Thanks to the heads up from Altadena Hiker via e-mail – Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol Palin, is pregnant. This is because unplanned pregnancy is SOOOOO preferable to using birth control. But it’s all okay; she’s keeping the baby and marrying the father.
Bristol Palin is 17 years old.
MSNBC article here.
GAH!!!!!!
UPDATE: As Susan C points out, there’s more mystery to be had. Did Sarah Palin fake a pregnancy to cover for Bristol? See Mom-101 here. Original piece at Daily Kos here—Sarah Palin is a grandmother.
UPDATE 2: There are two separate issues here –
Issue #1 – Bristol Palin is (or may be? or (also) may have been?) pregnant. No one is in favor of unplanned pregnancy (or is it always a miracle?). The twinge here comes from (some of the) Republicans insistence on making birth control less available, from preaching abstinence to the exclusion of birth control, from de-funding clinics that provide birth control to women (at home and abroad).
Bristol Palin’s pregnancy does not automatically mean that her mother is unfit for high public office. The fact that I would make different choices were I in Sarah’s shoes also matters not a wit. But this is my blog, and if I were Sarah, I’d be hard pressed to describe how I was going to give Bristol all the love and support she needs while I’m seeking (and getting?) a public office job thousands of miles away.
Issue #2 – This is the Way. Bigger. Issue. If Sarah Palin faked a pregnancy to cover for her daughter/herself – that is lying. We all have lied (aka: tell a white lie, stretched the truth) at some time or another. But telling the truth is supremely important, especially if you are running for the second highest office in the land. Once you get comfortable with lying to other people, lying to yourself isn’t far behind.
West Coast Grrlie Blather 