Its the wackiest rumor about Sarah Palin or any other politician so far this election. It's making it's way all through the internet. And of course it came from DailyKos.
Let's hear from noted reporter ArcXIX, following up on story by the widely respected Inky99...
Well, Sarah, I'm calling you a liar. And not even a good one. Trig Paxson Van Palin is not your son. He is your grandson. The sooner you come forward with this revelation to the public, the better.
The whole story is based on an insulting view of fundamentalist Christians; that they'd be so freaked out by a teenage pregnancy that they'd have the Governor -- the most highly visible and public women in the small fishbowl of Alaska -- fake a pregnancy to cover up the sins her of daughter Bristol.
That diary got 'rec'd' -- voted as one of the 'Best Of' on DailyKos. The diary is uncited, breathless, and spins a story that's totally far-fetched. Without going through the whole hot mess point by point, I'll mention that no doctors, nurses, hospital workers or other patients have come forward to say anything was amiss. Plus, there's this picture.
The irony for me, of course, is that despite making over fifty short political videos with a clear progressive point of view, I was banned on DailyKos for saying that it seemed reasonable that John Edwards was seen at the Beverly Hilton late at night.
To be sure, some on DailyKos pointed up the numerous problems with the Palin story. But 'the community' in large part embraced it and it's part of a trend...
The election hasn't even been won yet and there's already a liberal hubris developing. Progressive standard bearers such as DailyKos and Keith Olbermann have been showing signs lately of a nasty tendency towards stifling dissenting opinions and promoting the sort of crazy rumors usually associated with the right then the reality based community.
It's not effective, it's not progressive, and it's not a good or accurate reflection on Barack Obama or the Democratic party.
Update 1: There's a weird pivot on this story. What started as 'she wasn't pregnant!' is morphing into Palin getting attacked for her choice (after talking to her doctor) to go back home to Alaska after her amniotic fluid began a small leak.
Two points. First, nothing bad happened - her judgment in this case worked out just fine. In fact, the baby had to be induced. Second, people LOVE to spout off about other women's birth choices.
Update 2: I have two other pieces ; one about the Bristol pregnancy announcement and another first hand statement that says Sarah Palin was definitely pregnant with Trig.