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Sarah Palin Announces That Her Daughter Bristol 17, is Now Pregnant will Marry Father

reuters.com — By Steve Holland ST. PAUL (Reuters) - The 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is pregnant, Palin said on Monday in an announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Palin faked her own...

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Comments (23)

- momplus
It is so nice to be able to "help" your children bring children into this world. Help, both emotionally and financially, so the children will have an education that will allow them to make decisions to make this a better world. Hopefully, this new addition to the Palin family will learn to face realities and in the future, offer each and every citizen the right to make their own decisions for the health and happiness of themselves and their families. Who would ever be "for" abortion? However, sometimes, "mothers" and their doctors may find it the best choice. They should all be allowed the opportunity to make that choice! goooooo Obama/Biden - Pro Choice!!!!
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- CHROBO42
It is true that all families go through difficult times and deserve privacy to deal with challenges. However, Sarah Palin is the Republican choice for Vice Presidential candidate and she professes to be a member of the Assemblies of God and espouses extremely conservative Christian values. She was put up to be the poster girl for the right wing of the Republican party. As such, her life is open to public scrutiny. Her 17 year old daughter, Bristol, is now pregnant and unmarried. It is said that she intends to keep the child and marry the father but the question begs to be asked: "Where was Sarah Palin?" Was she so busy being a political maverick in Alaska that she had no idea where her daughter was? Did she not teach her children personal responsibility and morality? This is not about Bristol who is a teenager and deserves privacy but it IS about Sarah, the Evangelical poster girl. How can she be said to be ready to lead the country when she can't even lead in her own family? It is also about John McCain, who says he knew about this when he chose Sarah Palin. What kind of moral leadership does HE offer?
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- yah...
lol! when they say theocracy got a serious problem w/ teen pregnancy (moreso than any other group in USA) it aint no joke.

so now palin gotta make her theocrat stance on teen promiscuity ~ tell u.s. all about how that wont effect welfare, how they will pay their privatized insurance and how good it will feel 4 a parent paying up on unwanted baby #1 or #2 (minus child support).

but best political-trash of all: oh that self-denial. in about 3... 2... 1... itll b DIVORCE SHOWTIME! somebody should host an online casino 2 wager on who will cheat on who, first.
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- katharinec
I was going to submit this but not the reuters version because of a qualm I had with the way they reported it. I later found my qualm articulated at TPM, which you check under the related tab or just by copy and pasting http://www.mixx.com/stories/1980192/tpm_election_central_talking_points_memo_reuters_lets_anonymous_mccain_aide_tie_obama_to_pregnancy_rumors into your browser.

But you know, I upvoted this anyway... no need to overclog Mixx with the same story a million times, even if, for example, the Caucus over at NYT wrote it up in a way I liked better. Just thought I'd put my qualm out there along with my upvote:-)
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- btw3146
Irregardless of a particular individual's "party" choice, issues are my main priorities!

Number 1: I do believe in CHOICE...One must live with their own conscious ! I don't need some law or religion or person to tell me what's right for my body and my mind...especially a MAN!

Number 2: Change is wonderful but not for the sake of change. Hillary had/has experience and is one tuff cookie....although she got my husband's vote (not mine) it was based on her knowledge and political HISTORY. Being a female was a bonus but not enough to get my vote. This young lady under the Republican's VP banner is so disheartening to me...is it possible that a woman would vote for a woman just for the sake of the sex and not the qualifications? Lord, I hope NOT!

Number 3: Obama is fresh and and gives me the hope that I initially lost after JFK was assassinated and then Bobby. It's been "a long time coming, but a Change is gonad come, YES it is"!!!!!

***and for the RIGHT reasons....not to put a person in a position to counter the competition...

There was a time (some years ago) that McCain may have had my vote but all that changed as I observed his interactions with the current administration.
We each have our moments in this life, a time and a place; sadly, his has passed.

It is said the that the VP's position is not important; while it does not define who I choose it is a consideration quite serious. I'm reminded how the torch passed to L. B. Johnson after JFK"s assassination . It scares me to death thinking of that possibility .......should Mc Cain be elected....

Number 4: Wild life---G d's creation for the preservation and balance of our world. I find a conflict with a person that is PRO LIFE and willing to destroy the creatures on this earth?

*I must admit that sharing ones POLITICAL opinions can get nasty but WE'RE LIVING IN NASTY TIMES AND A TROUBLED WORLD . We did this by not speaking up and out and dissecting the folks we put in office. Wake up folks, friends, etc....whoever you decide upon to represent our country make real sure that YOU are confident that your children and grandchildren will be around to reap the benefits of a better world!

I wish Sarah's daughter all the best. Fortuantely she is privileged. It won't be a difficult upon her as Sarah suggests. As for other less affluent women, the same cannot be said.
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1. - Snakbear
  @btw3146
  
  Excellent final comment . . . her family is privileged...they can support their daughter's poor decision...but all the poor family's who don't have the financial resources to do so have to pay the price for their child's mistakes...and then no one is there to help them or the poor children born to these well-off teens....or do they? I'm sure you'll find plenty of McMansion grandparent who don't mind having their teenage daughters/mothers accept whatever aid the feds provide.
  
  This is another example of the hypocrisy of the Republican party...always castigating others, never realizing that the shortcomings they trumpet actually occur in their own families.
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- anakin818
Wow Mc Cain V.P pick daugther is pregant it shows the white house would be more out of control if Gov, Palin can't control what happens underneath her own house roof and how would she be able 2 run the White House i think Gov Palin should be treated in this case like the other Governors who had cheated on there wife and she should step down out of office and take care of her family becuz it shows she has no idea wat is going around her own home 2 me Gov Palin is an unfit mother who would run our conutry poorly
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1. - katharinec
  @anakin818 Gov Palin would run our country poorly, I am really disgusted by the choosing of her. But let's stick tot he issues, not the tabloid, and with all due respect, presumptive and sexist statements about how she runs her being a good mother etc
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- hottone4u
When McCain announced that Mrs. Palin was his choice, I had this thought in the back of my mind that five kids, hummm that's nice a large family, and two i think are young, thats a woman that might need to be more committed to her kids. Now without a doubt, I know she does. A position in the White house as Vice just would be too much of a sacrifice for her to make. Her focus must be her family. The need is at home.
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1. - katharinec
  @hottone4u She's got a husband who said he'd be a house husband. I really don't like Palin, and I'm all Obama '08, but please, let's not get into unfair, sexist tinged territory...
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- Ten31
Who cares...she will marry him before the baby is born...then will buy a house at 18 years old and get high paying jobs with a high school education...or Palin can get nannies for both children in the VP mansion, daughter goes to college married and live a happy life...like every other daughter without financial support...
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- renaudfastmoney
Obama
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- helloworldbea
Obviously if the daughter was pregnant for 5 months, then McCain would've known about it before taking Palin as her VP.
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- ljneal
Come on this mother didn't tell her little girl to go out and get knocked up! Palin is doing the right thing by standing by her daughter I would think really bad of her if she didn't. I do not stand for any thing McCain stand for but I can't see what Palin's daughter has to do with the VP. I grew up with a mother on top of 5 girls watched every move we made, 2 of my sister was pregnant b-4 they was out of school. Does that make my mother a bad mother NO I don't think so! It means that we didn't respect our parents in what they wanted for our future. This is a private family mater and it show no reason why this lady could not be VP.
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1. - katharinec
  @ljneal Exactly. Even though I don't want Palin as VP and I'm for Obama, this preganancy thing is not in any way a part of my decision. It's irrelevant.
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- SteveS
Isn't it interesting that conservatives (John McCain/Sarah Palin and their campaign, William Bennett on CNN, etc) have no problem discussing how Bristol's choice to have her baby supports their Pro-Life political platform, however, they emphatically state that it is off limits to discuss how Bristol's choice to have unprotected sex out of wedlock at the age of 16 or 17 goes against their platform of "teach abstinence only". I guess "discussing family" is not off limits if it promotes your platform, only when it opposes it.
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- cfriday
Funny how McCains campaign created a commercial showing Obama like Brittney and Paris.
Let see know..Wasn’t Brittney's little sister pregnant at a young age? Heck I'm surprised McCain didn't pick Brittney's mom for VP! Seriously folks... yes this is more political than personal. Sorry I don't think that this is a good representation of the US. It more of a double standard to me..Excellent remarks SNAKBEAR... Sure honey we are rich we'll back you up for your dumb mistake....oh every else let’s keep on making sure that we promote abstinence..or safe sex, you can't afford it. Yeap Double Standard or and yeap very political.

How can personal issue like this that is yet so political be treated as only personal?? We'll it's not personal anymore since the whole world now about it know.
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- julieadavis
I don't think Palin wants our sympathy. She is what we once were! We have made our beds, now ....... make it work.
Not, here is $600, maybe you can buy gas for a month. In the mean time, I'm taking back the house.
It is time for us to clean up our own back yard, time to bring it home. The good old men have sold us off to the highest bidders, now we are buying back the services at premium rates.
Yes, she is a true American, doing, dealing with what life has dealt her with her head up and charging forward to say hey, wait a minute...............................................
I have this feeling that she can make a difference for our home and Maverick McCain can clean up some other messes too. But 4 years, it may take more time than that.
Her personal issues is what makes her even more driven to make America right!! Remember, not only a child going off to war, but one with disabilities, and now a grandchild. What wouldn't a woman do to make the world right!!!
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- paul3189
Please help me understand, this woman has used her son to launch her VP politics by telling the world he will go to Iraq on Sept 11, she has made her son part o her political assets, but when her daughter gets pregnant at age 17; her activities should not be part of her political life. Can she be more of a hypocrite? If she wants to bring her children into the political lime life, then she need to bring all the truth not just what she thinks will show her as a good mother, if she want to show what kind of mother she is, then show us everything, not just what she wants us to see. Please let her tell us she is proud of her son and has great shame from her daughter. Tell us she is human and can fail at the same time as she succeeded. Please I don’t want another hypocrite playing political games with me. Tell me what I see is wrong about this woman.
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1. - effective
  @paul3189 I'm not sure which son you are talking about... It seemed to me that her two sons were quite young. Can you give a link supporting this?
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2. - paul3189
  @effective http://www.adn.com/iraq/story/220586.html, or any news site
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- fredminkle
WOW, 17 and pregneant. I have to ask how old the father is? Is he an adult, 18 or older? If so, hasn't he committed a crime here? Also, mom breaches sex education,no premarital sex, safe sex. Guess what mom, your daughter is not listening to you or your beliefs. How can we put our trust in a woman that can't even control her own children? As for dad, I know you aren't happy your under age daughter is pregnant? I know I wouldn't be. Looks like the Spears family all over again. If I were the dad and or mom I would be looking to put the father in jail for molesting my daughter.
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1. - katharinec
  @fredminkle The age of consent in Alaska is 16. Check it out: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2003/olrdata/jud/rpt/2003-R-0376.htm
  
  "How can we put our trust in a woman that can't even control her own children?" <-- please don't be sexist
  
  Obama '08
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