Palin says 17-year-old daughter is pregnant
September 1st, 2008
Reuters in the New York Times:
Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin announced today that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, in an announcement intended to turn aside rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked a pregnancy to cover up for her daughter.
She said Bristol Palin is five months pregnant, and will keep the child and marry the father, in a statement released by the campaign of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Senior McCain campaign officials said McCain knew of the daughter’s pregnancy when he selected Palin as his running mate.
Campaign officials said the announcement was made to rebut rumors that Trig Palin was really the son of daughter Bristol, and that Palin had faked a pregnancy to cover up. A senior aide characterized the reports as “despicable rumors that have been spread by liberal blogs.” Trig Palin has Down syndrome.
(Photo from March 9, 2008, Anchorage Daily News. Caption as listed: Sarah Palin at home with her family in Wasilla. From left is Piper, 5; husband, Todd; Willow, 12, and at right is Bristol, 16. Not pictured is Palin’s son, Track, 17.
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September 1st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Her family’s business is just that — her family’s business. Even Senator Obama has called for everyone to back off.
Her policies, and the way they would affect my family’s business are something else again. And they are totally, totally unacceptable. For example, my understanding is that she opposes SCHIP. She has connections to a political group (the AIP) which has urged that Alaska secede from the union. She supports drilling in ANWR and a host of other extreme positions.
I’m glad her family is doing well. I’d like to see some demonstration that she has any concern whatsoever about yours and mine.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:02 am
You know, even if it is scientifically possible for a woman to have two babies in nine months, it really makes people look extremely foolish (or desperate) if they continue to believe that Bristol Palin is the mother of a 4 1/2 month old AND is currently 5 months pregnant.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:49 am
I am sorry that this happened, but I admire the way that the family is handling it. And it could happen to any of us who have kids…working moms or stay at home moms.
The ‘strange rumors’ were not Gov Palin’s fault … they were the product of hateful people with too much time on their hands. What was really distressing, though, was to see how quickly other people picked up the rumor and added to it. They were like a pack of wolves. There was no substance to the story, just ‘rumors’ … but that didn’t stop people from spreading those lies.
There will be plenty of ‘perfect’ people who will condemn the Palins now … comments about her neglecting her family, etc, etc. No one knows what her home life was like, but still will feel qualified to judge her. What they won’t be able to say about her is that she is a hypocrite about being pro-life. She has been put to the pro life test personally twice in recent months, and she has come through beautifully both times. Both her prenatal diagnosis of Ds for Trig and her daughter’s pregnancy would have been ‘justifications’ for abortion in the eyes of many.
She has my vote. For me to say that i want a pro life candidate, yet turn away from Gov Palin because her daughter got pregnant out of wedlock would be pretty hypocritical. She could have encouraged her daughter to have an abortion, so she wouldn’t be ‘punished with a baby’, (as Obama said about his daughters). Instead she is living her pro-life principles by accepting and loving her daughter in spite of what must have been heartbreaking news.
And, although her daughter is pregnant out of wedlock, she is taking responsibility for her actions by continuing her pregnancy and marrying the father.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:24 am
It is scientifically possible for a mother to have two children 9 months appart from each other. Therefore, sadly it does not put the rumors to rest.
I personally have nothing against Gov. Palin but would love to see photographic evidence of this historical event. (Trig is only the second child to be born of a seated governor in all of U.S. American history.)
September 1st, 2008 at 9:54 am
Well, it certainly does put to rest those ridiculous rumors! However, since this announcement follows her introduction to Americans, and on the heels of those strange rumors, and before most people even know her, well it does seem like a strange soap opera twist. I am glad to hear that she told McCain beforehand, and really that is a personal matter, but well, it is a scandal, and since Americans don’t know her, that will be a pretty big part of who she is to them. My vote is for Obama — neither her status as a parent of a child with Down syndrome (like me) impacts my vote, nor this scandal.