[Obama] issued a strong statement to "back off" reports of Bristol Palin's pregnancy, telling reporters families — and especially children — are off limits in this presidential campaign.
Mr. Obama, campaigning here, also noted that his own mother was 18 when she gave birth to him.
"People's families are off limits," he said. "People's children are especially off limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. "
"I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories," he added. "That shouldn't be a topic in our politics."
He vehemently pushed back against an unnamed McCain aide suggesting his campaign had any ties to the blogs that were spreading rumors before the news broke, saying he was "offended" by that and if any of his staff was involved in spreading the issue, "they'd be fired."
"We don't go after people's families. Our people are not involved in any way," he said
The hope here is that the country can move on from here without, as they say, further comment. I'd much rather hear debate on the future of Social Security and Medicare.
I couldn't agree more to back off any family member of any candidate. I can't, however, keep from wondering about Gov. Palin, as a mother, accepting this national position at this time, knowing that her child would have a national, if not global spotlight, put on her daughter and grandchild. At age 44, couldn't Gov. Palin have finished her first term as governor, allowed her daughter to make it through a difficult situation, and Palin would certainly have many more years to aspire to national office?
ReplyDeleteAffirming that abstinence is the only manner of birth control to ever teach children/youth (stated position of both McCain and Palin) and the rigid thinking of abortion never to be considered for rape, incest, or health of the mother - how does that kind of rigidity of thinking play out in dealing with all the different cultures/religions in this large country and the world?
I have a very good friend who is a lobbyist for a Fortune 500 company who told me back when it was unclear whether or not Barry would get into the race that the advice given to Barry was: this is you only chance, my man. Strike while the iron's hot. four year from now, you will have made so many crazy, far left votes in the Senate that you'll never win a general election.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is Palin's shot just as it is Barry's. Who else would pick her but McC? She comes, for C's sake, from a state with a population the size of Memphis, Tennessee (on a day when a hurricane is not pounding the snot out of New Orleans). She will never have this chance again.
Also, for one, Bristol's the one who got pregnant. Part of growing up is learning to live with consequenses.
For two, why is the Governor the one who has to help poor Bristol through this tough time? Why can't Todd do it? This is America in the 21st century.
Of course, it's pretty easy to "take the high road" when you've got the DailyKos, Huffington, and MoveOn.org carrying the water for you on your dirty work.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat.
ReplyDelete