Sometimes I think "The Daily Show" writers have it too easy.

Palin’s 17-Year-Old Daughter Is Pregnant
September 1, 2008 12:25 pm
By Katharine Q. Seelye

ST. PAUL — The 17-year-old daughter of Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain’s running mate, is five months pregnant, Senator McCain’s campaign advisers announced today.

The daughter, Bristol, plans to marry the father, the campaign said.

In a statement, Governor Palin said: “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. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows that she has our unconditional love and support.”

The announcement was intended to counter rumors by liberal bloggers that Ms. Palin had claimed to have given birth to her fifth child in April when, according to the rumors, the child was her daughter’s.

Groups that oppose abortion rights had been thrilled with Mr. McCain’s selection of Ms. Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his running mate, partly because of her opposition to abortion. It is not clear how social conservatives will respond to the latest news.

The campaign intends to cast this as the kind of situation that ordinary American families face.

The McCain campaign says it was aware of her daughter’s pregnancy before it named her as the running mate on Friday.

The family’s statement said: “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, respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.”

At a rally at a ballpark Saturday evening in Washington, Pa., Bristol did not join the rest of her family on stage.

“Then we have our daughter Bristol, she’s on the bus with the newborn, and then we have our daughter Willow, who is here, and our youngest daughter Piper,’’ Ms. Palin said as she introduced her family. “On that bus we have our son Trig, who is a beautiful baby boy we welcomed into the world just in April. It’s his naptime, so he is with his big sister on the bus. But we thank them for being here. “

“And speaking of Trig, and other things, some of life’s greatest opportunities come unexpectedly,’’ she said. “And this is certainly the case today. I never really set out to be in public affairs, much less to run for this office.’’

Michael Cooper contributed to this post.

I have no words. I don't think I need them.

I am struck by the irony of this statement from Palin: We ask the media, respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.

Did this start after the Clinton presidency? Because Chelsea sure got into the limelight more than anything she did warranted. And let's not even discuss Amy Carter. Yet every time the media started to look at Dumbya's Hiltonesque twins, it got shot down within days. And we were somehow "spared" the news of Ron Reagan's homosexuality for years after his dad left the White House.

Bitter? Me? Nah, just curious.