Reading The Pictures: Poster Mom

Nancy Iannone, a Democrat and mother of Gabrielle, 3, who has Down syndrome, said that she was so thrilled to see Trig on stage that she had to remind herself: "I am a liberal. I am a liberal. I am a liberal." Ms. Palin, she said, "has a child with a disability, but that doesn't mean her party is disability friendly." -- from NYT article on Palin and special needs. 7/7/08.

In presupposing what kind of advocate a Vice President Palin would be for the mentally disabled, Newsweek helps visually fortify the GOP's blatant exploitation of family and motherhood.

In making the leap, Newsweek undermines the process of the moment, which is to actually get beneath the ideological spin to flesh out an understanding of Sarah Palin and her record. Under the guise of a "Special Education" feature, all Newsweek accomplishes with this home page promo is to dish up an almost irresistible, heart-warming but 2-D empathy generator transforming Sarah Palin into poster Mom for Down Syndrome.

And from "Sandy on Signal" at 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera (by way of one of my readers):

Palin told families of special needs kids she would be our advocate in the White House. Since Palin became Governor of Alaska 18 months ago, she cut special education funding by 62%!!!! Wow. Who needs this kind of friend?

Another thing, Alaska has no residential care like an Orange Grove Center for the severely autistic. Can you believe this? This means the disabled have to go live in the lower 48 which means they are cut off from their true families. All that oil money in Alaska, and nothing for the "least among us."

Remember, Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a Governor.

For more of the visual, visit BAGnewsNotes.com.

(image: Susan Walsh/AP)

Read more analysis from HuffPost bloggers on John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin

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Comments

[Obamlatina]

I think Sarah's family needs her more these days than the American People do. She has a child with special needs that will require tremendous time and effort on her part to help care for him, she has a son headed to war (turns out he's trying to avoid jailtime), has a pregnant daughter who may require the help and advice of a mother and 2 daughters who probably feel left out with all the work that will be required of a VP. It appears to me that Sarah's family is already suffering from her full workload as a governor.

[centralandremote]

I agree 100%. It's a sad day when a mother chooses politics over her own children. It really makes me sick.

[gage]

"turns out he's trying to avoid jailtime"

That's unverified.

[demfriend]

Ok lie to me again honey! Palin herself has cut programs for special needs kids and she herself has cut progrmas for unwed moms and their babies so tell me the lie one more time that she might bring some light to special kids! I had a daughter with speical needs that Ca gave me no choice with how I could deal with her and get her the medical treatment she needed. But that has changed some and it should change a whole lot more but never ever tell me Palin is the poster mother for the families of these kids. She is willing to make sure every pregnany mother with kids that might suffer from horrible syndrome which will cause the child to suffer mightly to carry the baby to term. Folks there are some very horrible syndromes we have babies/children alive today suffering from. I am not saying selective abortion is the best thing but who are YOU to tell me I have to watch another child seizure and live in pain for three years again! This is bleeding and pandering using a poor infant without a choice in a national way. Palin might not take interivews againest the media wanting to know her beliefs about being VP but she will milk the family to the bone.

[Coattails]

All of the candidates brought their kids to their conventions this year.

I don't see how her bringing all of her children, and opening up about how her youngest has special needs is exploitation.

That picture show's the baby's face, but also the back of Sarah Palin's head, it's not like she was posing for the camera.

And this is compelling, there are ten million families that a have a special needs child, they all have friends, and extended families, this is going to touch them. If it looks like this is another low-blow attack on her, it's only going to rally people to the McCain/Palin ticket.

[tobergill]

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned the abuse of naming a child "Trig".

[gage]

It's Old Norse. Some people like to give their kids unusual names, like Barack or Malia. I like those names.

[ElCapitanAmerica]

The comment on cutting the funding by 62% is a blatant lie

She actually increased the funding by 175%:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/04/30/35recaps.h27.html

"A second part of the measure raises spending for students with special needs to $73,840 in fiscal 2011, from the current $26,900 per student in fiscal 2008, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Developmen­t."

[abigail1]

cut funding this year by line item veto even though Alaska has a budget surplus.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/070107/sta_budget001.shtml

[mh01]

But where does your article say she cut funding for special needs projects? Oh yeah, it doesn't, because she didn't. check your facts.

[Roses]

El Capitan----This is from DailyKos, you should find it interesting:

"Sarah Palin Slashed Special Needs Education by 62%

For those of you who seem so enamored with Gov. Sarah Palin, it might be worth noting that she oversees the budget for the Department of Education and Early Development Special Schools in Alaska.
These funds provide supplementary educational services to students with severe disabling conditions and the Alaska Challenge Youth Academy. The resident school where the child would normally be placed does not have the resources to provide an adequate educational program. Without the supplementary services the child’s needs would not be met by the local school district in most cases.
The following programs are included within this component:
Special Education Service Agency (SESA)

The Annual budget for 2007, which preceded Gov. Palin was $8,265,300.
.

The Annual budget for 2008, enacted by Gov. Palin is $3,156,000.


The Annual budget for 2009, enacted by Gov. Palin is $3,156,000.

This is a cut in special needs services to children in Alaska of $5,109,300 , or 62%"


Remember-----there is more to the state budget for special needs that just elementary through high school. The budget usually takes in 0-21 funding for special education that is madated federally. The early intervention programs so necessary for special needs kids was cut. The article you cite uses faulty math and does not account for this fact.

[obamas4me]

The have to spend tons on special needs children due the fact that they don't have facilities in Alaska to accomodate them. They are sent to the lower 48 states for treatment and they don't provide housing for the families of these children. In addition the dollar amts you quoted are deceiving. The increase in education funding equals 100.00 per child.

Don't cherrypick the information, Don't take things out of context.

[juangault]

It's possible that both are true. The article you cite refers to future spending. This article you're responding to said she cut spending in the past. So there was a dip in spending, and now it's going up. Ya think having a handicapped child of your own could of affected this change of heart? You want to pay $75,000 a year to babysit a genetic defect? Stick it to the public.

[Roses]

"It's possible that both are true"

No. It's not "both" that are true. It is misleading and meant to confuse. It is part of convoluted special eduation funding of unfunded federal mandates of the IDEA law.
K-12 was increased but essential services for special needs were cut by 62%. Services like 'early intervention' were cut. These are services for children with special needs that are in crucial need. Other services that were cut were 'basic skills' training for those 18-21 when vocational needs are strongest. These are not future cuts. They are in budgets from 2007 to 2009.

Obama/Biden '08

[Fenestrate]

This from Bill Moyer's Journal broadcast September 5th:

KATHLEEN HALL JAMIESON:That Sarah Palin had increased funding for special needs children. There was a change in the category in the budget in which it was housed. And as a result, there was some confusion. And some people had generalized from the budget proposed by the predecessor that she defeated.

Full transcript or watch at
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/09052008/watch.html

[EvaDee]

Since Palin became Governor of Alaska 18 months ago, she cut special education funding by 62%!!!! NOW Sarah Palin says she will be an advocate of the disabled because of her own baby, will she also be an supporter of pre-marital sex because of her daughter?
She complains about her daughter's privacy yet she parades her children in front of the cameras like props.
As a mother of a special needs child I find her behavior politically and personally disgusting.

[mh01]

Better exercise some restraint before you throw her under the bus, you might just find out that, in fact, she has done a lot for special needs assistance.

The 62% cut is a lie, and a cursory review of the alaska budgets will expose it for the lie that it is.

There was a line item for special needs in 2007, for $8.6M, which included a youth academy for $5.5M.

In 2008 there were two line items, for special needs, and for the youth academy. For $3.2M and $5.7M.

If you compare just the special needs line in 2007 and 2008, it would appear that it goes down by 62%.

But that's because someone compared apples to oranges and didn't see that the youth academy had a seperate line item in the 2008 budget.

So if you add up to the two line items, funding for special needs actually goes up.

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/07_OMB/budget/EED/comp2735.pdf

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/omb/08_OMB/budget/Enacted/HB_95_bill.pdf


If you add to that the fact that she revamped the education system in such a way as to allot $73,000 per special needs student vs. the previous $26,000 per special needs student, http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/04/30/35recaps.h27.html you will start to understand that as the mother of a special needs child, you should be proud of Sarah Palin.

[congaboy]

In law, when parties are preparing for trial, issues pertaining to the admissibility of evidence are reviewed in what is know as motions. When evidence is found to be in violation of the rules of evidence it is not allowed to be used during trial; this is called suppression. But, if at trial, the party who advocated to have the evidence suppressed talks about or refers to the suppressed evidence, the other party now has the right to question witnesses about the suppressed evidence. This is called “opening the door.”

I believe that Sarah Palin and the GOP have opened the door to questions about Palin’s family and Palin’s role as a parent and her discretion or lack thereof, because they have been talking about issues that should be private and inadmissible during campaigns. When Palin said her daughter had made a decision about her baby, the daughter’s decision-making abilities are now fair game—as well as every other woman’s decision-making abilities. When they paraded their newborn around the stage, giving the impression that they care about other people who have special needs children; they are now subject to cross-examination.

Palin has been all too happy to exploit her family in an attempt to try to convince conservatives that she’s a regular person, that she’s human, but she’s really just a pit bull with lipstick.

[MsLiz]

I'm glad my mom wasn't a pit bull. Lipstick wouldn't have helped.

[LemonMeringue]

Excellent quote and post, thank you.

[WashingtonEd]

My son emailed me, saying:

"Dad, what is the difference between George Bush and Sarah Palin?

"Lipstick.­"

[mh01]

Ha ha. As a conservative, even i find that one liner pretty funny! Good one.

[whatwouldawhitewomando]

Honestly, as a mother of a child with DS, this is heartbreaking and very troubling. It is also very discouraging that American's are buying it, praising her and making her some sort of hero. I am pro-choice and I knowing ly had a baby with DS. I'm so close to this issue I had to back away for a few days, I was having a hard time sleeping. I pray the majority of American's are smarter and more compassionate towards our brothers and sisters with disabilities. I pray we don't allow this type of sad manipulation to trick us into believing the smoke and mirrors. BTW, being pro choice gave me the emotional space I needed to ready myself for a child with DS. Roe v. Wade saved me and my son's life.

[LanguagePolice]

To say that people with disabilities will have an advocate in the White House in Sarah Palin implies that they will not with Obama. That's BS. And someone had to "organize" the "community" of developmental disabilities advocates to empower themselves- Geraldo, of all people, started this by exposing it, but a lot of hard community organization went into the advocacy movement.

[TCHa]

You have hit the nail on the head!! This is what Roe v. Wade is about, giving women a choice in making a decision. Get your viewpoint out there. Bless you and your beautiful baby!

[Ailidh]

There are loads of people with Down Syndrome out there who have loads of family members (and special-ed professionals) who adore them and every time a media outlet indulges in trash-talk about people with Down Syndrome (your recent article comparing the Palins to the Snopes, the Daily Kos, anyone?), they alienate and insult those voters. Most parents and siblings of people with Down's are liberal - they have to be. But most (liberal) families of people with Down's think Sarah's choice to have Trig was the right one and applaud her for it.

I don't know (does anyone, really?) much about Sarah Palin's politics. But I do know that having a family member born with Down's is like having a large building fall on your head: your priorities will never be the same again. I think that will be true of the Palins, too. I think Sarah Palin - like all parents of kids with Down's - is a work in progress, about to have the injustice and unfairness of the world revealed to her in all its aspects.

And I think the hypocrisy of posters complaing about her cutting special-ed funding and then complaining about her having the chutzpah to give birth to a child with special needs is as bad as Sarah's.

[MOregon]

HuffPost's Pick

I understand what you are saying. I think it is wonderful that she chose to have her baby calling him "perfect". That WAS touching.

But the problem here is that while she may do more now that SHE is a mother of a Down's Syndrome baby, it has taken personal experience to make this change.

The fact remains that her initial cuts to these types of programs illumine her mindset, and other good programs remain in danger of being slashed or underfunded not having the benefit of her personal experience/focus. A Governor or VP must have the best interests of others across the board at heart in spite of his or her own personal experience.

[mamacita]

I don't know much about Sarah Palin's politics, either, but I do know that it was totally irresponsible to hop on a plane after her water broke--especially being her 5th child. Considering the fact that Down's babies require extra attention, it is also irresponsible to take on the VP job at this particular time of her child's life.

[rose london]

mamacita..­.you are so right.PEOP­LE WAKE UP AND DON'T BE FOOLED.

SARAH PAINLY WOULD USE ANYTHING TO GET YOUR SYMPATHY..­.IF SHE DON'T CARE ABOUT SPENDING MORE TIME WITH HER OWN CHILDREN WHO DESPERATELY NEEDED CLOSE SUPERVISION, HOW ON EARTH DO YOU THINK SHE GIVES A DAMM ABOUT YOUR GAS, HOME, JOB AND HEALTH CARE NEEDS????

IT IS VERY CLEAR..SAR­AH PAINLY PARADED HER UNDERAGE UNMARRIED PREGNANT DAUGHTER TO US AND PARADED THE UNDERAGE BOYFRIEND FOR POLITICAL POWER. WHERE IS THE CHILD SOCIAL SERVICES??? IS HAVING SEX WITH UNDERAGE AND GETTING UNDERAGE CHILD PREGNANT LEGAL??????
SARAH PAINLY HAS A RECKLESS AND SELFISH TRAIT LIKE MCSAME.
PUTTING HER OWN UNBORN CHILD AT MORE RISK BY HOPPING ON A PLANE TO GIVE AN INTERVIEW.­.THEN HOPPING BACK TO ALASKA AFTER ANNOUNCING THAT HER WATER HAS BROKEN????

THIS WOMAN IS NOT REPRESENTING US...WE WOMEN HAVE COME A LONG WAY, FOUGHT SO MANY OBSTACLES TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY...WE SHOULD NEVER CLAIM WHAT SARAH IS PRESENTING TO US....BECA­USE WE WOMEN ARE STRONG, HARDWORKING,CARING AND LOVING. WE HAVE A GOOD HEART BUT MOST IMPORTANTL­Y..

OUR CHILDREN COME FIRST. AND WE ARE NOT HYPOCRATES LIKE MCPAINLY..­..SO PLEASE LET US USE OUR HEAD.....
LIKE OBAMA WOULD SAY..THEY THINK WE ARE STUPID...

ENOUGH.

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

There's the old adage that the Republican party cares about a fetus from the moment it's conceived till the moment it's born. I guess Palin is a new kind of Republican.

[LemonMeringue]

I am still wondering how, if she is pro choice in all cases, she found out Trig had Down's four months before the birth? The only way to learn that information is to have an amnio, which of course she would not have done because there is some risk to the baby.

[Sandy972]

Makes you wonder if the original stories about the child being her daughter's is true or not. After examining all the facts I am now inclined to believe that it was Bristol's child and unfortunately she became pregnant again. The truth will eventually surface. Just be patient for a lttle longer.

[Roses]

I agree with you! I think that Governor Palin also is a"work in progress" about what she will discover are the injustices and unfairnesses that her son will face.
Let me say, I am a sp. education professional who has devoted her life to make life just a little bit better (hopefully) for those with special needs, and their families lives just a little easier.
While I applaud the courage it took to have Trig, I also know that it will be a huge undertaking for him to get the care and learning that he needs in order for him to realize his potential. I often go home from work shaking my head at what is needed and also asking how these parents can continue to do what they do.....day in and day out. They all deserve our respect.

However, I also don't like the fact that Governor Palin has decided to run for such a demanding job when her son needs her so desperately now. This is the time in his life when early intervention and a mother's love is so critical.
For Newsweek magazine to also use this child as a campaign tool is unforgiveable in my book.

Obama/Biden '08

[dutchess2]

The point being, all of it totally unnecessary.

There are tests that can be given early enough in the process to prevent having a child that will
live a short and painful life of suffering and die a slow and agonizing death.

It is selfish, stupid and cruel to put any human being through that.

It is particularly stupid when people say they do it because THEY believe THEIR god will reward THEM for it.

Its not like women have not known for ages that pregnancy late in their child bearing years has such risks. Its not like there are not various forms of birth control out there for parents nearing that time in their lives. Its not like she can't read or is too stupid to know there were risks...

I dont think she deserves any sympathy.

Now, the woman who cut funding for special needs children will have the best care possible for her child paid for by tax payers... she's using him as a poster boy on stage and bleating like a stuck pig when someone criticizes­...

Does not compute.

[Bozwellian]

In your realization that "having a family member born with Down's is like having a large building fall on your head: your priorities will never be the same again. " do you NOT question her judgement in regards to the needs "before" and after the arrival of her "special needs" infant ? Her water broke but she hops on board a plane bypassing medical facilities for WHAT reason ? To have her son born in homestate is NOT good enough reason and shows a wreckless sense of judgement. She did not even alert to the flight crew to the possibilty of an emergency sort of situation. She bypassed immediate medical facilities upon landing in her home state and drove another 45 miles to a less equipped favility then took all of three days to BOND with this very special special need baby. Will also say question the judgmenet that had that baby in the crowd (very LOUD crowd) at the convention in the audience and even up on stage. Franly do indeed question just how great her mothering instincts are. Pit bulls can have litters, does not make them actually GREAT mothers and if examined, not so sure her parenting skills are such to be greatly admired to date , find them somewhat appalling !!!

[Martee]

This drives me CRAZY!!! I've always said that major difference between Reps and Dems is a marked lack of empathy. They ONLY become sensitive to an issue when it directly impacts them. They are TOTALLY incapable of putting themselves in another person's shoes. So, when Cheney's daughter turns out to be gay -- he actually has to realize that "Hey! Gay people are actually human beings! Huh?! Who would have thoughts??!" And now, because AND ONLY BECAUSE Sara Palin has a child with special needs -- she's suddenly an advocate for people with special needs! Now, if we can only cobble together Reps with AIDS, Katrina survivors, who lost their jobs because of the economy, or who lost their health insurance when they got sick or any who didn't go to an Ivy League school on a trust fund (the list goes on and on and on)-- we might be able to put together a real, feeling person out of all of them.

[BandH08]

Sarah Palin, is a normal American and Democrats won't win if attack normal Americans! This election is lost, we need to regroup and pick a normal middle class working mom or dad in 2012. NO MORE MILLIONAIRES OR WASHINGTON INSIDERS!

[brooklyncitizen]

that is a cute kid.

[leticia32]

How nice that Palin has a part time job (with good health care coverage). Most of us do not have the luxury of bringing our children to "work", for we are being paid to do just that the entire time we are there.. Most of us blue collar workers work in places that don't have space for any extra people, baby furniture, and stuff. Many of us work in places that are unsafe for children. In many two income families, half or more of one income goes to child care. She is so proud of her big family. Every extra child is an additional financial burden. We love them every bit as much, but that is the reality for most people. I resent her pretending to be one of us.

[RThM]

Sigh. I wonder if this baby isn't anything more than a political prop. Another diversion to the hard truths of governance from a people who would rather watch life filtered through Oprah than be made the slightest bit uncomfortable by the very real and unforgiving harshness of life in places like Iraq. Or Africa. Or even the wrong side of the tracks in Wasilla.

[LemonMeringue]

The baby IS a political prop. This isn't a "meet my family" moment, it's pushing Bristol and Trig into the limelight to make a point to the religious right - effect on her children notwithstanding!

As a mother I cannot envision anything that would entice me to do that to my children. Her choices are not those of a good mother.

Sarah Palin: Ambition first, children last.

[TakingBackTheUSA]

The baby a political prop? Her ENTIRE FAMILY have been turned into political props. The "high school sweetheart" husband, the pregnant teenage daughter they've thrown under the bus. All of them are no more than political stagecraft at this point.

[chitown]

Please God don't let that "wet kiss" I just read be the "expose" on Trig's birth in the NYTimes! It read like it was written by Karl Rove himself, painting Sarah Palin as a selfless, devoted, Christian mother, who didn't reveal that she was pregnant because she needed time to prepare herself for a child with Down syndrome,

The reporter swallows her ludicrous birth narrative hook, line, and sinker! What the hell has happened to journalism in this country? First Susan Smith, then the "runaway bride", and now Sarah Palin, "Trig's mom" - swear to God, people in this country will swallow any line of swill that a middle class white woman comes up with. For a while, anyway.