01:18 pm
Arlington, not Anchorage
Here’s the statement issued by Sarah and Todd Palin today regarding their daughter:
STATEMENT FROM SARAH AND TODD PALIN
For Immediate Release
Contact: Press OfficeMonday, September 1, 2008
703-650-5550ARLINGTON, VA — Today, Sarah and Todd Palin issued the following statement regarding today’s Reuters story:
“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.
“Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media to respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.”
What I find odd and a bit distressing about this is that this was issued not by the Palin family but by the McCain campaign — from Arlington, not Anchorage (or Juneau or Wasilla or wherever the Palin family spends its time). Shouldn’t something like this have come from the Governor’s office?
I say that not to doubt the veracity of the Palin’s statement, but to note that McCain operatives and not the Palin family, are managing this story. I find that deeply problematic — because for all the campaign’s talk about the progosphere inappropriately politicizing this story, the reality is that they’ve now made it utterly political. And that can’t be good for the Palins, their kids, or the process.
As I said earlier today, this story is snowballing more and more in ways that no one can predict. But none of them look good.