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

[ekena9]

Okay, this kind of media "coverage" is pathetic. Newsweek is acting like a publicity department for the McCain/Palin. It is a human interest story NOT important coverage pertaining to the election. Voters need to see through this. Journalists need to ring out with the TRUTH and keep the public discourse focused on where it needs to be: the candidates' political agenda and track-record.

[VOTER]

True but we know our MSM keeping to the issues isn't happening now and probably will not happen.

This election is ALL ABOUT US and it is UP TO US to get the truth out there.

VOTE FOR OBAMA/BIDEN

[Bozwellian]

No, think it SHOULD be examined for her JUDGEMENT is on display and frankly, seems she seizes her opportunity at the expense of her family even though claims to have great family values. Sorry, her poor judgement in the birth of her son (water breaks, takes 11 plane ride, etc and then takes all of 3 days to "bond" before heading back to office leaving primary care to others) and even the acceptance opf the nomination at the expense of her family with a teen daughter thrown under the bus on the national stage (a humliating experience but spun otherwise as just typical American family...don't think so and yes teen pregancy' occur and families do support their child having child but you do NOT parade them and then with the audacity to shout the media frenzy is unwarranted and unbiased ..it wa HER judgement on display and dispite the spin smaltz, it does not resonate well by those that take to fully assess. Those WITH special needs children KNOW they take great special care and attention and folks, it is usually the mother who has the strongest bond , Sara does NOT indicat eany such other than when camera rolling and even then, not primarily.

[LemonMeringue]

Their first article on Palin was much more even-handed and quite interesting.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157696

I guess they have to make up for it now by pandering to the Republicans who own their company.

[barbwiregrrl]

Denver ADAPT met with the Republican presumptive presidential candidate John
McC__ain at a Town Hall Meeting today. Six members of ADAPT, including teenagers
from the Summer Youth Program, sat in the front of the auditorium to listen to
McC__ain's policies for his administration. When he took comments from the
audience he handed the microphone to Dawn Russell. She explained the
legislation called the Community Choice Act and asked him why he was not
signed on. Mr. McC__in stated he would not support the legislation. He then
offered several poor reasons for his decision and ended by saying we would
have to let the voters decide that one. Having recaptured the microphone he
did state he supported the ADA, but had no interest in hearing that the ADA
was entirely different from the CCA.

[mistlesuede]

Can you bug your local news people to get this on cable news programs?

[tubette]

I really wish this would come up in an interview.. but somehow I don't see that happening.

[10cats4me]

I agree with all of the above. Keep the baby at home and protect it. Support all these necessary services.

I have another comment for the Lipstick pitbull. Down here in the lower 48, we call animal control on rabid pitbulls who chase down small children. "Lipstick" should remember that as she goes on the attack. Dogs need to be on leashes with their master/handler in charge. We also have laws against dog fighting, especially with pitbulls. Too many children attacked.

"You'r not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy."

[mh01]

Oh my goodness, attacking her because she said she could be a pitbull in life?

I suppose if she said she had "the eye of the tiger" you would make some comment about exotic pets being dangerous?

you are too funny!

[dontgethuffy]

On top of all of this - she put the baby's life at great risk by getting on that airplane so her baby could be born in Alaska. What other mother facing a premature birth of a Downs baby would pull a stunt like that. It is impossible that a credible doctor had told her it was "OK". Downs babies often have heart problems and other complications that would need immediate attention. I know from personal experience that premature births can result in death of the baby. And I didn't put 10 to 12 hours between me and a hospital when my water broke, that is for sure.
She was fortunate he was born healthy - but totally irresponsible. What other reckless choices would she make in a leadership role in our country?

[eladora]

but what a campaign tool for the future.

[morphingdreams]

Perhaps Trig will one day be a big brother in the Palin clan. How many secret service would it take to handle a McCain-Palin White House?

[Pammie]

hi all

mother of a wonderful 24 yr. old son with autism
mild/moderate

anyone hear of EARLY INTERVENTION= KEY

she is going to regret this decision later in life
( although she seems to really not be too worried )

makes one go...hhhmmmmm??

pammie

[barbwiregrrl]

As someone who has lived with a disability for over 40 years I am not fooled by this woman. She reminds me of one of those people who will prop up her disabled child to score points in an election and not giv ea rats behind about all the other disabled kids out there waiting for their IEP (Independent Educational Plans) to be implemented by their school districts.

More often than not disabled children and adults are used as pawns in the political game playing. An example of this is P__lin using her son on stage as a prop and then also saying she will advocate for the disabled. Talk is cheap...action is a whole another ball of wax. She has had a nephew who is autistic yet she did not take an active role in bringing services to her state that are sorely needed by the disabled.

Shame on her for using Tr!g to get some electoral points.

Finally, what has she done in her own state when disabled kids stop being kids and become disabled adults? She reminds me of Jerry Lewis......"using disabled kids...." There is a saving in the disabled activist community... "You gave us your dimes now give us respect". It applies to Mrs. P__lin

[PK3]

Palin will be the first in line to take advantage of every government funded program on the planet to get extra help for her "special needs" kid.

Come on, you KNOW it'll happen.

what a hypocrite.

[Bocobo]

Whether one agrees with the party affiliation or not, it seems that a potential Vice President of the United States who has a personal interest in disabled children could be nothing but helpful. As a family who has a child battling cancer, the awareness alone is priceless in addition to a committed advocate at the top tier of government.

[fax4voice3]

Color me cynical. She's been the parent of a special needs child for how many weeks? I'm a parent of an autistic nine-year-old. Something tells me that someone in Palin's position isn't ever going to have to spend the time fighting insurance companies and school districts for the services her child will need or the money paying for them out of pocket when she loses those fights.

[LemonMeringue]

The issue has been raised. Palin has paraded Trig around in the hot lights and noise where nobody else would take their baby. She's held him up for cameras like so much political bait. If she ends up in the White House Trig will not be in Washington, and that's likely the last you'll hear about him until the next election.

The irony is that Republicans do not help people like Trig. To them the things he needs are "pork."

[LemonMeringue]

I choose to vote in a party that will increase funding and support existing programs for children - all children - and all disabled people.

Palin's photo ops are meant to get McCain into the White House. After that it's up to Congress and if Congress is Democrat with a veto-proof, filibuster-proof majority, funding will come.

McCain vetoed providing health care for children.

MCCAIN VETOED PROVIDING HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN.

Think!!!

[mh01]

As a US Senator, Mccain can't veto anything....yet.

[jcar]

I wouldn't argue with this... but it remains to be seen whether she'll ever understand what the average family with a disabled child has to go through. If she becomes VP, she will not have time for much of Trig's personal care... she'll have lots of help. It will have to fall on her husband or another caretaker. I wouldn't be surprised if taxpayers end up paying for much of Trig's care.

[DianeInAustin]

I find it disturbing that the Republicans are using this child and the pregnant teenager daughter as proof of family values. I wonder how much time Palin actually spends with them and her three other children? It's being reported that she is a workaholic and will be if she becomes VP. If she was really concerned for those children, she wouldn't have put them in the spotlight like this and forced her daughter's boyfriend to be trotted out and be forced to marry her daughter. This is not family values to me.

[LemonMeringue]

The National Enquirer (I know, but they are turning out to be right on issues the rest of the media won't even report) writes that she has a poor relationship with Bristol because she has little time for her due to her political activity. Also that Sarah planned a shotgun wedding to take place just after the convention and Bristol refused.

[oscartucker]

Sarah Palin--Use Whatever Props Generate Sympathy and Votes--Use your baby; Use your daughter, and be angry if anyone talks about her; Use your daughter's boyfriend(call him a finance and it's okay); Use lies and distortion; everyone will be laughing and thinking that you are so cute, so it will not matter! What a HYPOCRITE!

[AmericaIsAwesome]

Her son is beautiful. I have to say though that I feel sorry for him - he looks totally bewildered everytime I see him on stage - and he should. It's quite obvious that his ambitious mother is using him as a campaign tool. And that, to say the least - is despicable.

Case in point - notice that when Palin was announed as McCain's VP - she barely acknowledged her son. Instead, her daughter had the baby all but smothered against her chest. I thought it was odd that the baby was being held in that manner, but now we know that it was her attempt to hide her pregnancy. (As an aside, what can be said of such duplicity... surely a sign of things to come).

I just hope that voters aren't deceived and can see this for what it is - a shameless ploy in light of Palin and the Repubs dismal record on helping special needs kids.

[erykah]

I am the mother of a son who is deaf and suffers from autism. Palin should be ashamed of herself for using her children to pander to voters. Her down syndome son, as precious as he is, gives me no reason whatsoever to vote for her. It does not change the fact that this woman is grossly unqualified for the job for which she has applied. Plain and simple.

[RedneckNOT]

In no way is it acceptable to exploit children for gain. Shame on anyone that does.

[Bocobo]

Governer Palin had her family around her as she accepted the nomination for vp just like ALL politicians do, no matter what side of the aisle they are on. This is her real family. We can agree or disagree with her policies and vision for the country but the more that those in opposition to her attack her as a mother, the more undecideds will ultimately be drawn to her side.