I believe she was with her mother a few days ago at the NHL hockey game (Rangers?).

No, that was her sister Willow, at the Flyers game, with Sarah and little sister Piper.

Tina Fey rocked SNL when her Palin character said she believes marriage is a sacred bond between two unwilling teenagers.

The other day I was thinking about Sarah Palin and a song title came to mind: "Only a Pawn in Their Game."

Bristol and Levi sat shoulder-to-shoulder. But not once did they look at each other, speak to each other, or in any way acknowledge each other's physical presence. Not once. For an entire hour. Instead, Bristol stared straight ahead and Levi had the glazed look of a trapped feral animal.

Then when Sarah wound up her autograph signing and the people sitting in front of him on the bleacher began climbing down, Levi stood up and, without looking at or speaking to his betrothed, turned in the opposite direction and walked away.

Nowhere to be seen? Good. The last thing that young woman needs is more media attention.

Hopefully, after Election Day, there will be little reason for America to care about the Palin family.

Frankly, I would love it if some presidential candidate said "I'm tired of politicians using their kids as props. You won't see my children at campaign rallies, at the convention, or in TV ads. I'm asking you to elect me because I'd be the best person to run the government, not because my kids are cute. The media can scrutinize me all they want, but I ask them to please respect my children's privacy."

I think the left is sick. This girl's mother is a politician, she is not. If I remember correctly there were few stories about children of presidents because they are people not asking to be in the limelight. The hatred that the left feels, the anger and all the ugliness itis spewing is grotesque and scary. This turns me off from voting for anyone the left espouses. I know many decent Democrats who think the candidate's children should be off limit. I agree! Shame on this blog and commentators. This is about as ugly as I've ever an election.

If Bristol's mother would just tell the truth about the mother's "miracle pregnancy," all of this would go away. But then again, so would her career.

Shame on the politicians who use their children as political props while it suits them. Shame on those same politicians who, at the first sign of criticism, decry the attention to their children.

Palin has used her family as a shameless prop; by thrusting her family into the spotlight, she's responsible for what that spotlight reveals.

Likewise, I have scorn for Obama's use of his children, but I haven't seen them since the Democratic Convention. After the Presidential debates, I believe it was just the candidates and their spouses. After the VP debate, Palin made a show of bring her family onstage.

The candidate brought this on herself; you can't play the "look at my family" game without the media looking at your famiy.

John,
If you want to say the left is sick for mentioning a politician's kids, fine, but don't forget this little gem from the Republican candidate John McCain back in 1998: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." -- Sen. John McCain, speaking to a Republican dinner, June 1998.

More: Palin's disastrous hockey appearance in Philly included bringing two of her children on to the ice.

PS: Why aren't her children in school anymore? Rumor on the street is that Obama's children aren't on the campaign trail because they're in school in Chicago.

I don't care what's up with Bristol Palin -- she's a teen who deserves her privacy, regardless of whether she's knocked up now or not. Nor do I really care about who is Trig Palin's real mom -- just as long as his needs are met. He seems to be fine so far.

But if Sarah lied, then I care, since she's a candidate. But so far, lots of questions and circumstantial evidence but no proof. So I'm concentrating on other issues, such as if Sarah knows anything about foreign policy and how to solve the economic implosion.

That's because I expect McCain to drop dead within the year -- or maybe two. (And, in the meantime, I'm willing to leave any Palin family drama to the Palins to solve. I have other issues to worry about, like how to spot my 401K among the other nano-matter around. And my own family drama.)

Uh, Chris?

Santa Claus was booed in Philly. I wouldn't take that as a sign of much of anything, other than that Philadelphians like to boo most everybody...

Signed, a non-palin supporter but a past (and pretty much proud) Philly resident.

She put a Flyers jersey on one of her kids, and the fans still booed. They're pretty good at smelling a phony.

But if Sarah lied, then I care, since she's a candidate.

There are only two possibilities: Either she faked a pregnancy while governor, or she recklessly endangered Trig's life at birth. Take your pick.

Bill, by saying that two wrongs make a right you are only confirming John's impression of the left. At what point do liberals follow the advice of Mr. Obama and take the high road.

Obama's children aren't on the campaign trail because they're in school in Chicago.

What kind of a man would send his children to school in Chicago?

At what point do liberals follow the advice of Mr. Obama and take the high road.

At least we're not at rallies shouting out for McCain to be lynched.

If Michelle Obama paraded around with a pillow on her belly faking a pregnancy -- or flew 10 hours after her water broke -- you can be darn sure the right-wingers would be talking about it.

"If Michelle Obama paraded around with a pillow on her belly faking a pregnancy -- or flew 10 hours after her water broke -- you can be darn sure the right-wingers would be talking about it."

You may be correct that some would, but once again does that justify retaliation from others in the form of personal attacks on a candidate's family member? I like Obama, and I think he might side with John's point of view if he were reading this post.

Gibby,
That is classic blog speak: "Bill, by saying that two wrongs make a right you are only confirming John's impression of the left."

You make a good argument, except I didn't say that. I just wondered if John will apply the same standard to McCain.

Although I've sold a bunch of jokes about the campaign, the bailout, and Sarah Palin, none of them have been about the kid. I thought Tina Fey's line was more about Sarah Palin's phony family values.

I say leave the kids out of it. And I'll save any Republicans the time by giving the standard response: "Look, when John McCain was a prisoner of war, they weren't giving him any sensitivity courses, so if he makes a cruel joke about a politician's daughter, it's okay."

If Michelle Obama paraded around with a pillow on her belly faking a pregnancy -- or flew 10 hours after her water broke -- you can be darn sure the right-wingers would be talking about it.

But would you?

Gibby,
I'm sorry. I just saw what happened. You didn't get that I was being sarcastic when I called McCain's joke a "gem." Actually, I thought it was quite cruel in a Republican family values sort of way.
I have sold jokes about Janet Reno but she put herself in play with Waco and Elian Gonzales. I left Chelsea alone during the Clinton years when she was a teenager, and since then for that matter even though she was active in the campaign. McCain didn't, even back when Chelsea had just turned 18 and had not asked to be the President's daughter. That was cruel. SNL did a similar thing and they apologized and yanked it from the show before it hit the West Coast, as I remember.
The key is to pick the right component of a situation to make fun of. As sick as it sounds, we even made jokes about the JonBonet sitaution but only at the expense of the Boulder Police Department. In that sense you could say we were urging them to do a better job.
I'd hate it if Bristol reacted to all the pressure and did something to hurt herself, and I said as much on this blog in the first days of the pregnancy rumors. As they say, you can look it up.

No one's attacking Bristol. She's either already an unwed teenage mother, or going to be a teenage mother at a shotgun wedding. I truly, truly pity her.

I am attacking her mother, who is unfit to be Miss Alaska, much less President of the United States.

Bristol and Levi sat shoulder-to-shoulder. But not once did they look at each other, speak to each other, or in any way acknowledge each other's physical presence. Not once.

Ah, young love.

I wasn't comfortable with the pictures of Bristol's body to try and discern if she was wearing a fake pregnancy kit. I could see a teenage girl feeling like the world was closing in knowing people around the world were studying pictures of her. There were even comments about her breast size, etc..
I actually looked up my first comment on this since I had tried to come off so noble. As usual, it wasn't quite how I remembered it as I did say we should dump on the hockey player who knocked her up. From early September:
"During this weekend's blogfest I invoked the Richard Jewel rule. He was the security guard who became a suspect in the Atlanta Olympics bombing and was pilloried on the comedy shows as well as in the mainstream media. Of course later it turned out that what he said was true and he actually saved people's lives by notifying authorities that he had found a suspicious package. I didn't joke about him because I didn't know what to think.
Ditto for Patsey Ramsey. I did sell jokes about the Boulder police department - that's the component in the story you go after. This thing with Sarah Palin's daughter? I just imagined the world coming down on her and something bad happening. Who needs to be a part of that?
Since then I see the story has settled and Sarah is definitely in play, but I think the key is the hockey player. I mean of all the teenage boys who've tried to have sex and this guy lands in a presidential campaign? That's off the hook."
So I guess my new rule is don't go after politicians' kids but do go after the hockey playing punks who get them pregnant.

One thing has become clear since the blogging pregnancy frenzy: Sarah Palin is a lying sack who is capable of saying anything. That part is definitely in play.

Sarah Palin is a lying sack who is capable of saying anything. That part is definitely in play.

So she is just as qualified a politician as anyone else in that profession...

Bill, I think we are on the same page, and quite honestly I can't wait for these elections to be over so we can all get back to the business of getting into other people's business.

I feel like the poker player who ran out of stamina and simply wants to go "all-in", even if it means not winning. I have to say there has been more bad blood from both sides during this election than any other I have ever seen. War and economic depression will do that to folks. The Oregon Senate race was more disappointing to me than the Presidential race.

It looks like Obama will probably win, so let's see what the Dems can do. No matter what happens I am sure the MSM will keep putting Palin and her family out there as either goats or celebrities. Their TV time will probably not diminish for several months to come. That should teach her and others never to run for public office.

This morning I see that Levi, the soon to be proud papa of the next Palin clan member, has been speaking to AP.
Seems the baby is due December 19th.

Reprising the timelines, it was announced (Sept 1st) that Bristol was five months pregnant during the week of the Rep convention (1st week of Sept)

I will let the medical personnel in your audience do the math from here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/13/levi-johnston-speaks-on-b_n_134088.html

Bill, nice try on your 11:08 post. You're as good at spinning as writing a joke. Yes, you're only going after the "hockey playing punks".

Daddy Don't Vote . . .

"Johnston didn't register in time to vote, according to the Mat-Su Division of Elections Office in Wasilla."

"No one's attacking Bristol. She's either already an unwed teenage mother, or going to be a teenage mother at a shotgun wedding. I truly, truly pity her." - Jack Bog

Which is why you post on your blog pictures of her on a missing child poster, complete with snide descriptors.

Your pity is heartwarming, Jack.

http://www.adn.com/palin/story/554679.html
/\/\/\
Interview with Levi Johnston

Oops. Looks like it was posted already, just from a different link.

Vile Anti-Palin C word Tee-Shirts in City of Brotherly Love

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/vile-anti-palin.html

Ben..re yr 2.51 post, the wearer is a self confessed libertarian not a Dem

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Jake_Tappers_questions_answered.html?showall

And that reminded me of a May 2008 youtube.com vid in which Grampy Mccain was asked why he called his wife the c-word

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOl4iT46Eec&feature=related

This of course refers to the following exchange on the Arizona senate stump in 1992.

"At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you c***."

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/McCain_temper_boiled_over_in_92_0407.html

John, here's another gem from the Clinton era, when the right was so kind to Chelsea. Remember when Rush Limbaugh had a television show? Remember the one where he said, in his best news-caster voice, that the Clintons had a new dog at the White House, and then held up a picture of a gangly, awkward 12-year-old Chelsea Clinton? It took my breath away. It was the last time I ever watched/listened to Limbaugh, or thought well of anyone who did. So, I guess this is an equal opportunity failing of our political discourse. But certianly, the left did not initiate it.

Anyone who resorts to obscenities, threats or tall tales ("Palling around with terrorists" for instance), either verbal or in print, to further their agenda is lazy and crude (this goes both for politicians and their supporters).

Such attempts are appeals to the reptile brain, rarely based on reason, fact or traditional persuasion. They appeal only to those who agree and do nothing more than infuriate those who don't . . . perhaps inflaming passions to the point where real damage occurs.

They are harmful to any constructive process and anyone who indulges in them should be asked to make their point in an adult manner or refrain from remarking at all.

If politicians or their supporters are not called quickly and firmly on this nonsense, anyone associated with them may be seen as condoning it.

"...harmful to any constructive process and anyone who indulges in them should be asked to make their point in an adult [no lies] manner or refrain from remarking at all.

"If politicians or their supporters are not called quickly and firmly on this nonsense, anyone associated with them [or losing business sponsoring them] may be seen as condoning it."

Hence the grass-roots swell of popular support for the quick-growing new branding of LIARS.

Remember, Lars puts the 'I' in LIARS.

I"m a conservative, there's no doubt about that, but I don't care where the attacks on the candidate's children come from they should be condemned. If the victim is Chelsea then its wrong. If its a Palin kid then its wrong period.

What I really don't understand is why some (more on the left than the right) have to hate their political opponents. Can't we just disagree or is it necessary to hate the folks in the other party?