Monday
01Sep2008
Republican VP Palin’s 17 Year Old Daughter Pregnant
Monday, September 1, 2008 at 12:21PM Well this is great. The new Republican VP’s minor daughter is pregnant.
The statement from the Palins:
“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. 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. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.“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. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.”
Talk among yourselves.
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Reader Comments (86)
Puts a bit of a smudge on her "good mother" credentials.
If these candidates, McCain-Palin, previously did not have all of my respect, they do now. Palin's straightforward statement effectively quashes any further discussion on the topic. Further, McCain apparently stated he knew of Bristol's pregnancy, and chose Palin as his running mate anyway. My hat's off to both of them. Choosing to keep her child is the most personal decision a young woman can make, and now that she's in the spotlight, will require phenomenal courage.
Of course there will be those who "trash" her and "family values." To those I would say: is not compassion a "family value?"
By the way, I'm a 56-year-old former Dem, female, who aborted a child decades ago. That child still haunts my heart, and will until the day I die. Kudos to Bristol, Palin, and McCain.
Amy: I'm personally not pleased with this news. My son is 12 and going in middle school, and I'd feel personal failure if I found out he was starting a family before he turned 18.
Yet, not only is this issue really a private matter, likely too sensitive to be used for partisan attacks, the left has spread so many outrageous allegations so far that the netroot nutcases will further discredit the Democratic Party if they smear Bristol Palin.
Let me ask you, mud, what would a good mother look like? One who disowned her daughter when she became pregnant? I think her response is very compassionate and good.
Credentials in tact. After all, Obama wants his daughters to grow up to have the same right as boys who impregnant girls; that is, to fool arond and abort at will. Although he didn't stipulate a particular age. Culture wars are so yesterday, he said in his 2007 speech to Planned Parenthood.
I'll take Palin anyday over Obama.
Unlike B. Hussein Obama who wouldn't want his daughter "burdened" with a child, Bristol Palin is taking it to term and marrying the father of the baby.
We can add one more notch to Gov. Palin's extraordinary resume: grandmother.
God Bless Bristol Palin and I wish her new husband & baby lots of love, health and happiness...
Good comments, Denise-Mary. Agreed, Americaneocon.
Looks like the bump from the GOP Convention is going to be a "baby bump."
Better than a baby lump on the floor of a soiled hospital utility room floor as Obama would have. The Palins still come out on top.
Amy - a good mother would educate her daughter in the ways of the world, and the birds and the bees, so that she wouldn't go and get herself knocked up in high school. Do you disagree?
And you know that if Chelsea Clinton had gotten herself knocked up, you would have been leading the tar and feather brigade.
*****
And your characterization of Obama re: his daughters is a scurrilous lie. That is not want he wants for his daughters. What he wants for his daughters is equal rights, equal pay for equal work.
So now, Amy, you're trying to make it out that it's a good thing that the teenage daughter of a right wing religious conservative, running for vice-president, got herself knocked up. It's not just pretzel logic, it's downright hypocrisy.
This is going to go over big.
I am happy for them.
Mud, the central tenant of the religous right is life, this confirms that view.
Amy - are you actually saying that Obama wants Palin's daughter to have an abortion? Are you actually saying that?
*****
And how do you know that Palin's daughter hasn't already had an abortion before this pregnancy?
Good luck with this one guys.
For those that would criticize the Palin's you need to get a life. Things happen and mistakes in life are made. Much has been made of Sarah Palin's viewpoints on abortion and abstinence. Well even in the best of environments children make mistakes. At least there are two right things happening here. First Bristol Palin has decided to have the child. She does not view this as a punishment. So her upbringing was right. Second the father is taking responsibility. This is not a hit on Palin's image at all. It shows that she passed her values on to her children. Now for those attacking Palin leave the 17 year olds alone. They are the innocent.
Just imagine what vicious things you folks would say if one of Obama's daughter was 17, pregnant, and unmarried?
Please, get real.
Mud: "Looks like the bump from the GOP Convention is going to be a "baby bump.""
SG; Yes ... and on Labour Day 'Two' ....
Well Mud, I've been wondering about responding to this, because taking advantage of another family's misfortunes or travails (like a possibly or possibly not rejected kiss), is pretty cheap. It certainly aint Family Valuez ... then again Family Valuez and smear (R) kinda like Siamese twins.
Anywayz, I was thinking about an Abstinence Only form of self control ... them I realized it hadn't worked for the principles in this case ... so I Just Said NO! to that.
Really, in the final analysis, I wish all in this case well. Politically, it does reflect badly on the (R)ighteous approach, but in reality what is mortal that isn't flawed?
However, I do wonder what the jackal-like howle(R)z and gloate(R)z from the Clinton-Kiss feel now .... Hopefully embarrassed.
Snerd
Good God, where do people like mudkitty come from? That person said, "Puts a bit of a smudge on her 'good mother' credentials." And there's there's the rest of what's been published here under that moniker.
What depth of cynicism and ignorance -- and viciousness, in general -- inspire such a comments?
Lizard: "... This is not a hit on Palin's image at all. It shows that she passed her values on to her children. "
SG: Hmmm .... Interesting (R)-Goo-ment, implying she has passed on the get pregnant at 17 value ... err ... '2'
Not being a fundamentalist, I was wondering, is gettin' pregnant at 17 part of what's taught in c(R)reationism ...?
Lizard: "... Now for those attacking Palin leave the 17 year olds alone. They are the innocent."
SG: Leave them alone ... Agreed!
And the family too!
We don't want to start gettin' all g(R) gratuitous and sayin' stuff like, "... Obama wants his daughters to grow up to have the same right as boys who impregnant [sic] girls; that is, to fool arond [sic] and abort at will.", 'cause we know it's better to stop and think about it for a 'spell' ... like Mc'Cane' didn't before pickin' Sarah
But ... Innocent!? ... Well there's a big chomp outta that apple there Liz. Is one still innocent when they've given over to the 'snake', as it were.
In fact, couldn't IGNORANCE have been the problem here ... and possibly PTA Sarah imposed at that ...?
Snerd
So this begs the obvious question, will lovely Bristol be on stage at the end of the Convention, when the families all gather together, the balloons go up and the confetti comes down? And what will she be wearing? And will the boyfriend be there too?
I love how all of a sudden you folk are now tolerant liberals. You guys will turn on a dime if it suits you.
Snerd - don't feel bad, because according to all the right wingers on this site, it's all perfectly hunky dory that the vice-presidential nominee's unwed teenage daughter is preggers.
CKA - the answer to your question is rightwing hypocrisy, and 8 years of Bush and Co.
Lizard - you don't know how the kid feels about being forced to under go a pregnancy and give birth at 17. You don't know her. You don't know how she feels.
I just read this news story. The young lady and her partner and extremely brave but I say bravo to them more for not having an abortion. At last, a family who have these strong beliefs!
Be real people, we all know that if this pregnant teenager was on Obama side you all would have some smart azz remark to say...It's hard to take when it's VP Sarah Palin daughter...Let's be real...McCain seriously screwed this one up and all of you who support him know he has...
I wish Bristol the best, I applaud her for keeping her child, but you know it's most likely not her talking because obviously she doesn't take her moms advice because she's pregnant and everyone knows that she probably started having sex way before she got pregnat and for the person who said congrats to her and her husband...SORRY, she's not married, she's going to have a BABY DADDY!
They are probably being forced into marriage now that the little secret has come to light.
GO OBAMA!
What Mud and the rest of the adolescents who ascribe to the Liberal doctrine fail to realize is Parents do the best they can to instill solid values and character in their children; but it's up to the children to make good decisions as they become adults. In the liberal world though, it's never their fault, and always someone else’s.
I imagine Sarah Palin and her husband could have locked their child up in a medieval chastity belt until she was 18, but hey, that would go against the progressive attitudes of those genius liberals, and everyone knows how enlightened they are.
What is so fun is this news comes just as the idiocy of the left accuses Governor Palin of faking her own pregnancy in lieu of “revealing the truth that her baby really wasn't hers”, LOL!
So what are you saying G - that Sarah Palin should take responsibility for her daughter getting knocked up? You're contradicting yourself.
And Aimz, since when is getting your self knocked up in high school a brave thing, or even a good thing?
It's incredible - you guys are pretending to be happy about an unwed teen pregnancy.
Here's a question. If you new about the unwed teen pregnancy before McLaim selected her, would you have wanted him to select her?
What privacy?
She has just announced her daughter's pregnancy to the World. In addition, she has linked it to the plan to marry. A claim of privacy would read something like this:
"My daughter's affairs are her private matter and we will not comment on them."
The statement announcing the pregnancy is clearly intended to lay her claim to being against abortion. That is then coupled with the claim of future marriage which is clearly intended to indicate that she does not support "out of wedlock" babies. These are intended as facts to support her candidacy therefore they are "political." Her request for "privacy" is therefore an equally political statement as it is a preemptive attack on anyone commenting on this clearly political statement.
Sorry, but all of this is fair game.
I am sure once this ridiculous charade of a campaign is over we will get the truth. Right now, this is just political "spin" under the guise of family '"values" and alleged "privacy."
Be careful what you ask for, trolls ... your immature definitions of "hypocricy" will lead to your defeat and discredit.
This challenging moment in the Palin family may end up putting the difference between the conservative approach to morality ... encouraging the best behavior, discouraging the worst behavior, but loving them regardless ... and the Leftist "What, Me Worry?", anything-goes, trashing-traditional-morality-is-sophisticated- and-should-be-subsidized viewpoint ... firmly in the public spotlight.
And that would work greatly against your interests ...
... for there is a big difference between falling from grace ... and willingly jumping off the precipice into the abyss, with all the focus of an Olympic gymnast and 'nary a care about what's waiting for you below, to the cheers of thousands who consider your rejection of traditional morality as "sophisticated" and "enlightened".
Go ahead ... make our day.
Choose to pursue this, and as the wife of Leonidas said ... "this will not go quickly ... you will not enjoy it."
From the Missed-Kiss-Gloat-Rz
Amy: ”…It looks like 'what goes around, comes around' …. And yes, this is an indulgent post.”
Aimz: ”… oooh revenge is sweet, don't get mad get even “
Amy: ”… I "almost" feel guilty. I don't. …I think he deserves it. “
Snerd
M said "So what are you saying G - that Sarah Palin should take responsibility for her daughter getting knocked up? You're contradicting yourself. "
G said "but it's up to the children to make good decisions as they become adults."
Is my comment that difficult to understand?
It's easy to cast stones at parents when you aren't one yourself...
Look, teenage prgency is never the best situation, but at least she didn't follow up one bad decision with another. Her life will be difficult as a parent, but most are anyway no matter what the age of the parent. but if her character is anything like her mom's, she'll do fine.
M said "Here's a question. If you new about the unwed teen pregnancy before McLaim selected her, would you have wanted him to select her?"
No question for the reason I stated above.
Mud,
Yes, she is a reformer and a strong person.
G - Bistol is a child.
RV - she is corrupt, expect more bad news as the days go by. I wouldn't be surprised if she withdrew from the ticket. What is a woman with a 4 month old baby doing running for president anyway? Right, conservatives?
BTW - you guys are the stone casters. Unless it proves to be embarrassing.
I dedicate this to all of you who support teen pregnancy and John McCain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP-2VLQEv4c
mud kitty,
Lizard - you don't know how the kid feels about being forced to under go a pregnancy and give birth at 17. You don't know her. You don't know how she feels.
_____________________________
You are right I do not know Bristol Palin. I do however know a little bit about births and being 17 years old. Probably more than you. You are nothing more than hypocritical loser that believes only you and government knows best. You need to practice what you all preach and let this innocent child make the choice she wants rather than the choice you want. Bristol intends on having the child and marrying the father. Sounds more responsible than the only choice being to abort the child. Please get a life and enjoy. Life is to short to be a miserable hypocrite.
This is for you RV.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html#more
So much for the reformer nonsense.
mud,
Palin made her bones against the the GOP machine, yeah she was still a republican.
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RV - you bought the myth.
Lizard, you don't know her, you don't know me, and you don't know how she feels or even if she has a choice.
This is a shot gun wedding folks.
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The talk is now, with so much coming out (it turns out she ran a 527 for Ted Stevens, and lied about having been against the bridge to nowhere) that she will withdraw from the race, in order to deal with important family issues.
The woman was the mayor of a tiny hamlet and a governor of a state with a population the size of Memphis. She obviously has issues within her family cry out for serious attention.
This is a person who should now take on a quantum leap in outside responsibilities?
“…This is a shot gun wedding folks…”
Talk about jumping to conclusions.
As far as her being a child, well, she’s not yet a ‘legal adult’ if that is what you mean. Keep in mind though, that you are on shaky ground condemning her as a 17 year old about to give birth, when our parents and grand parents were giving birth at a much younger age.
Clearly, in today's day and age, it is not optimal; however, it is no way the end of the world. In fact, she has every opportunity to be a fine mother and wife if she chooses. You know; personal responsibility for one's actions. Now I know you hate the concept of personal accountability because it means you you'd have to take responsibility for all your poor choices in life... and you know what they are.
Mudkitty ... you shouldn't believe the spin about her "support" for the Bridge to Nowhere.
She may have went along with it for a while ... but when it became an albatross around Alaska's neck, she cut it and Ted Stevens off at their knees.
Name me any other politician with the fortitude to do that to the senior Senator from her state, and a member of her party to boot.
And unless you can provide me a credible link, I have a hard time believing that she ran a 527 for Stevens ... either there's gotta be more to that story, or it's just vaporware.
Palin only came out against Stevens' bridge-to-nowhere when she realized it was
becoming a political liability, and it wasn't going to get the funding anyway. That makes her a flip flopper, amongst other things.
"She may have gone along with it for a while..." Yeah right, RC.
Trust me. She's is not long for this nomination. And why she would want to put her family through this, I don't know. Why McCain wants to put her family through this is a wonder too. For ambition?
What did McCain know, and when did he know it? He's going to have to answer that question whether he wants to or not. It was Palin who made the fact that her unmarried, teenage daughter got knocked up.
Here's your link re: the 527
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html#more
Your right G - Palin should take responsibility for not teaching her daughter about sex ed or birth control (morals aside, as you all are saying...) And Palin should accept responsibility for publicly endorsing abstinence ONLY education, and for accepting federal funds for such.
Aimz, do you have an opinion that doesn't involve paroting the "aaayy OK" ?? You must get all your "information on American life" from Amy Proctor? I pity you
"Your right G - Palin should take responsibility for not teaching her daughter about sex ed or birth control (morals aside, as you all are saying...) And Palin should accept responsibility for publicly endorsing abstinence ONLY education, and for accepting federal funds for such."
LOL! I bow to your skill at shifting emphasis from Bristol to Sarah.
Besides, I was just reminded, the age of consent is 16. It would seem Governor Palin has succeeded in keeping her daughter 'baby free' for the Mudkitty requirement, LOL!!!
"Evangelicals LOVE to add to their flock.
What other conclusion can properly be drawn? "
ST, I am thinking the propagation of Evangelicals in America is a savvy way of reducing the intellectual capacity of the population. And what better than a dumbed down population to use as molded robots that go to the voting both and cast votes based on Faux News and spoon fed media hype.
This is how the rich and powerful in America stay Rich and powerful. The general public is by and large oblivious to the fact that they are both physical and mental slaves of the corporate entity that controls the country.
Infact, Amy is a great example. All Bush needs to do is cast a few hullalujahs, maybe pretend to be a good christian boy from the south, and claim that he loves babies and voila, she's been bought.
what the ba!
old man macain is scratching his head, thinking who's idea was it to get palin
Gee Mavic, isn't your candidate claiming that Jesus Christ is his personal Savior?
Too funny!!!!
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whats even more funny i st hhat you make a presumption about "my candidate". Some of us aren't concerned with whether the candidate is visiting Church as a holier than thou Christian, visiting church to get the evangelical fanatics to hop aboard, or whether they are going to mosques, or temples. We are concerned with the issues that effect every day people. We let the children talk about how many days obama wore his wife's underpants, and other irrelevant facts that serve no purpose for the matters at hand.
Most of the outrage about the pregnant girl isn't about her or the mother, it is the irony of pointing to the crux of the evangelical Christian idealogies and how that has apparently been undermined with this so called "news".
P.S- I am Canadian.........a lot of us aren't concerned about partisan politics more so than good governance that serves the people. Rest assured scandals are talked about here, but not nearly to the over blown proportions as they are in the United States. We usually let the Prime Minister fart,without making front page news. (usually)