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Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Off Limits

posted by on September 2 at 7:31 AM

Palin’s daughter is off limits, says Barack Obama, so I guess we’ll just have to drop it. (You too, Larry King.) But I’m going to post one last detail about the latest Palin pregnancy because, well, it bodes so well for the future happiness of young Miss Palin and her unborn child. Seventeen year-old Levi Johnston is the unborn child’s father and until yesterday afternoon he had a MySpace page. The NY Post grabbed a copy before it got pulled down:

On his MySpace page, Johnston boasts, “I’m a fuckin’ redneck” who likes to snowboard and ride dirt bikes. “But I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some shit and just fuckin’ chillin’ I guess.”

“Ya fuck with me I’ll kick [your] ass,” he added. He also claims to be “in a relationship,” but states, “I don’t want kids.”

Well, that’s too bad for Johnston, who shot the wrong shit. Perhaps if he and his girlfriend had received a little comprehensive sex education and had access to birth control—over the objections of his girlfriend’s mother/the governor of the state in which he lives—Johnston wouldn’t be confronting the pressures and responsibilities of fatherhood at 18. As things stand now, of course, the dad-to-be who professed no interest in ever having kids is not going to have much time for snowboarding, hanging out with the boys, fishing, and chillin’. Best of luck to the happy young couple.

Putting the Palin pregnancy into its proper perspective, Josh Marshall at TPM writes

A lot of attention is being given to Gov. Palin’s daughter’s situation. The much bigger deal is the expanding trooper-gate investigation, the fact that Palin lied in her Friday speech about her purported opposition to the Bridge to Nowhere, her apparent former membership in the secessionist Alaska Independence Party, and more. Individually, you can come to your own judgment about how consequential these stories are. What they show pretty clearly now—in addition to the news that the McCain campaign is only now sending in a vetting team—is that John McCain didn’t do any serious vetting of Palin before he invited her to join his ticket and, he hopes, become Vice President of the United States.

Fundamentally, of course, this is about John McCain. And the real issue here is what this slapdash decision says about his judgment.

RSS icon Comments

1

I think Obama showed some real leadership in his comments about this matter.

Posted by Mike | September 2, 2008 7:39 AM
2

This also finally, completely shows the rest of the country how backward and trashy Alaska is. Beautiful? Sure. But in Fairbanks, for instance, people actually got excited over a Wal-Mart coming to town a few years back.

Posted by Jason | September 2, 2008 7:39 AM
3

Somewhere in Alaska, there is a "best friend and confidante" in that high school who is about to explode with the secrets she knows. Stay tuned.

Posted by Yeek | September 2, 2008 7:41 AM
4

DAn,
they were reporting on NPR this morning about Palins involvement in the Alaska indenpendance party and its desire to leave the union. Imagine if Obama had and similar ties. Check it out.

Posted by Mickey in AR | September 2, 2008 7:47 AM
5

Alaska Independence Party? This is just getting weird.

@2: So every single person in Fairbanks "got excited" when Wallmart opened? And from this you conclude that all of Alaska is "backwards and trashy"? My experience from living there was quite different.

Posted by PJ | September 2, 2008 7:50 AM
6

I had the craziest dream last night. My first Slog-related dream. I dreamt that Brendan went to Alaska to investigate the story and found the dad. While Brendan was there, the dad was busted for having beer in his car, and just started crying about how terrible his life had become. It was pretty depressing...

I have no idea where that dream came from...

Posted by Julie | September 2, 2008 7:53 AM
7

Oh yeah, and in Chicago, there were plenty of people who were excited when the first Wal-mart was coming to town.

Posted by Julie | September 2, 2008 7:54 AM
8

Johnston has a gift with words.

Actually, I'm just saying that so he won't kick my ass.

Posted by LDP in Cincinnati | September 2, 2008 7:55 AM
9

You know, this Levi kid may not be such a bad guy, for all his macho posturing. Teenaged jocks like to look tough, crude, etc. often out of insecurity, or because it's expected of them. Some of 'em are actually nice guys.

If I were this boy's parents, I'd make very sure my son wasn't being railroaded into a marriage he didn't really want or wasn't really ready to handle. There's always adoption in these cases.

Posted by Yeek | September 2, 2008 7:56 AM
10

check out the pics of bristol drinking booze at http://perezhilton.com/2008-09-02-what-did-her-mom-do-wrong

Posted by glen keenan | September 2, 2008 7:58 AM
11

Well, at this point I have politics fatigue, and wonder where the shirtless hockey locker room pics and videos of Levi are. He is just freakin' hot.....god knows what might happen on a lonely night, six pack of molson and a babymama who is off sex for a while. Just helpin'a buddy out, ya know?

Posted by marcus | September 2, 2008 8:06 AM
12

Look, no one is getting married, period.


They cooked up this pregnancy and marriage shuck and jive because the hot glare of the media is on.


After the election, Bristol is gonna "lose" the baby (hint: she already had it), and this tight-assed, snowbilly Levi kid is gonna disappear (probs into the Gulf of Alaska). It's all PR.

Posted by Original Andrew | September 2, 2008 8:08 AM
13

I honestly feel sorry for the poor kids. Their lives are fucked.

Posted by Cat in Chicago | September 2, 2008 8:14 AM
14

This is sort of like "I'm My Own Grandpaw" shit.

Posted by Look up the lyrics | September 2, 2008 8:22 AM
15

I think it's appalling how this trashy rumor-mongering has completely overshadowed coverage of Burning Man this year.

Posted by Olo | September 2, 2008 8:25 AM
16

In case Bristol Palin gives birth a month or two prematurely, as her mom has been known to do, shouldn't Bristol and her boyfriend be getting married REAL soon so their kid won't be be delivered as a godless bastard?

Posted by Kaypro | September 2, 2008 8:28 AM
17

I'm not totally sure why we have to "back off" of this story. Governor Palin is requesting privacy for her daughter, yet she entered the Vice Presidential race with the knowledge that Bristol was five months pregnant. Furthermore, Bristol Palin acts as a physical manifestation of Governor Palin's outdated opposition to comprehensive sex education. What better evidence do we have to show that Palin's policies are backwards and inefficient than her own daughter?

Posted by Meagan | September 2, 2008 8:29 AM
18

I approve this message.

Posted by Jim Anchower | September 2, 2008 8:35 AM
19

its the HYPOCRISY.

a godless, pot smoking, prius driving, latte sipping, abortion rights supporting, windsufing liberal's daughter may be screwing her sledneck boyfriend at 17, but she's ON THE PILL.

& she has college to look forward to, not wiping infant ass.

Posted by maxine solomon | September 2, 2008 8:39 AM
20

Obama's being a real class act. Thank God he has surrogates to be assholes about it. Write on, Dan, write on! This bitch needs to be exposed as the danger to children that she is.

Posted by Gitai | September 2, 2008 8:44 AM
21

DEAR ELLIE: I'm 18, with two kids, and the father hasn't been truthful since the start. He's cheated, talked to other females behind my back, chatted on a Web site and said things you shouldn't say when in a relationship. But I keep taking him back, and I never cheated on him.

Now I've found two girls' numbers in his phone and he said they're friends, so I called one. She said she met my boyfriend on the Web site.

He got his things and left because I said I can't take it any more.

Should I believe him that she's his friend's girlfriend from that Web site or should I let him go? I don't want to lose him because of the kids.

Depressed

DEAR DEPRESSED: Your children are already getting the short end of this relationship, since they're living with your distrust and unhappiness, plus his lies and distractions while cheating. It's a crummy setup for them, and it's dragging you down when you're already disadvantaged by your poor choices.

The negatives are unfortunately set -- you had your babies too young, with a guy who's irresponsible. The opportunity for improvement for yourself and your kids is in your hands. Get rid of this loser and focus on how you can make a better life.

Posted by Cat in Chicago | September 2, 2008 8:59 AM
22

With the Obama windows and Mccain white-wash being installed on the glass house of democracy, it has been decreeded that mud, rocks, bottles, and heavy pieces of wood, will no longer be thrown.


Racism will no longer be a part of Sunday morning church services in communities across America.


All soliders, sailors, and airmen act with honor and integrity at all times regardless of circumstance.


Being a part of a race can only be looked at, not mentioned in talk or writing.


A woman will not be judged by the quality of her kids nor by her harmony with her husband.


A man will not be judged by his kids actions nor by his relationship to his wife.


The "black" family of 7 with the 1 dad, 5 baby-mommas and five kids will no longer be talked about in any context.


The "white" family of 7 with the 1 dad, 2 child-support payments, 1 second income wife, a baby-daddy banging on the visitation door, and 2 kids will no longer be talked about in any context.


The "Family", along with "Race" is now a soft object and no person can be judged under any light in relationship to their family actions or beliefs towards race.

Service to country is always noble; their will be no ignoble instances of service.

Families can no longer be fucked-up, and no politician can ever be determined by the electorate to head-up a fucked-up family.


Talking about families is fucked up. Taling about race is fucked-up. Talking about military service is fucked-up.
The End.

Posted by The Peanut Gallery | September 2, 2008 9:06 AM
23

Of course Obama wants to shut his supporters up about Palin -- she brought in more money in a weekend for McCain than BHO raised in a month!

Please SLOG, keep featuring the story...operators are standing by!

Posted by John Bailo | September 2, 2008 9:09 AM
24

As a fellow idiotic teen who makes idiotic decisions, I'd like to say on Bristol's behalf that she is probably not enjoying having the eyes of the entire country on her, and certainly not enjoying having to hear what exactly she's done wrong, and how horrible her mother has been to her.
Whether you continue to post about it or not, keep in mind the hurt it's causing her. Obama doesn't think there is a good reason to put this pressure on her, and I thank him for that.

Posted by 16 year old idiot | September 2, 2008 9:22 AM
25

Of course he's still going to have time for snowboarding, hanging out with the guys, fishing, and chillin'. They're conservatives. He's going to have as much responsibility in caring for this baby as the First Dude has in caring for Trig -- hint: absolutely none, notice that Bristol is doing all the work caring for that baby.

Posted by keshmeshi | September 2, 2008 9:26 AM
26

This just makes me wonder what Bristol's MySpace page said last week before they made her take it down.

Posted by amy! | September 2, 2008 9:31 AM
27

Keshmeshi is correct. I doubt Sarah's redneck baby daddy has ever changed a diaper in his life, even with five kids. That's women's work. He's busy snowmobile racing, roustabouting on the oil pipelines, fishing, puking up his case of beer out back, and other manly pursuits appropriate for the First Gentleman.

Posted by Fnarf | September 2, 2008 9:33 AM
28

Focusing on the "Don't Want Kids" part is stupid. Kids select all sorts of stupid things from those status questions (i.e. listing an income of $100K).

Posted by stinkbug | September 2, 2008 9:59 AM
29

@28. It may be stupid but it sure is funny.

Posted by Julie | September 2, 2008 10:38 AM
30

@28:
Did you really jus' use the word roustabouting? Really?

Posted by Gigi | September 2, 2008 10:51 AM
31

Sorry stinkbug!

How horrible that my typo confused you with Fnarf.

The horror!

Posted by Gigi | September 2, 2008 10:54 AM
32

As far as I'm concerned, Palin's support for secession is a plus in my book. Did you know that blue states send far more money to Washington, DC than we get back in benefits? If Alaska, Oregon, Washington state, California, mabye Nevada and Idaho seceded from the U.S., we residents of those states would be far better off.

Posted by fishfry | September 2, 2008 10:55 AM
33

Well, what is the verb form of "roustabout"? That's what he is, right? "Oil field worker", right.

Posted by Fnarf | September 2, 2008 11:51 AM
34

@32,

Alaska is not a blue state and it gets back almost twice the amount of federal money that it pays in taxes. If Alaska were to become independent, it would be sunk. Alaskans, those bold, independent libertarians, are awash in government pork. Without it, the state would be impoverished and even more podunk than it already is.

Posted by keshmeshi | September 2, 2008 12:21 PM
35

@34: except they'd own all that oil.

They're already a quasi-Banana Republic. Seceded, they'd be Venezuela.

Posted by Fnarf | September 2, 2008 1:02 PM
36

"Roustabout" is just anglo-speak for "roughneck", and why not have a verb form? But "roughnecking on the oil pipelines" sounds like the title of a gay porn film, and "rousting about on the oil pipelines" sounds... well, like a British gay porn film. So "roustabouting" it is!

Posted by Irena | September 2, 2008 1:25 PM
37

"Roustabout" isn't Brit, it's American. The original roustabouts were the free black longshoremen on the levees of New Orleans -- they literally lived on the levees, and slept rough on the cobblestones, working for pennies, which their bosses would put in their mouths, as their hands were full. Their singing was an important antecedent of jazz and therefore all popular music.

Posted by Fnarf | September 2, 2008 6:21 PM
38

I stand corrected -- and "roustabouting" is a perfectly legitimate verb. Fnarf, I could love you.

Posted by Irena | September 2, 2008 10:46 PM

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