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Palin to Oprah: Levi Johnston Pursuing 'Porn' Career; 'I Pray for Levi'

November 16, 2009 10:54 AM


Klein_3ABC News’ Rick Klein reports:

We wrote last week that, based on the initial clip distributed by Oprah Winfrey's shop, Sarah Palin seemed to be seeking a ceasefire with the father of her grandson.

Now that the full Oprah interview is out -- not so much.

Asked by Oprah about Levi Johnston, Palin, R-Alaska, responded: "I don't think a national television show is the place to discuss some of things he'd been doing and saying."

She continued: "By the way, I don't know if we call him Levi -- I hear he goes by the name Ricky Hollywood now, so, if that's the case, we don't want to mess up this gig he's got going…. Kind of this aspiring, aspiring porn -- the things that he's doing. It's kind of heartbreaking."

Oprah clarified that Palin was referencing Johnston's decision to pose for "Playgirl."

Said Palin: "I call that porn, yes. So it's a bit heartbreaking to see the road that he's on right now."

Asked about Johnston's relationship with his son, Tripp, Palin said:

"He hasn't seen the baby for a while, but we will let that be the discussion between Bristol and Levi, as they work out their relationship. Because Levi will forever be the father of this beautiful little baby, and I continue to hope for the best, and pray for Levi."

November 16, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (73)

User Comments

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Levi is hardly worth going off on national television. Is Palin so insecure about the entire pregnancy episode that she feels she must attack Levi to properly defend herself? Letting it go would have been so much better for her public image...

Posted by: matt | Nov 16, 2009 11:34:26 AM

Oh this is fascinating. Yes, yes, let's hear more about Sarah Palin and her grandson's Daddy. I can't get enough. It's all so exciting. (Actually, I think Levi is pretty sweet.)

Posted by: Amy in Maine | Nov 16, 2009 12:13:36 PM

Levi's getting paid by Democratic big donors on the West Coast to keep his face in the media.

The Levis off the world stay on the scene for a reason....politics.

Posted by: Dan | Nov 16, 2009 12:43:46 PM

Oh, how sweet. Put the knife in with large dollops of broken-hearted Mommylove. Next stop for Levi? Sean Cody Online, of course!

Posted by: section9 | Nov 16, 2009 12:45:30 PM

Hard to see how being sad that the father of her grandchild is "going off" on Levi, unless of course you're the type of parent who expects absolutely nothing from someone in your family.

Posted by: jane | Nov 16, 2009 12:49:06 PM

"Palin, R-Alaska"

Palin holds a government position in Alaska? Is she a Senator?

Posted by: Huh? | Nov 16, 2009 12:50:17 PM

I would trust Levi more then I would her.

Posted by: justmeabc5 | Nov 16, 2009 1:01:28 PM

"We wrote last week that, based on the initial clip distributed by Oprah Winfrey's shop, Sarah Palin seemed to be seeking a ceasefire with the father of her grandson.

Now that the full Oprah interview is out -- not so much."

So basically ABC News "jumped to conclusions" and "acted stupidly" by not "awaiting the facts" of the matter. King Obama would not proud of ABC News for doing such a thing. It'd be a rush of fresh air if ABC News would take as much of an interest in our the past and upbringing of our present president than focusing on an interview of a private citizen.

Posted by: Philip | Nov 16, 2009 1:03:23 PM

negate one our in the preceeding comment.

Posted by: Philip | Nov 16, 2009 1:04:24 PM

Sarah Palin answered a question about Levi. She didn't "go off", as Matt above accuses... she simply answered a pretty obvious question.

She was very nice about it, too. Much nicer than the people in this thread are being, and much,much nicer than Levi has been. Most parents treat people like Levi a lot worse than Sarah has.

I know that abc is a pretty liberal outlet for Obama, having given him all that free airtime for the health care thing, and I guess the rest of their coverage is democrat as well. So it's no surprise that most of the readers here do not agree with Sarah Palin's political views. But that's hardly any reason to be ugly to her because her relatives are normal, imperfect people. Obama's relatives are even worse, but it would be horrible to paint Obama for that.

Sarah's daughter got pregnant, and they handled the situation with love and forgiveness. People think that means Sarah is a hypocrite, or dirty. But I disagree. I do not agree with Sarah's social conservatism, but I probably will vote for her if I get the chance, because I want our discourse to be more like Sarah's and less like those attacking her.

Posted by: Mary Mapes | Nov 16, 2009 1:05:08 PM

Levi,Pathetic to the core.Who cares about this pathtic little nothing!

Posted by: your mama | Nov 16, 2009 1:07:17 PM

I have always been baffled by the Left's and the MSM's wild-eyed, vicious, irrational hatred of Sarah Palin. What on Earth did she ever do to warrant this?

Now that she is merely a private citizen, the MSM's continuing dishonest and vicious attacks have become even more confusing and distasteful to me.

Since I am not a Liberal, I guess I will never understand the mindless irrationality and utter intolerance that comes with being a Liberal.

Posted by: Wil | Nov 16, 2009 1:20:46 PM

I can see that 90% of the responders here have their own issues that prevents an unbiased conclusion. Would anyone want to guess what it is? Even people I don't like I try to give a fair judgment call.

Posted by: Artie | Nov 16, 2009 1:23:35 PM

So sad that people attack Sarah. I will pray for them.

Posted by: socal4patrick | Nov 16, 2009 1:24:32 PM

What I find particularly sad is that when Sarah ignored questions about Levi, many mainstread media outlets said that 'this is well advised because Levi claims to have dirt on Sarah'. In other words, the MSM ostensibly verified something that they had no idea about, implicating Sarah is some dark, dark scandal... just because she didn't want to talk about this complicated Levi problem. Andrew Sullivan claims it's proof that Palin did not give birth to Trigg, for example.

When Sarah DOES answer a question, in a pretty toned down humble way, that's also the wrong thing to do?

So, no matter what, whatever Palin does is the wrong thing to do. This is the reason I'll vote for someone I disagree with on several issues... I don't want people to think this attack method works. I want it to backfire. I voted for Obama, Kerry, and Gore, and I kinda hope I don't have to, but I will vote for Palin if I get the chance, in a primary or in a general election. She's a nice person, who seems to genuinely want to do good, in spite of really horrible forces arrayed against her. I know the polls say this is a minority view, but I think Palin's starting to change that.

If you REALLY want to beat Palin, those of you who are attacking anything other than her policy views, expressed on her facebook, memoirs, op-eds, and policy record, need to change.

Posted by: Mary Mapes | Nov 16, 2009 1:28:04 PM

I find anyone having sympathy with this Levi twerp needs a moral adjustment -- no matter your politics, when a "man" bad mouths the grandmother of his child, he is a cretin.

Posted by: ProfNickD | Nov 16, 2009 1:52:29 PM

Levi is being consumed by the same people who claim to be for the people

once levis usefulness is up I will not be the bit suprised if it's the palins who show true compassion

the left is a bunch of creeps who have no problem destroying, in this case a kid, anybody to suite their needs

Posted by: Paul bartels | Nov 16, 2009 2:04:09 PM

So does Joe Biden have kids? Grand kids? Why would a news organization be this focused on tabloid "journalism" with respect to the former governor of a state?
I don't remember as much attention being paid to the fact that Joe Biden takes Amtrak to work everyday and, oh by the way, has spearheaded millions of dollars of government cash into the system, presumably keeping fares down or keeping him from having to move closer to work.

So to recap: Political correspondant prefers to comment on the relationship between a former governor/veep candidate and her relationship with a 19 year old as opposed to, I don't know, what the ACTUAL politicians are doing in Washington

Here are some leads to follow up on after "The View" Rick: Pelosi hiding $300B in costs in her health care bill, Obama putting intelligence assets at risk by sending KSM to criminal court in NYC (which allows discovery of all evidence and how it was obtained) to prove that America is a law-abiding country, yet Holder admits that they only sent it to NYC because they were sure there would be a conviction (sham-trial)), SEIU President was to the White House 22 times in the first 7 months of Mr. Obama's presidency, yet they are kicking lobbyists out of Washington...and on and on and on.

Posted by: JustRight | Nov 16, 2009 2:12:40 PM

LOL, so Levi is posing for Play Girl hey? The poor fool, does he not know the majority of subsribers for the rag are homosexuals?

Next he will be futured on film down at the local homosexual porn shops. IOW, he will be John Holmes (AKA Johnny wadd) in drag.

Posted by: Travis | Nov 16, 2009 2:17:29 PM

Now let me get this straight. Some of you would trust Levi before Palin? Are you really that stupid? Levi tried the political scene during the primaries. He got all dressed up in a suit and paraded around in front of the cameras. Since then he quit school, can't hold down a job, getting paid to smear his child's grandmother, and now he wants the whole world to see him naked. Sounds like Levi wants you to look at him. Sounds like he is jealous Palin is getting more attention than he is. Levi must be having trouble getting females to sleep with him now. The smart females knows if he gets them pregnant he'll run like a chicken. Oh, did I mention he's not sending any money home to care for his child. Sounds like a dead beat to me. Sounds like a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy that cares nothing for human beings including his own child. What a jerk.

Posted by: justavoter | Nov 16, 2009 2:21:44 PM

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