Rumors were flying on the blogs recently about Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin's five-month old son actually belonged to her unmarried teenaged daughter. To quell the rumors that her son, Trig was indeed hers, she made public the announcement that her 17-year old daughter Bristol was indeed pregnant.
However, her quote and the response of the Republican pundits and evangelical supporters expose a glaring dual standard.
"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents," Sarah and her husband Todd Palin were quoted in the released statement. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080901/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_palin_daughter)
Note the use of "proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby"? That phrase begs the question: was there ever a decision? If so, why? Gov. Sarah Palin is proud to proclaim her right to life and elimination of choice. If there's no choice, what is there to decide in the Palin family?
This smacks of Newt Gingrich and his pro-life harangues, all the while covering up the fact he'd previously taken his extramarital girlfriend to have an abortion. Would the Palins have even allowed any decision by Bristol to terminate the pregnancy?
If she's not playing the same hypocrisy as other GOPers, then clearly Gov. Palin would've noted there was no decision to make whatsoever. If elected, and if she and Sen. John McCain have their way with stuffing the courts, top-to-bottom, with Opus Dei no-choice neo-conservatives, there will be no "decision" by either Bristol Palin or any other American parent's daughter other than have the child, or go to prison for life after being convicted of murder.
"We all make mistakes," added Steven Staver dean of Liberty University School of Law. "Certainly, the ideal is not to get pregnant out of wedlock. But she made the right decision after her mistake," he said.
From the dean of the most conservative law school in the nation, again compliments over the "decision." If anyone would, Dean Staver should know: they wish to make women who decide to terminate pregnancies complicit in murder. How often do we praise others for not conspiring to murder? Sure, it's a decision. But how many everyday Americans mull over conspiracy to murder, decide not to, and then receive praise for not being murderers from their governor parents or deans of conservative law schools?
Why would Gov. Palin suggest her daughter even mulled over such a decision: become a teen mother or (if Gov. Palin's desired morals end up as law) become a convicted murderer? That baffles me.
Even more precious was Focus on the Family's James Dobson obsession with tossing his two cents in. Dobson issued a statement commending the Palins "for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances." Amazingly he avoids noting anything about sexual activity before marriage - typically a major sin in Dobson's eyes. Only Republican children can be forgiven not adhering to abstinence before matrimony.
I believe Jesus had a word for folks like James Dobson: hyprocrites.
Dobson added: "Being a Christian does not mean you're perfect. Nor does it mean your children are perfect. But it does mean there is forgiveness and restoration when we confess our imperfections to the Lord." ... If you're a Republican ... and behave in a manner that James Dobson approves. He either forgot, or the media conveniently omitted that last key qualifying part.
"Senator McCain's view is this is a private family matter. As parents, (the Palins) love their daughter unconditionally and are going to support their daughter," said McCain spokesman Steve Schmidt. "If people try to politicize this, the American people will be appalled."
All I can say is welcome to Rove-style politics, Mr. Schmidt! Be appalled, because even if the campaign avoids it, the "people" will not. In this environment, anything is "fair game." All the "people" have learned a lot from the Turdblossom over the past eight years.
Even Sen. McCain is familiar with it: his own adopted daughter from Bangladesh was used as "McCain's out-of-wedlock daughter during an interracial affair" in South Carolina's primary by the folks supporting the George W. Bush 2000 Presidential Campaign, thanks to good old Karl Rove.
But then again, being a protégée of ol' Turdblossom, Mr. Steve Schmidt and the Republicans should be fully familiar with this environment. They created it.
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