This is an odd one, Palins 5th child is apparantly her 17 year old daughters?

[jojosmaman]

... according to some reports in the US?

here

[georgimama]

Yes LMD, but at the time that he said "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" Monica and others including Jennifer Flowers had come out and accused him of infidelity. Which he lied about.

If you can find an obstetrician who claims to have delivered Trig from the 17 year old, then the two situations will be comparable.

[MKG]

X-post georgimama

[Earlybird]

LMD - of course you can challenge a person on a potential lie. But, what proof is there that it is a legitimate challenge? Why not challenge her on whether her dh is a cross dresser (there's certainly no proof that he's not), or that her oldest son is a drug dealer (he could be, ya know!).

It's outlandish.

[sfxmum]

did I just hear in the news that her teen is pregnant and plans to marry the father?
might have imagined that

[LittleMyDancing]

i agree, it's outlandish. but it's not misogyny. it's just dirty politics.

[combustiblelemon]

Wow Earlybird and Cossette. It makes a lot more sense now. I'd suggest that the 'really her daughter's baby story' was either an attempt to force her to confirm her daughter's pregnancy or a very clever leak by the Republican's to soften the news that her daughter is pregnant (and make the liberals look bad-

A senior McCain campaign official said the McCain camp was appalled that these rumors had not only been spread around liberal blog sites and partisan Democrats, but also were the subject of heightened interest from mainstream news media.

"The despicable rumors that have been spread by liberal blogs, some even with Barack Obama's name in them, is a real anchor around the Democratic ticket, pulling them down in the mud in a way that certainly juxtaposes themselves against their 'campaign of change,'" a senior aide said.

[georgimama]

It's misogyny because women in politics instantly get attacked on the basis of their womanhood, either they are lousy mothers, or bitches, or unfeminine ,or lousy wives with marriages of convenience to men who are actually gay etc etc. Attack the politics, not the genitalia of the person espousing them.

[georgimama]

x posted Dittany (except you put it better)

[LittleMyDancing]

i agree geogiemama, there are lots of instances of misogynistic attacks.

but this one is about lying, pure and simple.

i'm not saying i believe it. or condone these sort of smear campaigns.

but it's about a lie, not about her status as a woman.

imvho.

[TheFallenMadonna]

No, it's about a potential lie...

[combustiblelemon]

But male politicians being accused of not being the father of their children would make them the victim i.e. their wives would have cheated on them and they would not have known or lied. For a female politician to not be the mother of her child but her daughter would mean that the politician had lied about it. I still think it's biology and politics rather than misogyny in this case. I do agree Georgimama that women in politics are usually the victims of misogyny, and I'm sure Sarah Palin has been and will continue to be attacked in tis way, I just don't think that it's misogyny in this instance.

Anyway, having read the link I think that this story was created to either force her to confirm her daughter's pregnancy or leaked to soften the pregnancy news to voters.

[MKG]

If Obama was really the candidate of change he would be coming out saying that the media should leave her family out of it and critisize her job record. This is same type of campaign we're used to.

[Earlybird]

But TMF - afaik, there is no basis for the speculation/potential lie. It appears to be completely pulled out of the air.

Why not accuse them of being drug runners or organisers of a gambling ring? Isn't there an equal lack of basis for those possibilities?

[themildmanneredstalker]

hey!!! just announced on the news that sarah palins daughter is pregnant and is going to marry the father!

[combustiblelemon]

That's the in the link I mentioned Themildmanneredstalker. Earlybird and Cossette posted it.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I know - hence my

I wasn't thrilled about LMD saying "it's about a lie" - when, as it turns out - it isn't...

[TheFallenMadonna]

And yes re Obama MKG. It worked for Jimmy Smits in the West Wing

[Piffle]

anything that makes McCain look as inept as he is is a Good Thing
not nice for daughter,trig and family to have such stories.
But it then falls on mrs. Palins desire for political status and ambition. Jaysus though that she be the most powerful woman in US history
Please let Obama win
The other option is quite frankly scary

[Earlybird]

Piffle - am not particularly a McCain supporter, but am intrigued by your choice of the word 'inept' to describe him? Explain please.

[georgimama]

Not sure of your point Piffle, are you saying Sarah Pallin is fair game for smears of this type just because she seeks political office? Because that is, with respect, bollocks.

[combustiblelemon]

It really sounds like a Republican leak. They knew her daughter was pregnant and knew that it would be a major story with the potential to cause serious damage, so they leaked a made-up story to the press about her daughter being the real kother of her 5th child. Now when announcing her 17 year old's pregnancy (and saying she's going to marry the father ) the story becomes Horrible Liberals Telling Nasty Lies rather than VP Candidate's Pregnant Teen.

[msdemeanor]

DIttany, male politicians are accused of lying every single day of the week! often, it has to be said, with good cause. eg Edwardes affair (did he father a child with his mistress? He says no...) and of course, Clinton and his harem.
This story does seem implausible though. Think some of the dates on the photos are just wrong.