Obama To Media: "Back Off" Palin Pregnancy

ABC News:

At a brief press availability in Monroe, Mich., ABC News asked Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., if he had any response to Gov. Sarah Palin's statement that her unmarried 17-year-old daughter Bristol is pregnant.

"Let me be a clear as possible: I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off limits," Obama said, "and people's children are especially off limits.

"This shouldn't be part of our politics," he continued, "It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor, or her potential performance as a vice president.

"And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories," he said. "You know my mother had me when she was 18, and how a family deals with issues and, you know, teenage children, that shouldn't be the topic of our politics and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that's off limits."

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[highlyamused]

He's right. He's not telling us what to do. He's appealing to our better nature.
I think he's mostly concerned that anyone who's attached to his campaign NOT be
saying anything out of order. And isn't that why we support him?

My grandmother had a little plaque on her wall that said,

"Be careful of the words you speak....keep them soft and sweet....you never know from day to day which ones you'll have to eat."

I guess it's good advise for us as well as the republicans.

dang'it. ;)

[suzyhein]

too bad we're dealing withRove. all bets are off.

[sandiegoconservative]

Ha! My grandmother has the exact same saying (I think off by one word) in a frame on her wall. Grandparents are incredibly wise.

[evekendall]

"I think he's mostly concerned that anyone who's attached to his campaign NOT be
saying anything out of order."

No, I think he's mostly concerned about doing the right thing. That's what he's about. That's why he doesn't get down in the gutter. He wants something different.

[PlainBread]

It takes a great man to willingly say "back off" telling people not to keep poking on Palin's family matter while he's been treated the same way by republicans.

Barack Obama, you set a new direction and rules in politics!

[brabra]

How in this world did they vet this woman?

[debrouillard]

JMC said he just saw her once and knew they were meant for each other.In JMC's very own words "she is my soul mate". What part of that dont you understand?

[ZekeBundren]

The girl is not an issue. Her mother chose to run for VP. This raise legitimate questions about Republican dogma vis a vis real world behavior, and those questions should be asked and answered. The idea public officials don't have an obligation to set a proper example is current today, but it is a despicable idea, promoted mostly by the superfreakshow left, who are mostly laughing stock and can safely be disregarded.

One hopes the media have the honesty and integrity to question Palin about the example this sets for America, given her personal public statements favoring abstinence education over birth control and other items in those areas.

What Obama wants isn't an issue here. The issues are public health and the sort of example this sets for other Americans.

[Cherlesq]

DID YOU FOLKS HEAR A WORD OBAMA SAID. SHUT UP ABOUT THIS. MAKING A POLITICAL ISSUE OUT OF THIS YOUNG WOMEN IS BENEATH US. IMAGINE IF IT WERE YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER HAD TO READ THESE VICIOUS AND UNKIND REMARKS. SURELY THIS IS NOT WHAT THIS FAMILY PLANNED NOR IS TI THE IDEAL SITUATION FOR ANYONE. SO PLEASE SHOW SOME COMPASSION AND FOLLOW OBAMA'S LEAD.

[robXdion]

Many of you are missing the point. Obama saying this effectively takes any accusations of sexism or insensitivity off his campaign. What he's done is defended Palin so in case she does self-destruct (and she will) they can't blame HIM or his campaign. He won't get blamed for another "they're-picking-on-the-girl" episode. McCain hasn't even publicly defended her yet.

[Yesnik]

The Media is backing off especially at Fox News.

I couldn't find it on their home page anywhere.

They must believe in Barack Obama

[gardenlady]

I agree with Obama that the daughter should be left alone, and that her pregnancy is a personal issue.
The problem is that, if I've got it right, if any other teenager in any other family should became pregnant, Gov. Palin believes that she should have not access to an abortion. Gov. Palin also believes that teenage boys and girls should not have access the sex education or birth control.
These are public as well as personal positions. The public part could affect us all should Palin become Vice President.

[Kwaayesnama]

Accidents happen, and since the official Alaska birth control policy is abstinence - accidents will happen. The only thing that upsets me is what will happen to this young couple. Will this young man be able to support a wife and child? What happens to his plans for education? Not my life, not my problem but when my children were teens we told them that we prefer that they wait for marriage to become sexually active but we also told them about methods of birth control if the chose not to listen to us.

[xcrunner77]

Are there are any principles left that Republicans live by? All I see is people who say one thing and do another. Preachers rail against the "sin" of homosexuality.... and then turn out to be gay themselves. Republicans pass laws against child predators.... while they seduce teenage pages over the internet. They preach abstaining from sex as the only right public policy... and then woops their own teenage daughters turn up pregnant. They say drug offenders should be locked up for good... until they get arrested.

It's a party full of hypocrites. How could anyone be proud of being a Republican?

[23000Days]

"anangryamerican" asked earlier: WHAT IF THIS WAS OBAMA'S DAUGHTER???
Well let's see: The news says "Last friday it came to light that Senator Obama's most recent child may actually be his 17 year old daughter Brenda's child.
"There's a mountain of photographic evidence indicating that Michelle never appeared pregnant at all. Photos of her previous pregnancies are all very obvious. The 22 hour trip she took after her water broke, in order to get home to Brenda, would have been extremely dangerous for the mother and the baby. To date, no one has discovered any documentation of the birth "
"Today, Senator Obama announced that Brenda is 5 months pregnant at the moment, and is planning to marry the boy. In a photograph taken at a political event friday there was no visible evidence of Brenda's pregnancy. This is not unusual, since pregnant teens rarely sow as much as a woman with several kids."

Now, it's anyone's guess how the media and the GOP message machine would treat this. After all, families are private stuff!
It's very likely that there will be no further mention of the situation.

OR NOT! ! !

[JJThinking]

I think Obama is right, and its a shame that Palin has put her family through the media wringer by agreeing to join such a, in my opinion, desperate and gimmicky ticket. I'm also irritated that the media is more focused on this story than on the abuse of power allegations that are surrounding Gov. Palin. That is an issue that IS everyone's business, and after 8 years of enduring the abuse of executive power, we can't afford to have another admin that will possibly do the same.

That being said, I think McCain's camp is lying about knowing of all these scandals before picking Palin. They're in panic mode now, and it'll be interesting to see how they ultimately spin this as the week goes on. Until then, watch prepare for a hypocracy overload as some liberal pundit feign moral outrage and some conservatives feign liberal stances on sex all of a sudden.

[chronic]

Gawd forbid if O bama had a daughter in this situation!!!!

[ailbhe]

HuffPost's Pick

Obama is right, this girl should not be exposed to this publicity, it is not her fault who her mother is.

Kid's get pregnant and that is no indication of good/bad parenting. You can't control a seventeen year old. Most of us at that age were just lucky not to find ourselves in that position, most engaged in risky behaviours, I don't see why those who get caught out should be demonised or looked down upon.

I worry that some of Obama's supporters could cost him the election. There are a few crazies who are desperate to use any excuse to demonise the opposition with ad hominim attacks on them and their families. They are also making personal attacks on anybody who questions Obama, rather than firmly challenging the arguments against him. This makes him look bad by association and makes people wonder that if his supporters cannot argue on 'facts' and have to resort to attacks, the 'facts' must be facts!.

Attack McCain/Palin on their policies, ability and ideology. Focus on these issues, let the Republican's look bad when they make personal attacks on Obama and Michelle, refute their claims strongly with REAL FACTS but don't sink to that level. Keep bringing POLICIES/ ABILITY/ IDEOLOGY back to the fore.

That is exactly what Obama is trying to do, support him!
Obama/Biden 08!

[Charley2u]

"You can't control a seventeen year old."

SO what then? As a matter of public policy you deny 17 YOs education, information and condoms.

This is not about a private family matter, this a graphic example of a public policy failure.

Were it the other way around, you can bet that is how the GOP would frame it.

[debrouillard]

No one can cost O the election but the people of America. And if they do,then they will have to accept what they get for it would have been their choice,period.

[Housewife]

Well, you'll never hear the other side take a stand in defense of the opposition. They'll make hay with anything they can get their hands on.