Leave the kid alone!

[Raven]

She didn't ask for all this attention. She's got a huge problem to deal with, one that I wouldn't wish on anyone. At 16 she'll be a baby raising a baby. This family has an enormous challenge ahead of it. If I were Mom, I'd head back to Alaska and take care of family business. What a sad and strange story.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Excuse me?

Who's attacking the kid? We're attacking the sociopathic liar of a mother she has. If someone doesn't like me doing that, too bad.

[hedgehog]

8. SInce the kid is pregnant, doesn't that imply that the mother didn't lie about herself?

Keeping the kid's privacy isn't telling a lie, imo.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

12. Palin never met a lie she didn't like and she's running for VP

... She "flew" 8 hours in labor putting giant Hefty bags on the airplane seats to avoid soaking the plane in amniotic fluid eh?

[samsingh]

58. how many other innocent kids are the gop morons going to attack?

how many gopers attack areas of the US that vote liberal and blame them for natural disaster. idiots like palin and mccain laugh at these offensive comments.

at least the people here listen to each other and genuinely don't like attacking others - only do so in an election context and to point out the hypocrasy in the gop.

[samsingh]

59. how many other innocent kids are the gop morons going to attack?

how many gopers attack areas of the US that vote liberal and blame them for natural disaster. idiots like palin and mccain laugh at these offensive comments.

at least the people here listen to each other and genuinely don't like attacking others - only do so in an election context and to point out the hypocrasy in the gop.

[Mz Pip]

2. It's not the kid

I wish Bristol well. She'll need all the luck and help she can get.

It's about the hypocricy of the conservatives who tout abstinence only family values. Sarah Palin can't influence her own family but wants to impose her values on the rest of the country.

That's a discussion worth having.

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. !

:thumbsup: It's always the hypocrisy with repugs, isn't it?

[Mz Pip]

11. Can you imagine the RW's

outrage if it had been Chelsea Clinton at 16 pregnant?

It will be interesting to hear the spin on this.

[SammyWinstonJack]

16. Oh no doubt they would have had a field day! Let the Spin Begin!

:evilgrin:

[Fuzz]

33. Bingo

[BanTheGOP]

3. I AGREE

I agree that this should be a topic. The republicans are the party of "family values." (Note that the Nazi party had the identical mindset).

We need to do whatever we can to DESTROY Palin. If it takes using her daughter to illustrate that point to the republican base, so be it.

[CC]

5. No one will pick on the kid but her mother is a whole

different story. Her mother didn't care if her kid's story was splashed all over the world news. Mom's ambition trumped kid's privacy or even care.

[POAS]

22. She KNEW Bristol was Pregnant when she said

yes to McCain.

No intelligent person could think that this would not expose her daughter to immense public scrutiny.

The responsible move for a caring parent would have been to say "Thanks but no thanks" to McCain.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

70. You're wrong, I'm afraid. Look at these threads.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3901942&mesg_id=3901942

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3903780

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3903266

[shadowknows69]

6. Oh Hell No!

You don't get to pick your parents but I'm sorry, the age of holier than thou rethugs ends now.

[BlueIdaho]

7. Blame John McCain and Sarah Barracuda

John didn't vet his pick and Sarah Barracuda chose her political career over any possible impact all this national attention would have on her family.

Its about judgment.

[Warpy]

9. Blame right wing parenting and abstinence classes in school

instead of full and honest sex education.

Don't blame the kid.

[Stern21]

10. I'll get flamed for this because of my low post count

but I agree.

It's about Mom, not the kid.

[Raven]

13. I think I'll take my lead from Barack Obama on this and I suspect

he will have some sympathy for this family and stay far, far away.

[BanTheGOP]

32. Strategically, I agree

Barack should stay away. It is up to US to push this issue hard! Indeed, Barack's family should be exemplified without his actual campaign to bring out the Palin mess of destruction.

But WE can hit this issue....AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN!!!!

I'm NOT EXAGERATING...we need EVERYTHING WE CAN GET to obtain the significant majority in the ballot box to overcome the republican efforts to invalidate many of the votes.

Once we have the presidency, the house and the senate, we can SERIOUSLY bring out efforts to fully invalidate and criminalize the status of the republican party.

[riderinthestorm]

14. I agree with you

but her mother obviously didn't care enough about her daughter. Palin had to know that this news would place her daughter squarely in the bull's eye of a media frenzy. This shows me ever more clearly that Sarah Palin's ambitions are much more important than her vaunted family values. I'm trying to imagine making the decision to run for VP with a 4 month old disabled child AND a pregnant teenage daughter - honestly, I can't imagine putting my family through that gauntlet since in my world, my family's sanity would be pretty damn important and the stressors of the media scrutiny are of such intensity, in my opinion, they would batter my family unit during a pretty stressful time already.

[FedUpWithIt All]

15. I agree about the girl. We should leave HER alone.

She is young and it will especially difficult for her to be in the spotlight for this particular issue considering the ticket her mother is running on.

As far as her mother is concerned....x( there seem to be a lot of serious issues going on at "home". She releases the info about her son's deployment, she takes risks with a premature labor for the sake of her political career, she accepts the VP nom KNOWING her daughter will have to deal with the increased focus. This family, very young infant (with down syndrome)and pregnant teenager included now have to travel, smile, wave, repeat for her "career". I am all for women having the same career opportunities as men. But i also think men AND women should place their families well being BEFORE their ambitions. (***Edwards***Palin***)

[JitterbugPerfume]

17. I agee Raven,leave the girl alone

she has enough to deal with . Can you imagine having Sarah Barracuda for a mom? Teen pregnancy is not all that uncommon in the Fundy community . They are very sexually repressed , nd this is the results.

[Celebration]

68. Aha, I am going to add Sarah Barracuda to this--

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3904110&mesg_id=3904110

[likesmountains 52]

18. Thank you.

[EFerrari]

19. It is a sad and strange story.

That poor girl.

[SoCalDem]

20. Tell that to Mrs Moose..

:)

[endless october]

21. i agree with you.

leave the girl alone. defeat McCain on policy positions, not this tabloid shit. bashing family members is the territory of the neocon assholes. look what they did to Bill and Hillary, and look what they are trying to do to Michelle.

we should never stoop to their level.

[POAS]

23. Why did her mom drag her into the national spotlight?

[Raven]

25. Maybe Mom didn't know. It's possible that the kid was keeping

it a secret.

[JanMichael]

27. no offense, but she couldn't keep it a secret from millions of

internet users who were looking at photos saying, posting, and thinking "oh shit, that kid's knocked up."

Sarah Palin is either stupid, or lying. I don't care which, either. I think she needs to go home and practice some of those good 'ol fashioned family values of taking care of your family.

[Texasgal]

28. From what I understand

she announced the pregnancy to squash the baby-gate 1 rumor.

[POAS]

30. I was referring to her

entering the race when McCain called. She could have and should have stepped back and thought about what national exposure would do to her child!

If she had stayed in AK the rumors would have stayed in AK and not on CNN, NBC and the rest!

[Texasgal]

37. True...

I was just commenting on what I read.

[POAS]

44. OK

[AlCzervik]

24. Agrred and Palin should stop blaming liberal bloggers.

[RayOfHope]

26. This message is for Sarah, right? Because I haven't seen any DUers ragging on the kid. n/t

[madrchsod]

29. no one is saying anything about the girl

it`s her crappy parents that deserve everything that we give them.

mom has a downs syndrome baby to raise but she decided not to.

[POAS]

31. Dragging those kids into the national spotlight

borders on abuse in my book.

Slam away folks I don't care. Those nut-job parents deserve all the shit they get thrown at them!

[JDPriestly]

34. Raven, Sarah Palin's daughter is yet another symbol of what is wrong with the conservative ideology.

I have a friend who had a baby at 16. She is now in her 50s. Not one of her three children finished high school.

And then, we wonder why there is so much poverty in our country and why we cannot compete. Sarah Palin's daughter's pregnancy is just the beginning of a difficult life for this young woman.

Sarah Palin's daughter need a good, explicit sex education. My daughters (and their Unitarian friends) are living proof that good, explicit (and I mean explicit sex education) prevents teen pregnancies.

Ignorant kids with romantic notions think sex is something mysterious and yet -- another way to grow up fast.

The fundamentalists of the right wing in America are trying to unload their puritanism about sex on the rest of the nation. In the process, they are ruining the lives of many of their children and are trying to ruin the lives of all of the nation's children, especially our daughters.

Liberals did not make teen pregnancies and sex a political issue. Conservatives did.

Sarah Palin's poor daughter is just one example of the many, many young girls in this country whose lives are ruined by our national obsession with sex. She is yet another symbol of what is wrong with right-wing fundamentalisme.

Get over it, conservatives. Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. . . . . And you do it too. Get honest. Get real. Stop condemning your children to the fate of Sarah Palin's daughter -- an unwanted, premature pregnancy.

[EFerrari]

40. That young woman is not a symbol, she's a person. n/t

[BanTheGOP]

48. But her daughter represents MORE than herself

The problem here is that the POLICIES that are put out by that she-devil of a mom of hers puts MILLIONS of girls, JUST LIKE HER, in DIRE STAITS! It is her mom's Nazi-like adherence to a mythical June Cleaver persona with a wolf-killing rifle that needs to be exposed to the sheeple who are brainwashed by the republican mindset.

Keep in mind: her daughter will NOT WANT for top notch medical attention. Her baby will be in the TOP ONE PERCENT of rich people in the United States.

But the POLICIES her mom puts out ENSURES that many poor people are enslaved for life to live in squalor, caused FULLY by the edicts, the whims, and the destructive tendencies of people like her she-devil mother.

HIT IT HARD...don't worry, she will recover, and her baby will be fine, HOPEFULLY with her grandmother in prison for ethics violations when DU gets done with exposing her!

[EFerrari]

51. You're objectifying a human being. Is your candidate so lame

that he has to win this on the back of a teenage girl?

[BanTheGOP]

56. I don't understand your question

Exposing hypocrisy is NEVER lame. Indeed, NOT bringing out this point would be the ultimate in suppression, and it would be our fault if it happened.

This is a WAR, not a DEBATE. Make no bones about it...the republican party needs to be taken out any legal way possible. And if using the republican's own draconian policies against them is not legal, then we might as well stock up on Swastika's and brownshirts and building concentration camps.

(Oops, it already has happened...'cept for the swastikas, which are actually elepants)

[EFerrari]

61. Self serving justifications. Thank goodness Axelrod and Obama

aren't taking advice from DU.

I hope the next time Michele is attacked, or the girls, that none of you bother to object.

[JDPriestly]

67. People can be symbols.

Bush, for example, symbolizes a lot of things.

So does Ghandi. So did Terry Schiavo. Ms. Palin's mother is a politician and a public figure. Gov. Palin accepted McCain's selection as VP running mate knowing that her daughter was pregnant. If she could not figure out that people would scrutinize her daughter's life once Gov. Palin was a candidate for national office, she is naive.

Families of public figures are not off limits. Not in the real world anyway. Sorry.

[BlooInBloo]

35. "If I were Mom..." - nuff said.

[applegrove]

36. I agree we should try and stay away from making the story about a kid really.

Let us focus of Palin's experience and policies. That is all we need to do to win.

[AldebTX]

38. Her MOM

Her Mom should of said NO when asked. ANYONE with an iota of motherly care would of said no to the vice presidency to spare their daughter this media attention.

It would of been a NON issue if her mother had not jumped onto the national scene.

What comes first family or political power?

[KharmaTrain]

39. Perspective Please...Leave ALL The Kids Alone!

I know this is almost impossible to ask for in this day of self-gratification and a sensational coporate media, but for me, and I suspect many others here...this matter wasn't about the Palin children...they are being dragged into a national spotlight that will drastically alter their lives no matter what happens. We didn't put them in that situation...her parents, and specifically her mother did. And further, the entire matter will now grow no thanks to the selfish, cynical and desperate motives and actions of John Sidney McCain. PERIOD!

As I kept saying (as did others), this matter wasn't about who the mother was or even about the religious aspects, but from a purely political perspective. It points to parents who put their careers and egos ahead of the best interests of their children and a corrupt political party that is attempting to parlay Palin's selection as some kind of "new feminist" in a ploy to hoodwink women and play for the votes, and more specifically the pocketbooks of the "base" of fundies and other right wing "moralists". Remember, since Friday, Camp Gramps pulled in $5 million in much needed money and pandered to the most repressive and intolerant elements of the party.

This is now a big character issue with both Commander Huff'nPuff and Grannie Sarah Barracuda. What message does this send as to their ability to govern responsibly and rationally? As always, one can't help but note that if this had been a Democrat, I'm certain the cables would break into their hurricane orgy and blast the news...fortunately they're not doing this, yet, but it's still to determined how they'll handle this scandal...and, yes, it is now a REAL scandal, not some rumor mongering by "whackos" (ala Obama is a Muslim)...the initial reports were confirmed (the girl's pregnancy) and it forced Camp Gramps, while an American city is once again fighting for its survival, to use this as cover to release this dirty little family secret.

[BanTheGOP]

41. I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE

I HIGHLY disagree with your thesis. Of COURSE I feel for Palin's daughter and unborn grandchild.

But THIS must be TRUMPETTED for ALL TO SEE...that kids are kids no matter HOW draconian the republican party edicts are!

And it is a TREMENDOUS NEED to SHOW THE WORLD about the HYPOCRISY and the VACUOUSNESS of the republican party.

This, in fact, is our BIGGEST WEAPON. Yes, a WEAPON. We MUST USE the republican's insidious humanity AGAINST them.

Palin's grandkid is our greatest gift of all. As long as Palin stays in the race, we can POUND and POUND her on this issue.

Her daughter will be alright. It's not like they will be out on the street, unlike the policies of Palin would do for most girls in this situaion. But let's fact it: republican kids are, by nature, far more egregious and insipid than those of progressives.

USE THIS, people... HARD!

[KharmaTrain]

46. Slippery Slope Time

There is no political gain for the Democrats to TRUMPET this scandal...and anyone who dares to take advantage will get hammered by both the repugnican spin/slime machine and its corporate media toadies.

The story develoved in the blogosphere and it forced Gramps hand...and I give props to those who did the digging, asked the questions and forced this matter to be addressed. And I strongly encourage even more investigating...not about the children but of the motives of the parents and the hypocrisy of both the GOOP and its religious puppetmasters.

There were those here who showed "concern" that we not even discuss this matter...accusing anyone who asked a question as to trying to slime the family. That isn't the issue...it's the judgement of the parents about using their children as pawns for their own political careers and the use of this female stalking horse to cynically exploit the legacy and hard work of Hillary Clinton and others who did put the cracks in the glass ceiling that Sarah Barracuda is trying to exploit.

I'm not against those of us here in the blogosphere to keep hammering on this...and now there's a real fire, not a rumor. But I don't want to see this taken by Democrats to pile on this irrational and utterly dispicable pick for the second highest office in the land...one 72-year old heartbeaat from the nuclear football.

Yes, we, as in the bloggers and posters, should use the hypocrisies here and continue to ask questions of judgement about the ambitions of the Palins and Camp Gramps, not the children. I was disgusted how little Trig is being used as a prop (see the People magazine cover) and attempt to use this failure of the parents and of its fundie agenda (homeschooling, abstinence education, attempts to eliminate sex education, birth control and a woman's right to choose) to gain sympathy.

Plus now this opens the door into other Palin cover-ups...Troopergate and her Bridge to Nowhere flip-flop and why did Camp Gramps not come forward at the outset of rushing Palin's name out and only now, while a hurricane threatend to flood NOLA again and how this disclosure was put out when so many aren't paying attention...call it a Gustav newsdump. I still haven't seen a network talk about it...and in the fucked up world of the 24/7 news cycle it will fall beneath the radar.

This story proves there's more there there...keep digging, keep asking, keep posting.

My response isn't to those who want to downplay this matter, but to those who played net nannies and concern trolls about even discussing matters regarding the Palin's parenting and what I will say is abuse of their children.

[Liberal In Texas]

42. Sorry, but since her mom decided to become a national political figure

and is an exponent of "Abstinence Only" education it HAS to be pointed out that even for her own daughter this awful policy DOES NOT WORK!

Also, if one of Obama's daughters were pregnant, what kind of field day would the RW have with that? You know the answer! It would be much worse.

[POAS]

45. Been trying but you said it better then I have been!

[Marr]

43. Some of you people were born to lose, I swear.

How many times have you heard exasperated people right here on DU say how the country's gone stupid; that it's a nation of sheeple? How many times have the Republicans demonstrated that hitting below the belt *works* in this country?

You can admit this fact to yourself, but then shy away from twisting the knife politically because it hurts your sensibilities... or because you think the public will suddenly grow a sense of honor and wisdom, and reject such attacks. They *won't*.

You back away from things like this out of a sense of politeness and the only thing your protecting is your own ego.

[Raven]

47. Don't insult me just because you disagree. I don't see Obama

jumping down the rathole on this but maybe you think he's "protecting his own ego" too.

[Marr]

55. Sorry if the truth hurts.

No, you won't see Obama jumping on this-- nor should he. You never saw Bush criticize Kerry's Vietnam experience either, because they knew they had to keep their guy out of the mud as much as possible. That does not mean we should all climb out of the mud.

Candidates can fail their supporters and you know what? Supporters can fail their candidates, too.

[LanternWaste]

69. What is truth to one person...

What is truth to one person is mere opinion and conjecture many others...

[jonnyblitz]

52. so you really think Obama will LOSE unless we focus on this

tabloid crap? PLEASE. :rofl: :rofl: you people are fucking BATSHIT!

if this is the ONLY way we can win than we DON'T deserve to.

[Marr]

62. "This is the only way we can win and not deserve to".

A beautiful sentiment. I'm sure it will be very comforting next time we lose.

If we're going to offer mental assessments to one another, I suggest you drop the kharma bullshit, take off the rose-colored glasses, and see the world as it actually *is* for five minutes.

[WhollyHeretic]

53. And some of you people were born to be Republicans.

[EFerrari]

54. Oh, bullshit. Every single thread attacking Andy and Termite

sounded exactly the way these threads do. You people are giving me flashbacks.

[Carolina]

49. Oh, spare me. This isn't about the kid...

It's about her asshole mother's judgment. We are not calling Palin's daughter names as repukes so viciously did in commenting on 13-year old Chelsea Clinton's looks in 1992.

No, we're pointing out the hypocrisy of the adults around her! There is no such thing as a private family matter anymore when you enter politics and Sarah Palin should have known that. She ain't just in Alaska anymore! Welcome to the real world of NATIONAL politics. It's her 'moralizing, pass judgment on others' GOP that crafted the politics of personal destruction against Bill Clinton -- and continually used it to winning advantage in the echo chamber of cabal news and hate radio -- against all Dems.

You think if Obama had a 17 year old unwed, pregnant daughter, they wouldn't be all over it like flies on dog shit? They'd be calling her every imaginable stereotype and saying if he can't manage his household, how can he manage the nation...

Fuck 'em. Fuck 'the we're above that' shit. Call 'em on their hypocrisy.

[Ikonoklast]

63. I wish I could recommend this post

You summed it up nicely.

[Marr]

64. Exactly.

You said it much better than I could.

[seaglass]

66. So in turn we moralize and pass judgment. Thanks, but no thanks.

If I wanted to be a Republican I'd join their party.

[liberalmuse]

50. McCain and Palin are to blame, not us.

They both willingly (if McCain even knew, which I doubt) dragged this girl through the spotlight. If Palin didn't think this would be an issue, given her politics, she is even dumber than I thought. And a sane Presidential candidate would never have even gone near Palin if she had been properly vetted.

[EFerrari]

57. Raven, I'm going to do something else. Glad you posted the thread.

Nice to see someone isn't suffering from tunnel vision around here. :applause:

[samsingh]

60. what would Palin do if one of the Barack (or Biden, Gore, Clinton) girls

were pregnant? Would they leave it alone or use this as an indictment against Democrats everywhere? What would the MSM do, protect the privacy of the girl or blast it out on every single show?

[tpsbmam]

65. Sorry but if your parent

is going to run for VP on a family values ticket, the family's behavior is fair game. And I've defended some kids, including the Bush girls when they got caught drinking in a bar having used fake ID's to get in. And I'll defend Palin's daughter, too -- she's in the same position as too many kids. But she has a mother who is anti-choice, who promotes Bush's bullshit abstinence policies, and the behavior of the kids are relevant.