX Noise: Hurricane Bristol! Nervously awaiting poll results since McCain's base is the 65+ crowd

I can't believe they are admitting that there may be a problem - all I have heard thus far is how WONDERFUL this breaking news is for the Republican party.

Don't know exactly what this "telethon" business is this afternoon. Fund raiser for the Repubs or for Hurricane assistance? My guess would be for hurricane assistance.

Can you imagine the questions and comments on THOSE telephone lines?????

[scarface2004]

242. the pugs convention preempted by movie 'knocked up'!

liberal bloggers rule the world!!!!

[Stryguy]

249. SHE WAS 16 when she got knocked up.

She's been pregnant for 5 months and thus was 16 when she got pregnant.

16 years old. wow.

That, my friends, are parenting skills.

Wouldn't the conservative christian male be saying that this is a prime example of why women should be stay at home mom's taking care of the family instead of trying to be a politician. It's not like her husband is a stay at home dad, the guy has 2 jobs and owns a company. So if she becomes VP and he's busy running a company and working 2 jobs who's going to be raising their kids? Since they're doing such a kick ass job as it is.

[RedSpartan]

257. A negaitve for McCain, but not a game-changer.

Heard the prego thing on the radio a few minutes ago. It's a double edged sword. On the one hand, the so-called "family values" crowd will love it -- she's keeping the baby, marrying the father, etc.

On the other hand, people are petty. Remember, there were those who voted for Bush because they wanted to have a beer with him (an admitted alcoholic; the irony is overwhelming). Some will be turned away by it; they don't want Jamie Lynn Spears a heartbeat away from being the First Daughter. Also, it brings to light the results of abstinence-only education and, possbily, extreme conservative christian influence. That's scary and will open some eyes to the right-wing radical Palin is.

Further, what kind of mother accepts the VP nod knowing her daughter is going to go through this kind of scrutiny on a national level? It's a real turnoff. Bottom line, I think it's more of a negative than a positive for McCain, but not a game-changer.

[nichomachus]

263. Good for Bristol -- I wish her the best

She didn't buy into her mother's right-wing religious bullshit -- and I don't think anyone else should either.

I hope she has a healthy baby and is very happy.

[rocktivity]

266. Ahem--they JUST found out aobut it???

They didn't have a clue that she was five months along?

Well, Sarah, it was fun while it lasted. Time for you to step down in order to spend more time with your family!

:rolf:
rocknation

[SheilaT]

365. It would not be the first time

by any stretch of the imagination that a pregnant teenager kept it secret from her parents for a long time. My older sister got pregnant shortly before she turned 17, and was able to fool my mother for a good six months. And at the time Mom was a nurse working in OB.

And think of the teens who have given birth and hidden the baby and no one around them actually realized they were pregnant.

It is possible that Bristol just recently broke the news to her folks.

Although it is quite interesting to me how many fundamentalists have "shotgun" marriages.

Personally, despite my sincere belief in choice, which always includes having the baby, I still don't get having the baby first and then getting married, which is more and more common these days.

[rocktivity]

457. But Palin admits that she told McCain about it.

Even if she found out only recently, and you believe her story that she told McCain's vetters, why did they stay silent against it? Surely they must have realizes what the consequences would be if the story leaked out. Why didn't they release their statement before the announcement and control the story that way? WHY DID THEY TRY TO COVER IT UP???

:headbang:
rocknation

[DuaneBidoux]

267. Okay let's pretend I'm a non-hypocritical freeper here is my take on it:

My God, what is she doing pursuing a career and abandoning her five children to the fate they get in this sinful world. Is this a family value? It is obvious that her daughter is in this shape in the first place because she hasn't taken care of her own children.

God says that a women's first duty is to her own family and obviously she hasn't fulfilled her first duty. I can't possibly vote for someone who says she believes in family values and then abandones those values for the selfish pursuit of her own career. There is no way God approves of this, and he told me so personally.

[Still Sensible]

269. Let the Story Tell Itself Now

No doubt this story will have incredible legs. The numb nuts RW will rally around the fact that the poor girl and her beau are "doing the right thing." In fairness, regardless of all of the other political aspects of this story, the child is being noble and will need the support of her family to get through this. Any and all "piling on" by the opposition will only serve to unnecessarily misdirect attention.

It is important at this point for the LW blogosphere to lay low, and now that the story is out, let events unfold and let the story tell itself--regardless of where the story ultimately goes. Much like the Edwards story, the Enquirers and their ilk will bird dog it and even the MSM will be paying attention.

Let the general public draw their own conclusions--particularly the independents and undecideds--about the hypocrisy of the wing nut positions on birth control, family values, parenthood and the like. If the story ends up going in a much stranger direction it will get there on its own now that the bird dogs are on it.

This story is one of those rare gifts in politics that can keep on giving... so long as we don't allow the narrative to become not about the circumstance, but about crass attacks on a 17-year-old girl or her mother.

And please, while we all know Sarah Palin does not share the values of the vast majority of women, make no mistake, if our attacks continue to reflect some of the misogynist overtones we have seen in some quarters lately, we will have only ourselves to blame for the consequences. Our candidates are so far taking a high road approach and they are right.

[Ghost Dog]

432. Agree and welcome to DU.

Some fact-checking ought to be in order, though.

[Still Sensible]

454. Thank You

And you are right on the fact checking.

[Faith No More]

270. I guess they'll name this one 'ol number two.

Jesus, this little gal has had her legs up in the air more that a member of the Flying Wallenda's!

[olddad56]

272. McCain is the father, that is why he had to choose her mom as his running mate.

[SpookyCat]

388. Oh dude...trying to eat lunch here...

[George II]

274. I wonder when she turned 17 and how old is the "young man" who is the father?

THIS could be the reason for the alleged coverup of Palin's "fifth" child or Bristol's first child:

Statutory Rape in Alaska:

http://blog.laborlawtalk.com/2006/10/18/alaska-statutory-rape-laws/

The age of consent is defined as 16 years old, according to Alaska statutory rape laws. If a person who is at least 18 years old engages in sexual activity with a person who is 16 years old or younger, he or she will be charged with sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree. This charge is a felony in Alaska. And remember, it does not matter if you did not force or threaten the other person into performing this sexual act with you. It is still a crime under Alaska statutory rape laws.

Any person who is 16 years old or older who has sexual intercourse with a minor who is 13-, 14-, or 15-years-old will be charged with sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree. Again, this charge is also a felony.

You can also be charged with a felony – sexual abuse in the third degree – if you are at least 16 years old and you have sex with anyone who is age 13-15, or if the person is a minor at least three years younger than you. In addition, Alaska statutory rape laws declare that anyone who is 18 years old or older who has sex with a person who is 16 or 17, or who is at least three years younger than the offender, can be charged with sexual abuse in the third degree. This is also a felony.

Alaska statutory rape laws carry punishments that include imprisonment and fines.

[Oak2004]

277. I'm perfectly willing to buy that Trig is Sarah's baby -- it was always one plausible explanation

Those who jumped to conclusions after seeing the inconsistencies but not gathering all of the data were, well, hasty at best, sleazy at worst.

But none of what we know explains why she did what she did when her water broke. Was she hoping to kill the kid? Was she more ambitious than sensible? What was it?

[nvme]

279. No trailer park foto is complete

Just hand her some moonpies and RC Cola to wash down with. ooops don't forget the unwed expecting mother. Oh she will be precious marching down aisle and being wedded infront of the bar b Q pit in her maternity/wedding dress. Hope her water doesnt break during the ceremony!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

282. The Gimp is a wonderful program.

And it's free. And if one was to look at the original picture, before I adjusted it, it was very apparent that the brighness and colors had been scaled downward to obscure the baby bump.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6851895&mesg_id=6852273

[Name removed]

285. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jimlup]

291. This is a personal matter. Leave it alone!

We support reproductive freedom. We don't want to attack on this. Let the redneck republicans deal with it by themselves. They will have enough problems with it without us doing anything.

Don't touch this! It is not our style.

[Wetzelbill]

293. it's an issue when Republicans make it a point to demonize any rational

approach to sex education. Abstinence only? Come on, that's just not viable. As with most problems with the GOP, it's the hypocrisy. I don't care if Ted Haggard is gay. Or Larry Craig. I do care that the GOP cultivates homophobia and is anti-gay rights. I don't care that David Vitter wears diapers and buys prostitutes. I do care that all these self-righteous hypocrites parade around as the party of "Moral Values" and they made the Clintons lives miserable as a result. I don't care if Bristol Palin is pregnant. But I do care that her mother doesn't believe in sex education. So no, don't attack the kid or anything like that, but point out that in the real world bad policies like "abstinence only" don't work. The offer up a debate on what does work.

[jberryhill]

292. Lay off the kids - No 17 year old needs the world's attention on this

It is what it is. Teens get pregnant. In other news, water is wet. It's good to hear any parent - hypocrite or not - speak to the importance of loving your kids.

Sarah Palin's ambition is quite another story. That woman is nuttier than a walnut grove. The "blessed news" was addressed by them as "mononucleosis" for five months. If this was an upfront "we support our daughter" thing, they wouldn't have reached for the lie and hoped that things might "work themselves out".

But, here's the ambition thing - THIS IS "NEWS" THAT I DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW. Sarah Palin guaranteed the entire planet would, and she made that choice regardless of anyone else's privacy interest when she accepted the nomination.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

328. It's not the kid, it Sarah who parades them as props and examples of family values. nt

[jberryhill]

411. I get that - The GOP are the ones attempting to exploit the situation

Hell, they'll probably name the baby Gustav to boot.

The focus needs to be on Palin and McCain and their judgment.

[penndragon69]

295. The title should read,

17 year old daughter is pregnant AGAIN !

[liberal N proud]

298. So, Sarah, How is that Abstinence Only thing working?

I feel sorry for the daughter, oppressed by a radical mother, now pregnant because of her mothers misguided "VALUES"

[bobd0]

314. With little Bristol at 0 & 2 I'd say it isn't working out too well

[bobd0]

299. What's the big deal? It's her second child. The first one is the BIG news.

So little Bristol just happens to be pregnant and of course McCain knew ALL about it when he chose Palin -- even though he didn't even bother to vet her for the second highest political office in the country.

Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows this is Bristol's second child. The evidence is overwhelming. Congratulations on number two, Bristol. No surprise to me. Now, if that guy who already got the milk actually buys this cow THEN I'll be surprised.

[Zuiderelle]

309. Wow, that's a fucking disgusting thing to say.

Everything was just fine up until that last sentence. You really should figure out when to stop, before you alienate half the people reading what shit you're writing.

[bobd0]

326. After the last eight years nothing is too disgusting to say

What disgusts you more? Palin's hypocrisy or my repeating an old saying?

Why buy the cow when you can get the mild for free?

This kid, whoever he is, obviously gets all the milk he can handle so there is no need to buy the cow.

[Zuiderelle]

343. Neither of those disgust me as much as seeing sexism among democrats.

Comparing women to cows is not exactly a progressive thing to say. To say it in relation to this overwhelmingly sexist reaction to Palin makes it blatantly sexist in context.

[humbled_opinion]

364. Stop...

Being overly sensative. His point is about the Hypocrisy of the idiots in control of this Country. Women are free to do whatever they want with their bodies, If she decides she wants to lie down with the High School Football team and make babies then that is her business. However, If her mother wants to champion for Women... You know breaking the glass ceiling and all... Then maybe she should teach her little sweety about Contraception or not be so against Abortion as an alternative to bringing these, most likely unwanted children into the world. Haven't you learned yet that Repukes are the most self loathing animals on the planet.

[bobd0]

371. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

It's an old saying that I didn't coin. If you don't like it then please go tell someone who actually gives a shit. :)

[1Hippiechick]

301. Whoa, Nellie. I have a DIFFERENT quote, "We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby"

that sounds more like it was up to her whether to even HAVE the baby or not.


http://www.rr.com/view/content/story.cfm?storyId=5715020&view=NEWS&sSect=LP2-T2VGEN&trProv=NE_AP_3

"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents," Sarah and Todd Palin said in the brief statement.

[bobd0]

306. So Bristol is pro-choice?!

[hedonist63]

310. This just in it's John Edwards' baby

Elizabeth Edwards is in remission so John Edwards is the father of Bristol's baby too...maybe he impregnated the guv too...did you hear that Chelsea sent a Father's Day card to Web Hubbell...nice smile cutie!

[1Hippiechick]

316. Well hello, stranger.......like pizza?

[hay rick]

305. This story live from Lynne Spear's trailer park

Fortunately, Bristol is having her kid at a MORE RESPONSIBLE age than her mother. See any article on age and Down Syndrome risk.

[Zuiderelle]

313. It's posts like these that convince me there are people here JUST to stir shit

and distract from the real issues. You might think you're subtle, but you're not.

[hay rick]

341. Don't aspire to subtle

Real issues are not going to win or lose this election. This is a country that elected and re-elected GWB. QED.

You can't distract people from real issues when they are not paying attention in the first place.

That said, I think getting pregnant at 43, when you already have 4 healthy children, shows an element of irresponsibility. I bet the baby is unplanned. There's a real question of responsibility here- which is a quality I hope we're seeking in a person who may be one heartbeat away from the presidency.

[Zuiderelle]

344. A lot of women have babies at 43. Are you questioning their sensibility as well?

Maybe the better question is, why on earth would we judge a woman by the age she is as a mother, more than we would judge a man? No matter that one is actually having the baby, they are BOTH parties to the decision. They are both culpable.

We will never win by attacking someone like this. There are PLENTY of other things to go after her on.

This thing will play itself.

[hay rick]

358. 43 yo moms not all the same

All 43 year old moms face at-risk pregnancies, both for themselves and for the fetus. Two points here:

A woman who has delayed having children and hears her biological clock ticking is in a totally different position than one who already has four healthy kids.

One hopes that ANY 43yo woman would at least be making a conscious decision and consult her doctor before getting pregnant. Palin didn't.

And yes, a man getting a 43 yo woman pregnant bears equal responsibility. I don't want Mr. Palin for second dude, or whatever his title would be, but that issue is too trivial even by my standards.

[demgrrrll]

361. You got it !

[Still Sensible]

312. How can a parent do this?

Frankly I question Palin's ambition, and Palin's (and McCain's) judgment going ahead with the nomination knowing that this would come out... to my mind it is like she threw her daughter--who is going to go through as rough a time as you can imagine--under the bus of public scrutiny... and I find that appalling!

[nradisic]

317. Palin says 17-year-old daughter is pregnant

Source: Associated Press via Yahoo News!

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer 53 minutes ago

ST. PAUL, Minn. - John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin said Monday that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant, an announcement campaign aides said was aimed at rebutting Internet rumors that Palin's youngest son, born in April, was actually her daughter's.
ADVERTISEMENT

A statement released by the campaign said that Bristol Palin will keep her baby and marry the child's father. Bristol Palin's baby is due in late December.

"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents," Sarah and Todd Palin said in the brief statement.

The disclosure of the pregnancy came on the opening day of the Republican National Convention, scaled back because of Hurricane Gustav, and three days after McCain named Palin as his running mate. Other news was likely to overshadow the disclosure.

"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family," they added. The father was identified in the statement as Levi, but the campaign said it was not disclosing his last name or age.

Sarah Palin's fifth child, a son named Trig, was born in April with Down syndrome. Internet bloggers have been suggesting that the child was actually born to Bristol Palin but that her mother, the 44-year-old Alaska governor, claimed to be the mother.

Palin spokesman Bill McAllister emphatically denied those rumors, and McCain adviser Mark Salter said the campaign announced the daughter's pregnancy to rebut them.

"Senator McCain's view is this is a private family matter. As parents, (the Palins) love their daughter unconditionally and are going to support their daughter," said McCain spokesman Steve Schmidt.

"Life happens," he said.

"An American family," added Salter.

The advisers said Palin told them about the pregnancy during lengthy discussions about her background. At several points during the discussions, McCain's team warned Palin that the scrutiny into her private life would be intense and that there was nothing she could do to prepare for it.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080901/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin_daughter

---

Holy Cow!

[tabatha]

318. Except announce it up front - when she introduced her family.

[DesertFlower]

319. Bristol's decision to have her baby?

does this girl have a choice. would her parents allow her to have an abortion? Jesus H. Christ.

[1Hippiechick]

324. I just posted the same thing on another thread. The quote here is DIFFERENT, and I agree w/you!

Adds another spin to the story, imo.

[humbled_opinion]

370. Oh Jesus Forbid.... lol

Abort that child and risk votes for your mother... What a bunch of self loathing hypocrites... this should lose the election for McCain for sure... Doesn't even have the judgement to vet his running mates family... What an idiot... America wake up...

[LeftishBrit]

320. Poor girl...

anyway if she's pregnant NOW, she's unlikely to be the baby's mother.

[torbird]

321. Mom and daughter

...both nursing at the same time, and mom loaning Bristol her maternity clothes...now, THAT will play really big in middle America! I mean, who hasn't been a mother and grandmother simultaneously, am I right? Huh? Hello...?

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

322. So it's true, then.

She did fly all the way back to Podunk, Alaska after her water broke. What incredibly shitty judgment.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

323. I feel for the young lady.

I really do. 16 or so is youth, the time when one is expected to fuck up royally and a lot. On the other hand, it is not a good time for your fuckups to become international news.

That said, she is being cruelly and abysmally used. Oh, I suppose that the press can take some of the blame for this, perhaps 5% or so. The real blame should be laid at the feet of her family and the repukes.

As Exhibit A, I offer this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6851895&mesg_id=6852273

This is an enhancement, a rather simple one, taken from the original photo released by the repukes. The original photo had been darkened and the colors unnaturally manipulated to obscure the obvious pregnancy of the young woman. It was a simple process to to restore more realistic lighting to the picture and reveal what many had suspected: the young woman is pregnant.

Now, should Gov. Palin and the repukes start mouthing protestations and outrage over the revelation of the obvious(and to this point, where was our press in this? Providing cover? Have they no eyes?) the essential point in all this is not the pregnancy. The pregnancy simply points off to larger issues: Coverup. Hypocrisy. Naked and Venal Ambition. And more.

Frankly, it is the sort of thing we here have come to expect from the repukes. One would hope that the rest of the nation would start to have the scales fall from their eyes.

And to Bristol: My heart goes out to you. Nothing you have ever done deserves this. I would suggest that you address any questions you might have about this sad turn of events to your parents, John McCain and his staff and The Republican Party, for frankly, they wrote the rule book and it informs their every action.

[2Design]

325. she just gave birth in april - so are they now going to fake her beign pregnant or is this baby #2 n

[helderheid]

348. my question as well

[junior college]

340. Let me get this straight..

1. McCain picks young female VP in pathetic effort to gain Hillary supporters and offset his age issue.

2. It becomes widely known that McCain's VP is embroiled in scandal where she is suspected of firing someone for personal reasons having to do with a child custody battle.

3. McCain's new VP gets up in front of a large crowd and shamelessly lies about her position on the Bridge to Nowhere.

4. McCain's new VP (From the party of "family values") then reveals that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.

[MindMatter]

345. With this family of cretins, you need a scorecard to keep track of all the babies

Bunch of trailer park misfits -- actually that's an unfair insult to all the trailer parks out there.

And this is a person McCain thinks is fit to be VP because of her family values? No thanks. We don't want any of those values. Get this tramp and her hillbilly clan out of my life.

[greyghost]

346. As improbable as it is, YOU NAILED IT!

[Name removed]

349. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

355. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CJCRANE]

384. Interesting pics

but I think she's just being cutesy.

Sarah Palin would be her brother's mother-in-law and Trigg would be her brother's brother-in-law but sometimes it gets too complicated to explain these things so people use simpler terms*, that's my guess.

*There's a word for it, I've forgotten what is right now.

[jmowreader]

366. You, of course, know how WE need to spin this

As the failure of "abstinence-only" "sex" education that it is.

[annabanana]

402. dingdingding WE HAVE A WINNER!

This is why we run with the unsubstantiated... to put them on the defensive (nice to have the shoe on the other foot for once)

[sushi]

382. As an outsider

reading the posts in this thread, and I haven't finished yet because there are so many, it's like the US has two populations. One is for abortion and the other against. If I may ask, how do you plan to solve it? You are ALL Americans. This is a very delicate subject and I try to avoid it but I just had to say this. I hope I don't get cancelled for this.

[Pastiche423]

385. I am surprised that the folowing has not been considered...

Trig is Bristol's son. She is not pregnant for the 2nd time. What you see is post pregancy weight. She will have a miscarriage, thus only one bundle of joy was born unto the Palin family.

Problem fixed!

That is if everyone believes Sarah is the mama, not the grandmama.

[connecticut yankee]

397. Please read my theory

Post #276

[n9949y]

416. Palin pulls out

Is there any basis for what on the West Coast are comments that Gov Palin may withdraw from being nominated VP to spare her family and her husband any further intense scrutiny?

[L. Coyote]

418. Congrats on your 1st DU post. Too bad it is misleading! Bye.

[L. Coyote]

417. Congrats Bristol, and hoping all goes well.

[cascadiance]

421. Photoshoppers already busy! Juno (er Juneau) II

[ckramer]

422. Aren't some of us out of wedlock bastards?

It's okay to be one!

LOL

[Stryguy]

430. Of course it's fine to be having a kid out of wedlock.. UNLESS

Unless your political party beileves they are the moral superior because they are more "religious" and teach abstinance over safe sex practices.

[Stryguy]

431. I know what call Sarah is going to be answering at 3am

The call of a baby crying as she takes care of her 17 year old daughter's kid.

hahahah who am I kidding. These people aren't taking care of their kids. Someone else has to be.

[INDIA]

423. I friggin LOVE DU. I was telling my friends about this story the other day...

and they all laughed at me. Today, after this broke, they are all calling me and asking my opinion on the latest developments, lol!

[NibiruEnkiAnu]

424. yeah

Let's make an issue out of Barack's middle name.

Let's make an issue out of him not wearing a flag pin on his lapel.

Let's make an issue out of his brother living in a hut in Africa.

Jamie Lynn Palin is pregnant? Let's congratulate her and move on.

and i still think this is her second time having a baby...

[ckramer]

433. check this picture out

[Quantess]

438. And yet, Gov Palin opposes birth control and sex ed.

Oh, the irony.

[rainman99]

439. Thank you, John McCain.

For handing us the election. All this stuff about her and it hasn't even been a week!

[Anais_98]

446. palin

I just have to say that this situation is very sad. It's sad when it happens to a young girl, and its especially sad to see so many of my fellow 'liberals' delight in the misfortunes of others, even if it happens to crazy fundamentalist nutjobs.

Attack Palin for her policies, not her family. That should be off limits. And we also shouldn't place all the blame on her, yes, she may not have taught her daughter about contraception (i'm making that assumption). But her daughter is 17, not 5. She can make her own decisions such as whether to have unprotected sex or not. And there is no way you can stop a teenager from doing that.

And finally, i absolutely hate all the sexists comments. People are criticizing her for running and not being at home taking care of her kids, putting them first etc. This is why it is so hard for a women to run, as soon as she does her personal life is scrutinized in much greater detail. Her 'mothering' skills are open to criticisms that she is selfish and unwomanly, unlike male candidates.

Having said that, she is not someone i want in the whitehouse. But let's not stoop to their level to win this thing.

[Alwayshere]

451. Bombshell

This has legs.

[skooooo]

466. Young people make mistakes

Many young people make mistakes. This is part of the human experience. Politics has nothing to do with it. Palin family is standing behind her and supporting her decisions. Now that is what I call "family values".

[skooooo]

467. baloney posts

I cannot believe all the rediculous accusations and statements I am reading on these posts. It feels like a bunch of people who are delusional and determined to distort facts into conspiracies and outlandish dribble. Yes, and I am a democrat. I won't be wasting my time on this site. You all need to get a life.

[kayla9170]

470. Palin's Pastor....Terrorist attacks in Israel are God's Punishment to Jews.....

Read Below...........

link........
http://www.americablog.com/2008/09/terrorist-attacks-in-israel-are-gods.html


Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Terrorist attacks in Israel are God's punishment to Jews who
don't convert to Christ, speaker at Palin's church says in
her presence
John Aravosis (DC) · 9/02/2008 11:14:00 PM ET · Link
2 Comments · reddit · FARK · Digg It!

Holy crap.

...just two weeks ago, when Palin’s church, the Wasilla
Bible Church, gave its pulpit over to a figure viewed with
deep hostility by many Jewish organizations: David Brickner,
the founder of Jews for Jesus.

Palin’s pastor, Larry Kroon, introduced Brickner on Aug.
17, according to a transcript of the sermon on the church’s
website.

“He’s a leader of Jews for Jesus, a ministry that is out
on the leading edge in a pressing, demanding area of
witnessing and evangelism,” Kroon said.

Brickner then explained that Jesus and his disciples were
themselves Jewish.

“The Jewish community, in particular, has a difficult
time understanding this reality,” he said.
Brickner’s mission has drawn wide criticism from the
organized Jewish community, and the Anti-Defamation League
accused them in a report of “targeting Jews for conversion
with subterfuge and deception.”

Brickner also described terrorist attacks on Israelis as
God's "judgment of unbelief" of Jews who haven't
embraced Christianity.

"Judgment is very real and we see it played out on
the pages of the newspapers and on the television. It's very
real. When was in Jerusalem he was there to
witness some of that judgment, some of that conflict, when a
Palestinian from East Jerusalem took a bulldozer and went
plowing through a score of cars, killing numbers of people.
Judgment — you can't miss it."

Palin was in church that day, Kroon said, though he
cautioned against attributing Brickner’s views to her.

Don't forget that McCain was more than happy to join in the
fray over Rev. Wright's obnoxious comments. So let's not hear
the McCain campaign cry foul over an examination of Sarah
Palin's church.

Labels: Israel, john mccain, sarah palin