Political Punch

Today there was a report that 42% of the $200 or less contributions for Obama is now under suspicion and an investigation is being done.
Hope the judge and court will determine PDQ that Obama's place of birth was Kenya. He is so anti-American in traditional values, he should not be running. The weak minded lemmings are following this socialist candidate.

To those of you who only criticize, let me ask, how many of you actually think you have a handle on your 16, 17, or 18 year olds! You may THINK you control them, but ultimately, they make their own decisions! You may have given them the foundation to what is right/wrong, but you don't control their every move! At that age, they make their own choices! Accept them right or wrong and learn from them.

I'm sure we all know of someone who's made a choice we don't agree with. Do you smather it all over the papers? NO! Leave the kids to their private lives!

1) It just galls me that the very people who help single moms, and their children, pregnant teens are the very community organizers - volunteers, professionals, churches etc., are the people Palin denigrates! Get some sense!!
2) I cannot imagine how much pressure the daughter and boyfriend are under to begin with and now being thrust into the spotlight by the campaign.....argh, I absolutely feel for those two young people. It is shameful what the adults have done.

NOTE TO MCCAIN: THEN STOP PARADING THESE POOR KIDS AROUND LIKE CAMPAIGN PROPS!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh! My sides hurt!

Jonah, I find it incredibly sad, frankly, that you conservatives are so concerned about the millions of babies aborted each year but wouldn't lift a finger to help - or have your government help - the many teenagers (and up) who give birth to babies out of wedlock every year. It just seems to me that the beginning of life is so important to you folks but everything that comes after is not your business.

Jonah,
I could care less about Sarah Palin's family. That is Sarah Palin's concern not mine. What I find amusing is conservatives acceptance of the whole situation and then when it is pointed out that it seems hypcocritical blame the media and call the accusers the hypocrites.

McCain's team will continue to attack the media for probing Palin's experience and past. Palin has chosen to put her family on display by choosing to be on the ticket. You can blame the media all you want but it was McCain's choice of Palin and Palin's acceptance that put them in spotlight. Honestly, is McCain and Palin that naive. I don't think so....they are using the same old right-wing tactic of attacking the messenger instead of taking responsibility.

I think it is really kind of comical about all you liberals are SOO incredibly concerned about the newborn son of Sarah Palin but you are not the least bit concerned about the millions of babies aborted each year... To talk about Sarah Palin's lack of experience and to ignore Barack Obama's is truly funny. The only thing Barack Obama has planned is a campaign...he has spent all of his senate term on his presidential campaign, did virtually nothing in Illinois as a state senator..Barack Obama is a power hungry liberal who will bring shame and destruction to this nation...At least Sarah Palin and John McCain have been SERVING the people the represent rather than serving themselves...

I was wondering how the heck anyone knew whether or not Bristol Palin use contraception. Everyone seems to imply that Sarah Palin was an irrresponsible parent to teach ABSTINENCE-the healthiest choice to her daughter and that she was withholding valuable information about safe sex. Condoms do not protect 100% from pregnancy so how on earth do you know whether or not she had "safe sex" which really is NO SEX! I am so sick of the media making such an issue about this. It is Sarah Palin's right as a parent to teach her kids whatever values she wants...that is what makes it America, get a clue. Don't site up here and tell me that teenagers don't know how to get info on safe sex. Turn on the TV for crying out loud and see all the bull crap teens are being told as if condoms protect from everything....The only reason Sarah brought it up about her daughter is because the ridiculous liberal media was accusing her of faking a pregnancy with her son Trig that was really her daughters child...that is almost hilarious, like she is going to get a hospital to lie about who gave birth...u people are stupid.

MayBee,

No one did any digging to uncover this story.

It was Sarah Palin who brought this story to the nation's attention.

Please don't expect me to be naive enough to believe that Palin thought this would not be a major media story.

And simply by exposing her daughter, she made it part of the political story.

She is a staunch family values, pro life abstinence only Governor and mother, and the pregnancy of her unwed teenage daughter is not supposed to be an issue?

They are using her daughters pregnancy as part of their politics and they turn and blame the press for exploiting the girl.

This is part of their political game..

And please point out where I am wrong on the facts.

Lou- you can make any points about Sarah Palin's record you want without bringing her daughter into it. You don't have your facts about Palin right, but that's beside the point.

We don't want to start digging around to see if any pro-choice candidate's daughters or wives have had abortions, do we? We don't want teenagers of politicians to have to stay home on the couch to keep the press from using them against their parents.

Remember, the Obama girls will be teenagers in the WH if Obama wins.

MayBee,

This is not about Bristol Palin.

It is about a 17 year old pregnant, unmarried teen whose mother is anti abortion, anti sex education, and believes in abstinence only, who denied funding for sex education and slashed funding for a program for unwed pregnant teens and tempory shelter for underage, unwed mothers.

Now she marches her own 17 year old pregnant unwed daughter into the Republican National Convention and into the national spotlight and uses her to underscore parts of her VP acceptance speech and no one is supposed to notice?

Don't be fooled.

Bristol Palin is being marketed by the RNC for political purposes.

I'm sorry .... exactly why is it bad for John McCain to shake the young man's hand??

Apples and Oranges Jake!

McCain shaking the kid's hand is not an invitation for the media to relentlessly attack the young girl!!

McCain exploits Bristol Palin for his own political gain and now we're supposed to believe he is so deeply concerned about her privacy?

The Republican party last night used Bristol Palin and her boyfriend as political props and Bristol Palin's mother allowed that to happen.

The children of all of the candidates have been on stage with them and present at various campaign events.
That has never been an invitation to pry into their private lives.
Every journalist knows there's a traditional line of respect for the kids. Bringing the kids out in public hasn't, in the past, been enough to make the journalists cross that line.

from Roger Simon at Politico:

On behalf of the elite media, I would like to say we are very sorry.
We have asked questions this week that we should never have asked.
We have asked pathetic questions like: Who is Sarah Palin? What is her record? Where does she stand on the issues? And is she is qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?
We have asked mean questions like: How well did John McCain know her before he selected her? How well did his campaign vet her? And was she his first choice?

Bad questions. Bad media. Bad.

It is not our job to ask questions. Or it shouldn’t be. To hear from the pols at the Republican National Convention this week, our job is to endorse and support the decisions of the pols.

John McCain's protest would be more credible if his campaign did not flt in the boyfriend and use the couple as a props. The whole Palin family scene with her newborn baby being passed around risking her son's safety when he goes to Iraq by showing his face on global TC was just plain sordid. John McCain NEVER does that with his son. I agree, we should hear less about this family especially the wildly ambitious and reckless mother.

That kid looked scared out of his mind and who would blame him.

His fiancee's mother has shown a ruthless unflinching ability to abuse the power of her office.

I've not heard anyone apart from the McCain-Palin campaign mention Bristol Palin recently. I think they are the ones who need to keep her out of the media spotlight.

I can see why McCain want to media to to give Bristol a break, but he need the media to stay with the unwed mother story to reflect from his own scandal. The sub-theme of the convention is Family Values - McCain/Palin, are setting a new family value standard. Anything goes.

palin will be history by the end of the month. There are just too many things coming out about the character of this woman.

Bologna. They took multiple digs at Michelle Obama last night.

Can't have it both ways.

Keep it up, Jake!
The media is doing a fine job with the Palin vetting. Don't let McCain's bellicose ranting at the bloggers and MSM get to you. They're just sulking because the media's love affair with them is OVER.

Palin NEEDS to be vetted. There are still new scandals coming out about her every single day. How much more don't we know about this shady woman who's the most unqualified person to be VP in the history of the USA?

The McCain campaign has no right to demand that Bristol and Levi be left alone when they have been parading the kids around the way Paris and Britney tote around chihuahuas. CHILDREN - the latest hot political accessory!!! DON'T BE SEEN WITHOUT ONE!

Dear Kelly. McCain wants the media to stay away from Palin's kids so McCain can use them as his campaign wants, when they need to.

In other words, they are political footballs, and McCain and Palin are being whiner hypocrites.

Easy enough?

As soon as the election is over, this kid will not be heard from again, Bristol will be a single mom.
If not, shotgun weddings always work out right??

Why should the public or the media stop talking about Bristol Palin, or Trig for that matter, when Sarah continues to parade them around for photo ops like an accessory. Now they've thrown Levi Johnson into the frying pan.

The fact that Palin thought it a good idea to drag her 4-month old special needs child to loud and rowdy convention hall long past his bedtime, and then have him passed around from person to person like a hot potato simply for photo ops is appalling and extremely selfish.

Why is Mcain so protective of Bristol?, he should be embarrassed about this family,and they are in public eyes now and we surely should know all the little secrets about them, because something SMELLS. It is not pretty.marika from Texas

WVO; I remember asking you all the same thing, you now have an answer thanks to HILLARY. Issues, preaching YAWNNNNN and eye rollsssss.

When you enter the spotlight as this family has out of nowhere. You better belive that you owe it to the public to explain yourself. You are a public servant not king or queen! Get on with the issues! and all you republicans I just want to know where the hell are your morals? Stop the name calling your so childish!

Obama: Wah Wah I am not the media star anymore!!! I WANT THE SPOTLIGHT ON ME !!!!

I forgot to add that I will probably vote for Obama/Biden but I think O made a big mistake by not asking Hillary to be vp. Biden is proving to be boring and not a big help, and I think Hillary probably doesnt feel to compelled to help the dnc or Obama right about now as she sees the rnc and republicans rallying around Palin and remembers how her fellow dems remained silent about her treatment by the media until after the primaries. Those republicans were out for blood last night and I think they got it.

And why wouldn't they be all over it if it was Obama's daughter?

irma: "Palin was SUPERFABULICIOUSTASTIC!"

What about her policy proposals did you like especially?

Oh whatever. McCain trolls out the boyfriend/fiance and then says leave it alone. He is horrible. No 17 year old should be put under this kind of pressure this is true, too bad McCain/republicans didnt feel the same way when they went after Chelesa starting at the age of 13. McCain/Palin may win, but Palin wont have my respect like Hillary does. She was campaigning for over 18months, working for her votes getting her message across and to voters. Sara was hand picked with very little time for people to get to know her.

What about Obama wah, wah, wah when the press were targeting his wife. Oh, wife's and families should be off limits, wah, wah, wah!!! I saw the country club politics commercial yesterday. Oh yes, Obama the hypocrite is really keeping the rule of not involving the families in his nasty commercials. Those homes are John McCain's wife's homes. Perhaps he did not know which were in his name and her name and/or the family name and wanted to check to be certain about the figure before responding. And, it's no one business to begin with because her father came here a poor immigrant and built up an empire for himself. So what is wrong with that? Unlike the spoiled Kennedy brats who had everything handed to them and whose father built his fortune selling illegal liquor. You guys are a joke! DO AS I SAY AND NOT AS I DO should be Obama's slogan instead of change we can believe in. BIG BABIES!

My mother in law has changed her mind. She was going for Obama but now will vote for McCain/Palin.

I love this. I love this.

Stewart mocks brilliantly the hypocrisy of the republican politicians and pundits on this very issue

If they are not intruding on Bristol's life than how did it show up in the news and newspapers? Did God perform a miracle and have it appear spontaneously? Cut me a break! Your guys are pathetic! I was a Dem my whole life and when the left wing of the Dems declared war on the Clintons and the lousy organizations like moveon.org took over our party that is when I decided to drop the Dem party. They are getting a wake up call in November! Good morning, this is your wake up call, you bunch of losers!

When people comment about Bristol Palin's pregnancy the McCain people should use it as an opportunity to point out the hypocracy of the Obama camp. Obama's mother was about the same age as Bristol when she was pregnant with "The One," and she was not married. The double standard is obvious.

Bottom line for any republican or democrat or independent: if you are involved in politics--EVERTHING IS APPARENTLY FAIR GAME!!!!
Maybe that's why many decide to stay out, even though they might make a positive and good difference. Even the best intentions of any one person tends to end up looking bad. Our country really needs help. People can be so mean!!

My first vote was for Reagan. I became a Dem due to "issues". Now I find myself not liking the New Dems, can't stand Obama and I LOVE Palin ALREADY. I am jazzed with her delivery of the speech. Don't recall Biden's speech at all, I know he said something, but I DIDN'T CARE to pay attention. PALIN ROCKS!

Why is Obama trotting his wife and kids out on the convention floor if he doesn't want them attacked?

One of his kids even interrupted him speaking! (scripted, surely).

Fair game!

Obama & Biden have definitely taken the high road on this issue. I don't this should be a topic.

However for Palin... when you are promoting yourself as Hockey-mom and use your sons' personal lives, i.e. military enlistment and down-syndrome, to appeal to the conservative right...You ARE opening your personal family matters and "Mothering-style" for public debate.

Stop promoting yourself as a Hockey-mom and get to the real issues. Also, I think her content of speech should be truthful. You can disagree with the other party's platform. Just please explain why. But stop the lying and distortion of the truth. I think we ALL deserve the truth after the past 8 years. Just be honest.

The message here, actually, is

"PLEASE CONTINUE INTRUDING ON BRISTOL'S PRIVATE LIFE!!!! I have no plan for the economy. Did I mention that she's pregnant?"

Do people in the McCain campaign have any common sense? Last night, the Palin family was front and center in her introduction to the nation. Sarah Palin wants everyone to know about her son Track who has enlisted in the army and will leave for Irak very soon. Yet, she doesn't want the media to talk about her pregnant daughter. You cannot choose what you want the media to tell about your family and what not to. I really hope that the so-called liberal media will not back down on this one.

Too funny. Here she is! Look at her! Now stop writing about her!

The phony outrage about non-existent attacks from the mainstream media on Bristol (outside of the Enquirer everyone is being very kind and respectful), and also about the supposed "sexism" of vetting Sarah Palin, is entirely predictable from Republicans. Hypocrites to the core.

Who's intruding? This is a smokescreen and a distraction. There are a lot of issues with Sarah P. We don't need Bristol to crush her.

Since most of us, on either side agree that families, and especially kids, aren't really part of the political dialogue, why don't we evolve this discussion a bit...

I'm more interested in how she would plan to address sex education in the schools. Right now, it has been reported that the only thing she wants to teach is abstention.

Is this still true, or has that position evolved?

Are the "New Democrats" trying to push "Family Values" this time around? Man, I really don't like Preachy, hate filled people. Palin was SUPERFABULICIOUSTASTIC!

First, if Palin and the GOP had not disclosed the fact of the daughter's 5 month pregnancy, you and I both know the democrats would have jumped all over the "hidden" fact. That's the world of politics. To bring it out in the open leaves no where else to go, except for personal opinions, which we all have. No coverup anyway.
Second, someone tell me what difference it makes if the last child born to Palin were not hers? So what if it were Bristol's? Except for lying, aren't there many grandparents taking care of grandchildren? What would be the point of trying to cover this up?

It looks like the "New Democrats" really like picking on women and kids. Too bad the girl kicked their BUTTS last night and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
-----
It was delicious.

And exactly who is demanding DNA tests?

If you want to attack, attack. But at least put some facts in to the argument rather that spreading innuendo.

'No no no. Please do not stop attacking the Palin family. There are still a few people in middle America who are not yet furious with the media over the sleazy "reporting".'

I don't see any of the democrats attacking her, and in fact Obama came out right away and said stay away. I think all democrats pretty much agree with this.

So the question is, why does the issue keep coming up?

You might want to see where the press releases are coming from.

Classic Karl Rove...

Palen is the one running on her family every time she opens her mouth.

she is the pit-bull drunk on her own lipstick dishing out a litany of personal attacks

so stop whining and asking for a double standard

Bill Clinton told us that sex was a private matter. If this applied to the President and an adult, why isn't it being applied to a 17 year old girl?

Ooh, ohh - Clinton just meant sex was private when it was a Democrat. I get it.

It looks like the "New Democrats" really like picking on women and kids. Too bad the girl kicked their BUTTS last night and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

Al Gore's son had multiple problems while Gore was VP and I don't recall the media making a big deal about it.

No no no. Please do not stop attacking the Palin family. There are still a few people in middle America who are not yet furious with the media over the sleazy "reporting". According to Rasmussen, it's only a 10-1 ratio of people who think the media is trying to torpedo Palin. See if you can get it up to 20-1, please MSM!

I never thought I would be so grateful to the media...lol.

99% of Americans don't care about Bristol.

Why is the McCain campaign constantly talking about her? Don't they respect her privacy?

Did the media demand DNA tests for Edwards' love child? No.

The left have gone around the bend.

Good speech. And photogenic family.

When does she talk about her views on creationism, the 1st amendment, sex education and abortion?

Teh press should be ashamed of themselves. This should never have been an issue and only was because the MSM decided to parrot absolutely baseless vitriol and libel that Sarah Palin's infant son is not her own. When the political press in the stoops to maligning an infant with Down's syndrome there is something very veyr wrong with the media. Sick even. It's enough. Examine Sarah palin's record all you want but maligning her children or publishing every vicious rumour against her as a top story journalistic is malpractice. People were telling you for months about very real concerns with obama's church and his associations with terrorists and felons and the media wouldn't touch it. How about Edward's affair and baby, wouldn't touch it. Obama's birth certificate, legal name and citizenship 9 he proabably has at least duel if not tripple citizenship. You guys won't touch it! It's disgusting. Doing your job means vetting the candidates, not attacking their children. Do your jobs, vet Obama!

And repubs. Quit attaking the media give us some meat and potatoes don't attack the media and belittle the democrats.. Give us your vison of the future and how are you as a party going to burry these bush policies. There is the problem though, they want 4 more years of the same and it's appearent with the relgious coot they got for VP.

Typo: So that sort of thing just doesn't happen TO Democrats. And clarification- I was referring to a couple of infamous Jesse Jackson expressions and to Obama getting caught off cuff with the British PM.

I don't think it's Bristol the McCain camp is worried about. According to the NYT, a McCain campaign strategist and Peggy Noonan were caught off guard expressing their concern about Palin being chosen and stating "it's over." So that sort of exposure just doesn't happen Democrats.

Then Sarah Palin should stop mentioning her daughter and keep her out of all the photo ops.

Talk about hypocrisy

Only a coward would stoop to that level

Although what she does in her private life is no ones business, but momma should have thought of that before she accepted the VP nomination. No one in your family is off limits when you are trying to be the leader of a country.

As a republican, I think it is a shrewd move to keep the controversy focused on Bristol.

It distracts from Palin's other liabilities. And it can be used as a weapon to hector the media into giving you good coverage.

If they can keep this up until November, I think McCain will have this thing in the bag.

Go McCain!

Okay McCain, if you really want the media to leave them alone maybe you should stop doing all the photo ops with them.

McCain is the one pushing them into the spotlight. For him to say, "Hey, look at them, aint they cool," and then turn around and say, "but don't talk about them," seems laughably stupid.

too bad none of the above posters know what family support looks like.

if you want her not to be fired on- keep her out he pictures

Concerned in OH - A majority of Americans have been complaining about the left-wing media for YEARS. That's why conservative talk radio and Fox News are gaining viewers. People are tired of leftist bias in the news. It didn't start with this campaign. It has just become so over the top in this campaign that even non-political people are beginning to notice and comment on it.

Obama used his kids as props in an Access Hollywood interview. Does that mean they're fair game too?

I feel sorry for the kid. he has no idea what he has got himself into. I was a young father at 17. I joined the military during Vietnam to get help paying for insurance. Will he join the Army or continue to play hockey in Alaska?

This kid better become his own man quickly or else this marriage will be shortly heading for divorce. What kind of work is he going to be doing? We'll leave that to People and US magazine.

Also, if you want the media to leave them alone, quick parading them out for photo ops all the time.

He says stop with the Bristol thing and then they throw the guy in our faces which is it old man one or the other .If you play with the big boys be perpared to be fair game...

I for once agree with Mclame. They should leave the poor misguided teenager alone. Also this US weekley is full of crap they shouldn't be promoting political positions. But as far as questioning Miss Palin's political history... FAIR GAME! Her judgment.... FAIR GAME! So don't cry sexists when I think she's a crazy nut who thinks war is " GODS PLAN"

As some in the media call for accountability with Palin, McCain and his campaign go on the attack to try and discredit and intimidate the media. McCain's preview of his presidential style should be taken seriously.

McCain if you want to prove to me that this woman will be a great VP or president someday she needs to take the heat. She needs to prove to me, that if Iran comes at her, she will not take off running the other direction while wiping off the tears. She brought her daughter into this, now being a parent, I put my children first, I would never have done what she has done to her daughter for any job. That shows me the person she really is, want are you really trying to cover up....

For those that are oblivious to the point Jake is making, it is kind of silly to ask the media to stop intruding into the private lives of Bristol and Levi while turning every moment with Bristol and Levi into a photo op.

When Bristol starts speaking on policy go after her policy, fair game. Until then leave the kids alone.

Even the most liberal become a Jacksonian when family is threatened. Seen it with my own eyes, I have.

Obama has handled the situation honorably from the start.

Yes and let's bring them to the National Convention, let's meet them at the airport, let's bring in the young man, and pat him on the back. Welcome him to manhood.

How did they treat the younger Miss Spear?

You ought to take his advice. Obama will score no points going after a couple of teen-agers. After awhile, you come off like a B-horror movie monster chasing two kids parked at the overlook.

Rasmussen reports that 55% of America think that the biased media is a bigger problem than large campaign donations.

Looks like not only McCain saying that, but a majority of Americans are saying it too.