Republican VP Nominee Palin Confirms 17-Year-Old Daughter Is Pregnant, Stirs Debate

Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Public Health
Article Date: 03 Sep 2008 - 7:00 PST

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Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) -- chosen Friday by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) to be his vice presidential running mate -- confirmed on Monday that her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is pregnant, CQ Today reports. The announcement generated support from social conservative leaders and delegates at the party's national convention who praised Bristol's decision to carry the pregnancy to term and marry the father, according to CQ Today. Members of the Republican Party also said they view the situation as "confirmation that the elder Palin understands the challenges faced by American families, and they applauded" Republican presidential candidate McCain for choosing Palin as his running mate, according to CQ Today (Allen, CQ Today, 9/1).

According to the Washington Post, McCain knew of Bristol's pregnancy before choosing his running mate, a senior McCain campaign aide said Monday (Shear/Vick, Washington Post, 9/2). Steve Schmidt, the chief strategist for the McCain campaign, said, "The fact is, John McCain had a thorough search and made the decision to add Sarah Palin to the ticket because he believes" that she "will change America." Schmidt added that the attention the situation receives would depend on the media. Schmidt would not say when or how McCain learned of the pregnancy, adding that it was a "private conversation" (Seelye, New York Times, 9/2).

A statement from Palin and her husband, Todd, said, "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. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support." The statement adds, "Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family." They also asked the media to respect the couple's privacy (Sanchez et al., CongressDaily, 9/1).

The decision to announce the pregnancy came after rumors on the Internet by political bloggers, who that said Palin's fifth child, who was born in April, was actually Bristol's, the Times reports (New York Times, 9/2). Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) on Monday condemned any rumor involving the children of candidates and said that he will fire any campaign worker who violates his rule, the AP/Google.com reports. Obama on Monday said that he thinks "people's families are off limits, and people's children are especially off limits" (Babington, AP/Google.com, 9/1). Obama added that the pregnancy "has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president" (New York Times, 9/2).

Reaction

USA Today reports that the pregnancy revelation has raised questions about McCain's judgment. Democratic consultant Mark Mellman said the revelation raises questions about McCain's judgment in picking Palin, who has been governor for less than two years. Mellman said the choice reflects "a complete lack of intelligence gathering and interpretation. ... It raises profound questions about him." Dave Robertson, a political scientist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said social conservatives likely will give Palin and her family the "benefit of the doubt" because of the governor's opposition to abortion rights. Robertson added, however, that Bristol's pregnancy might "raise some questions more generally about what other things we don't know about Sarah Palin that we ought to know" (Moore, USA Today, 9/2).

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said that teenage pregnancy has "become all too common in today's society" and added that it is a "problem" best reduced through abstinence. Perkins said, "Fortunately, Bristol is following her mother and father's example of choosing life in the midst of a difficult situation." James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family who endorsed McCain after he named Palin as his running mate, commended the Palin family, the Washington Times reports. "The media are already trying to spin this as evidence Gov. Palin is a 'hypocrite,' but all it really means is that she and her family are human," Dobson said (Emerling, Washington Times, 9/2).

AP/Google.com Examines McCain's Position on Teen Pregnancy Prevention

McCain in the Senate has opposed proposals to spend federal money on teenage pregnancy prevention programs and voted to require low-income teen mothers to stay in school or lose their benefits, the AP/Google.com reports. According to the AP/Google.com, McCain's record on issues surrounding teen pregnancy and contraceptives during his more than 20 years in the Senate indicates that he and Palin, who also opposes funding comprehensive sex education programs in Alaska, have similar views on the issue. The McCain campaign on Monday declined requests for more information on the issues, the AP/Google.com reports.

McCain's position on contraceptives and teen pregnancy issues "has been difficult to judge on the campaign trail, as he appears uncomfortable discussing such topics," according to the AP/Google.com. Throughout the campaign, McCain has given seemingly uncertain answers to questions concerning whether the government should provide contraceptives or counseling on contraceptives, as well as whether he supports grants for sex education in the U.S., whether such programs should include directions for using contraceptives and whether he supports President Bush's policy of promoting abstinence. In the 1990s, McCain cited abortion, birth control and sex education as issues in which he differed with former President Clinton's Surgeon General nominee Joycelyn Elders. McCain said that the U.S. has a problem with teen pregnancy but added that Elders' views, such as support for distributing condoms in schools, would make the problem worse.

In Senate votes, McCain has opposed some proposals to pay for teen pregnancy prevention programs. In 2006, McCain voted against a proposal by some Senate Democrats to send $100 million to communities for teen pregnancy prevention programs that would have included comprehensive sex education that included information on contraceptives. In 2005, McCain opposed a Senate Democratic proposal that would have spent tens of millions of dollars to pay for pregnancy prevention programs other than abstinence-only education, including education programs on emergency contraception. The bill also would have required insurance companies that cover male infertility treatments to cover prescription contraceptives. In 1988, McCain also voted for the Family Support Act, which required teen mothers who receive public assistance to remain in high school, and, in some cases, live with their parents (Theimer, AP/Google.com, 9/2).

Broadcast Coverage

~ CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday reported on Bristol's pregnancy. The segment includes comments from talk radio hosts Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller -- both Obama supporters -- former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-N.Y.), a McCain supporter, and Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez (King, "Larry King Live," CNN, 9/1).

~ NBC's "Nightly News" on Monday reported on the pregnancy announcement. The segment includes comments from McCain (O'Donnell, "Nightly News," NBC, 9/1).

~ NPR's "All Things Considered" on Monday reported on Obama's statement on Palin (Gonyea/Block, "All Things Considered," NPR, 9/1).

~ NPR's "All Things Considered" on Monday interviewed McCain-Palin campaign communications director Jill Hazelbaker about the announcement about Palin's daughter. Hazelbaker also rebutted Internet rumors that Palin's youngest son actually was Bristol's son (Siegel, "All Things Considered," NPR, 9/1).

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