Times (UK): "Sarah Palin hit by internet rumors over fifth child"

[bidenista]

Now it enters the MSM, looking like a Dem smear campaign. This is just going to make her more "likeable" to a public that does not want to see a mother-of-five being smeared by anonymous %$&*holes on the internet:

September 1, 2008
Sarah Palin hit by internet rumours over fifth child
Tim Reid in St Paul

Teams of Democratic operatives and investigative journalists descended on Alaska yesterday to delve into the private and public life of Sarah Palin, the new and little-known Republican vice-presidential nominee, as fresh questions arose over whether she had been vetted properly by the John McCain campaign.

After the stunning and show-stealing announcement by Mr McCain on Friday that he had chosen the 44-year-old Alaskan Governor as his running-mate, new information emerged over allegations that she tried to use her gubernatorial office to take revenge on her former brother-in-law, part of an ethics investigation that will be released on October 31 – five days before the general election.

If Mrs Palin, a conservative mother of five, ever doubted that landing on a national presidential ticket would open her to the harshest of spotlights and smear tactics, she also awoke yesterday to utterly unfounded internet rumours that her fifth child, born in April with Down’s Syndrome, was actually her 17-year-old daughter’s....

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4647965.ece#cid=OTC-RSS&attr=2015164

[bluestateguy]

1. It's starting up the media food chain

you people pushing this had better have the evidence.

[cliffordu]

3. I didn't know anyone in the media took this place seriously....

Or knew it existed, actually.

[BlooInBloo]

6. It's big interwebs. They could be seeing it in any of a jillion places.

[cliffordu]

11. Well, yeah, but not in a BRAZILLION of places, though, huh?

[BlooInBloo]

19. No, not quite a brazillion. :P

[cliffordu]

32. lol

:hi:

[vaberella]

18. democraticunderground is not really underground. I suspected this would happen. n/t

[NotThisTime]

29. No worries, my DH got this info off his company intrawebsite, there are lots of websites....

[Egnever]

75. Seriously?

media people post here.

they just don't identify themselves.

[LongDistanceRunner]

77. I told you that this story had legs, yet you continue Operation Snuff

[Raine]

12. You think it's just in DU? It's ALL OVER

the internet and not just on polit boards, it's on TV discussion boards etc. So no point in trying to hold posters on DU responsible.

[BlooInBloo]

33. Yes, DUers really DO think it's just DU. lolol!

[Ichingcarpenter]

38. LOL.......... That's fricking funny.....

I love the "You People' thing too, it reminds me of the Dave Chappell's parody of an episode on MTVs real life.

[SoCalDem]

45. I saw it discussed on an Alaska teachers website

They've been discussing it for MONTHS.. We are NEW to the party.. most of us did not even know who she was last week..

we just know how to do research...unlike John McBlunder

[Native]

16. Geez - how many of the dots can be easily connected?

20? 25? Do you really think it's going to take weeks of serious investigation to blow this out of the water? Coincidences of this plurality generally turn out to be far from coincidence.

[MindMatter]

61. Exactly.

The pictures are damning. If they are not faked, that's 90% of the case right there.

The reports of the State pulling down al the rest of the pictures, if true, is tantamount to an admission of the story.

The 6 months of mono and a long jet ride after water breaking, if true, are both really implausible.

Moreover, this is EXACTLY what you would expect from a person like this. Fundies are not sane people. They rarely live their lives as they claim. For them, life itself is a big lie. A woman who has held herself out this way, faced with a pregnant 16-year-old, could very well have reacted this way. We know she thought she could manage the news. That's what put her in the hot water with the firing scandal.

Any of the rest of us, faced with a pregnant 16-year old, would have taken one of three paths:

1) Get the kid an abortion
2) Bring the baby to term but put out for adoption because the child is not mature enough to be a mother
3) Bring the baby to term and fully support the mother as extended family.

Why couldn't she choose #3? Because fundies have to maintain the aura that they are morally superior to the rest of us. In her twisted mind, that would have ruined her career. So she found option #4.

In fact, most people would be sympathetic if she went the #3 route because, well, 16-year olds get in trouble sometimes.

[Ichingcarpenter]

20. "you people"

:) :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Motown_Johnny]

24. all we need to do is force them to answer it.. It isn't like the Repugs have Muslim evidence .

against Obama.. they just throw the shit up against the wall and see what sticks.




The thing is we did not make this up, It existed in her home town prior to her being selected as VP nominee.. we are just bringing it into the light

[MindMatter]

64. She can settle it with a simple DNA test

Maybe it isn't fair. The big time is a little different from Alaska. Life isn't fair. But if she has been telling the truth, she can prove that very easily with a DNA test. If Bristol was impregnated by somebody other than her father, that would be very easy to see in Trig's DNA sample.

She can shut all of us up with a simple paternity test. If she doesn't have anything to hide, why not take the test?

[Crooked Moon]

39. yep. next headline:

"the left finds its version of the 'muslim rumor'"

[avaistheone1]

49. It didn't start at DU. It has been a rumor in Alaska for many months

and a number of journalists began talking about in the media early Friday morning before the story hit the DU.

This thread is much ado about a pretty innocuous article on a UK website.

[RagAss]

55. What people?....nothing here but digital images.....

[woolldog]

2. These rumours were circulating long before

she was nominated for VP. It's not a Democratic conspiracy that's pushing this.

[bidenista]

5. your faith in the msm's willingness to make that clear is touching! nt

[vaberella]

22. That's what I was thinking. Soon it will be the Obama camp's fault and we have more drama ahead. n/t

[avaistheone1]

59. B.S.

Let's shake in our knickers.

Let's be afraid. Let's be very afraid.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

4. Looks like the Times is doing a smear job.

What proof do they have that "Democratic operatives" are behind the rumors? What defines an "operative"?. Am I an "operative" because I post on Democratic Underground? And when can we expect reportage from them on the multitude of spurious rumors about Obama spread by known Freepers? Who must now be called "Republican operatives" since they post on Free Republic.

[rug]

8. How dare they say such a thing without proof!

[cliffordu]

13. LOL Nice!

[Franks Wild Years]

Murdoch owned, remember... (nt)

[bidenista]

10. it's murdoch-owned...

We're going to get the narrative that MSM interests want us to have.

[truthN08]

17. Also

You NEVER see anything that says the right wing created the rumors that "Obama is a muslim" meme that they have been pushing FOREVER. Obama had to fight smears and continues to who is Sarah Palin not to have to fight back. No one felt sorry for Obama.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

23. The Muslim rumors were traced to one guy!

But you never hear about it anymore.

[eshfemme]

47. Yeah, actually you do. A consistent 10% of the US population believe the Muslim rumor.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

76. are you kidding me - I hear it all of the time.

to be fair I live in a Repub area - but it's an affluent, well-educated area.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

35. The Times did not say or imply that "Democratic operatives" are behind the rumors.

The Times did not say or imply that "Democratic operatives" are behind the rumors.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

44. Arrgh! You're right. I'm wrong.

I misread the first paragraph. I must have conflated it with the OP's comment. :banghead:

[anigbrowl]

51. Er, no.

I don't care for the Times at all, but it doesn't say that or even imply it.

[Arugula Latte]

52. They say "utterly unfounded" rumors .... How do they know this?

Did they investigate?

[MindMatter]

68. Technically that is correct

There isn't a clear foundation for the story yet. It is still in the "where there's smoke, there is fire" stage. But this one is looking to me like a case of a typical small-town scandal that had nowhere to go until Sarah got thrust into the limelight.

Let's keep reminding ourselves that the ultimate issue is not Bristol and her baby. The issues are McCain's judgment and his mental state. If this story has been evident in Alaska and his people never made it to Alaska to check it out, that tells us everything we need to know about John McCain. I'm sorry if the child gets hurt in the process. Her mother was in a position to avoid that, so I'm not going to carry any guilt on that one.

[adamuu]

56. hehe. i tried to say something.

but its too late now.
in retrospect, there was nothing i could say.

[BeyondGeography]

7. "utterly unfounded"

Whatever...some good reporting on Troopergate in that article. And the Babygate tease will just cause more people to look into the story, which is good.

[MirrorAshes]

34. I found that to be rather silly too.

There is no proof either way. There are photos that lead to very reasonable questions about the situation. "utterly unfounded" is as irresponsible as saying "absolutely true."

we just don't know yet.

[creeksneakers2]

42. All she has to do is produce the hospital birth certificate

Although I don't think she has a duty to.

[MirrorAshes]

63. You're right, but it would certainly be politically prudent for her to do so.

And fast.

If these rumors have been flying around Alaska for months as so many people have said, why would she not have done it by now? And why wouldn't she do it IMMEDIATELY now that she is dead center in the national spotlight?

[JVS]

66. see 65

[Bernardo de La Paz]

67. The Hospital doesn't list the child on their page for that day (not definitive)

This is not definitive since they might not list all births, but the hospital doesn't list the child on their page for that day or the previous day or the next day.

Mat-Su: http://www.matsuregional.com/nursery/show_day.php?month=04&year=2008&day=18

[JVS]

65. troopergate helps erode her credibility on babygate

especially wrt the birth documents made by someone she later promoted

[solowannabee]

74. yep, this babygate is a very juicy story

However, I found a pic that may show that the baby was sarah's all along. Have you seen this pic anywhere else?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6855265&mesg_id=6855265

[nc4bo]

9. but but the Repugs have already descended upon Alaska for some after the fact vetting...

something about the firing of a state trooper I hear.

[adamuu]

57. thats the real story

hilarious, isn't it?

[vaberella]

14. Martyrdom, thy name is Sarah Palin. Thanks to the fanatics we get the smear title. n/t

[BlooInBloo]

28. How quickly "concerned" DUers forget "Obama is muslim" and other golden oldies.

[RollWithIt]

15. /shrug....

I don't think it's a bad thing at all. It highlights the fact that she's completely unvetted. No one REALLY knows anything about her.

[yourguide]

21. No, it looks like a newspaper reporting an internet rumor...

it doesnt suggest the dems are responsible.

but, irresponsible reporting IMO. They should check it out before printing such rumors.

[Lorien]

31. It's the Times of London-a very conservative rag

we'll see how it plays out in less biased papers.

[BlooInBloo]

25. A variation on the old....

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/04/18/beltway_wisdom/

[AlCzervik]

26. i looked it up on google and so far DU isn't on the first 10 pages.

just sayin.

[scarface2004]

27. great...we are more laughingstock now!

sheez!

[MirrorAshes]

37. no, we're not. and when/if it comes out that this is in fact true...

it won't be a smear. it'll be a shameful hypocrisy-filled cover-up by a supposed "ethics reformer" to keep her political career alive.

its out there now, theres nothing anyone can do about that. but we won't be held responsible. they only have themselves to blame.

[musicblind]

46. Yes but that ignores the reality that is probably not at all true. n/t

[MirrorAshes]

60. The pictures bring that into serious doubt.

If there were no pictures, there would be no story.

The pictures turn it into a "who are you going to believe, Sarah Palin or your lying eyes" situation, and that's a tough spot to escape from.

[musicblind]

73. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6857774&mesg_id=6857774

[jazzjunkysue]

30. Let me be the first to rec this to the heavens

I never send emails, but this one went out 10 seconds ago to my family...

[JVS]

36. This is good news.

"After denying initially that she or anyone in her administration had ever pressured Mr Monegan on the issue, she was forced to admit this month that half a dozen members of her administration had made more than two dozen calls to state officials on the matter – but that she was not aware of the calls."


More will come

[Arugula Latte]

40. It's funny. There is a lot of hand-wringing over this story getting out or legs or whatever, but

do we see the Republicans wringing their hands about the "Obama is a Muslim" lie? No, we do not.

[AlCzervik]

41. The smears about McCain's "Black baby" didn't him win anything, don't we so quick

to assume that this will help Palin.

[1corona4u]

43. One thing people never think about is....

most websites have referral tracking info. If a site sees thousands of hits coming from DU, they can come here and read what's being said. Most every site on the net nowdays has some type of tracking, so they all know DU is looking at them. Again, It leads them right back to DU.

[creeksneakers2]

70. Andrew Sullivan has a link to the hospital

He's probably driving far more traffic than DU.

[ClarkUSA]

48. Good for bloggers -- here's why this isn't off-limits ---->

The McCain campaign has made the existence of this child a central part of its PR rollout of Palin,
in particular highlighting the fact that Palin chose not to abort the child even though she knew the
baby had Down Syndrome.

The campaign has made the entire story of this pregnancy and birth a part of its narrative to portray
Palin as a morally superior being who is therefore deserving of the second-highest office in the land.

There is a serious possibility that this narrative is completely false, that, in fact, Palin's daughter
became pregnant, and that she decided to take the following steps: first, hide the pregnancy by
withdrawing her daughter from school; and second, pretend that the child was hers, in the process
lying to everyone around her, including the public and her staff. If she did this, one must then ask,
why? Certainly, it was preferable to an abortion. But why couldn't she simply admit that her daughter
got pregnant at sixteen? Palin could have served as a wonderful role model of family support for a
pregnant teen, and obviously she would have helped to raise the child. Instead, Palin sent a message
that her daughter was shameful, and that lying is better than the truth.

Even if one could excuse this behavior as a misguided effort to protect her family, what happened
next is beyond the pale. Knowing full well the truth, Palin allowed the false version of this story to
be used as part of a PR campaign to dupe voters into viewing her in a completely false light.

What this says about her is that she believes that when you get into a situation where there might
be public embarrassment, the best thing to do is lie (apparently, the same thing she did with
Troopergate). That, to me, seems relevant to voters making a decision in November.

http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2224950/32953676

[adamuu]

62. are you the one who emailed Andrew Sullivan ? n/t

[MindMatter]

69. And then there is this little question of insurance fraud

Is it fraud to falsely report dependents on an insurance policy?

In this case, if the baby was Bristol's, then perhaps the grand-daughter would still be covered on Sarah's policy. Nonetheless, it still seems like a fraudulent act.

[PolNewf]

50. Unfortunately I now think it is true

It shouldn't matter. It should be a private family matter. But after reading this http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223

and seeing her from a previous pregnancy here http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo/080831/480/529a19dfc6774f308117d4be16d30c8d/
(add the last "/" to the address if it doesn't get linked correctly)

It is hard to believe she is pregnant in both. I feel bad for the daughter.

[marshall]

53. I knew this was coming

It's almost like Karl Rove has been posting here as a mole. This ridiculous story should be dropped. It gets more preposterous by the hour. Now it appears that Palin went into labor in Texas, gave birth to a child that apparently died there, and switched her child with the illegitimate child of her daughter Bristol--possibly fathered either by husband Todd or son Track.

I'm sure it will be even wilder tomorrow.

[MindMatter]

71. Karl, nice to see you

Feel free to look around, but don't break anything.

[marshall]

72. That was my thought too--it's like something cooked up by Rove

But Gustav may make it all moot anyway.

[IsItJustMe]

54. People talk. That is a fact that can't be changed by you or me. Just the way it is. This story

was already big in Alaska for quit a while now. It has to run it's course. Sorry to say, but it seems to be human nature. I don't think you can blame this on any one group. If a person does, well, let's just say they are pissing in the wind.

[rainbow4321]

58. As usual...it hits the international news media first.

Well, I should say it hit them second. It hit U.S bloggers FIRST!!

[mitchum]

78. Her magic book does say "the truth will set you free"

[Discerning]

79. Kick n/t

[will3800]

80. The Right wing is pushing this

Rupert Murdoch is pushing this story what does that tell you.