Late Returns: Palin Reverses Support Of Breastfeeding After She Finds Out That A Democrat Also Supports It

WASHINGTON -- Sarah Palin went rogue on Woodbury, Long Island today, where -- at an event hosted by the Long Island Association -- she "flirted openly with running for president." While she was there, Palin took a moment to ridicule First Lady Michelle Obama's recent push to promote breastfeeding.

As it turns out, it's a flip-flop! Per Sarah Pavlus at MediaMatters' County Fair blog:

The perceived dig is quite a turnaround from the position Palin had as governor of Alaska, when she declared October 2007 "Breastfeeding Awareness Month" and issued a proclamation that said, "government and community organizations have a vested interest in protecting and promoting breastfeeding as a means of preventing infant malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality."

Michelle Obama:

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective preventive measures mothers can take to protect their children's and their own health. Breastfeeding helps reduce children's risk of acute and chronic diseases like ear infections, asthma, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, rare but serious diseases like childhood leukemia, and even sudden infant death syndrome, thanks to antibodies, cells, and immunologic components uniquely available in mothers' milk. Breastfeeding also protects nursing mothers against diseases like type 2 diabetes and breast and ovarian cancers.

Governor Palin, circa 2007:

WHEREAS, throughout their lives, breastfeeding can offer children protection against serious health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Breastfeeding also saves lives by reducing the incidence of life-threatening cancers in women and preventing premature death in infants.

[...]

WHEREAS, government and community organizations have a vested interest in protecting and promoting breastfeeding as a means of preventing infant malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality.

And that's today's lesson in the absurdity of tribal politics. [County Fair]

____________________

• Donald Trump is tired of all those foreigners, straight up disrespecting America. What's the deal with our military presence in South Korea, anyway? We getting a kickback from that? You're breaking my balls, here, South Korea. Anyway, Trump will tax all the nations of the world, until they respect us. [TPMDC]
• The dumbest 2012 story of this week is this one by Kendra Marr, wondering if the brief inclusion of the Chicago skyline in the video book trailer for Tim Pawlenty's "Courage To Stand" is a "subliminal message" to President Obama. The answer to that question is, "No, don't be an idiot." Says Pawlenty spox Alex Conant, "Obviously, the video showed scenes from lots of cities." So, message received: Pawlenty's publicists know where they can find stock footage of cities. [Politico]
• "Of course, if the press and various professional Republicans couldn't focus their attention on the electric personalities of Trump and Christie, they'd have to pay attention to John Thune and Mitch Daniels. So you can understand the hype." [War Room @ Salon]
• CNN has an important revelation about possible presidential contender Michele Bachmann: "You know, I don't really know that much about Lady Gaga." But does she know who Arcade Fire is? [CNN]

[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not? Also, please send tips to [e-mail] -- learn more about our media monitoring project here.]

Comments

[James Fore]

08:44 PM on 03/21/2011

I'm for the reinstitution of lobotomies and I volunteer Sarah to be the first to receive one.

[syllable]

04:26 PM on 03/19/2011

Has Politics been reduced to us/them, black/white, for/against? What has happened to intelligent debate? George Will seems to be one of the few Republicans who can still articulate beyond crafty sound bites.

[Jamie Schler]

12:25 PM on 02/24/2011

Once again, Sarah Palin proves that she isn't FOR anything, she is only AGAINST the President, the First Lady and anything remotely Democrat. Since when has she ever taken a stand and actually stood by any kind of beliefs? It is all about the moment, grabbing attention, attacking those she is against with the snarkiest or most vicious of comments, no matter the facts, no matter how nonsensical her own statement is.

[Victoria Ledesma]

11:33 PM on 02/23/2011

It doesn't say that she is not for breastfeeding. It says that she is not for the government giving tax rebates for breatfeeding supplies. Women should breastfeed their babies because it's the right thing to do. NOT because the government is going to give them a tax rebate or write of the cost of breatfeeding on their taxes. Let's not make mountains out of mole hills, there are other more important things to report on besides something as lame as this.

[NoboyukiMasaki]

07:37 PM on 02/23/2011

I love Sarah Palin.

She's a gift to the Democratic Party...

[GraniteSkyline]

08:37 AM on 02/23/2011

I wonder what it is going to take for her to flipflop on her support of union-busting Governor Walker? Its only a matter of time before the right poll comes out or one of her archenemies makes her flipflop and refudiate her previous remarks.

[twin1616]

04:06 PM on 02/22/2011

The more I read about her, the more distain I have for her.

[Meldy1]

03:50 PM on 02/22/2011

The lying quitter extremist was busted with her lies......on breastfeeding that she herself endorsed in 2007 during her half wit half loon governor...cést bien.

[njgal4obama]

03:44 PM on 02/22/2011

For a second, I thought the headline read:

Palin trips on breast, feeding issue (Trig).

I said to myself, "Boy, that must have hurt!"

[La Elle]

02:29 PM on 02/22/2011

Palin has become a rabid righter. She'll disagree with anything that a democrat comes up with, even if it would save her own hide.

[Marconiusrex24]

12:58 PM on 02/22/2011

Everyone knows Sarah's kids were raised on Moose milk.

[iconoclast6]

12:17 PM on 02/22/2011

You're slipping up, Quitterbritches. No one cared that time...and the shark is waiting...

JUMP SARAH JUMP!

[Cymbol]

11:21 AM on 02/22/2011

She was for Breast Feeding, before she was against it. . . Sounds familiar. . .

[wonderfullone]

07:46 PM on 02/22/2011

Like the "Bridge".

[Blackhawk6]

10:02 AM on 02/22/2011

Palin. Please go get lost somewhere in your Alaska.

[Howzat]

10:50 AM on 02/22/2011

Its not her Alaska...she moved in and ruined it like everything she touches.

[TUNCH]

10:01 AM on 02/22/2011

Why should we expect any less from Palin? What I have a hard time understanding is how her supporters continue to ignore her contradictions, hypocrisy, and self-serving nature. I've never seen an individual have more excuses made for their behavior or words. It's unbelievably frustrating to know there are so many Americans that are either naive, uninformed, or unable to form their own opinions and thoughts.

A perfect example: During the 2008 Presidential election I asked a friend of mine her thoughts, and she told me she didn't follow the news or candidates so she was going to vote for the candidate her husband voted for. WHAT!! My head almost exploded.

Unfortunately their are too many people like her in the country.

[Ron Richards]

10:12 AM on 02/22/2011

Tht is exactly how a guy like bush was voted in for a second term. Its a joke and they think they are the leaders of the world.

[deltalady]

02:56 PM on 02/22/2011

Add in all the brainwashed fools in the church pews every Sunday and you have a nation of idiots. Churches are no more than political action meetings with hymns. They spread hate and dissention on the taxpayer dollar. I was raised S Baptist, but I wouldn't set foot in any of their churches. I hate driving by these churches and seeing electronic signs....are you running a church or a basketball game? If you have money for these types of things, including recording studios, soccer fields, etc., then you're not doing what you're supposed to do to earn those tax breaks...give back to the community. Tax breaks for churches and "faith-based" initiatives just give right wingers a forum for their political agenda, and giving govt money to everyone who hangs a church sign on their fence every Sunday just gives into the welfare mentality that will take money for anything. We love to talk about those Islamic radicals. We need to look a little closer to home to find our own fools.