Slog

Wow, this is turning into a real cat fight. All non-females should back away quietly....

Jane Smiley is good. I wish I could articulate like that.

i bet ECB would have something to say about this. btw, where is ECB? did the commenters finally break her spirit?

good point 3. It has been eerily quiet on The Slog lately. Did she go on a femmi-nazi vacation?

There's really no point in slamming Obama for coming out hard against all of this. Lots of people like Obama, but the internet and the media isn't going to stop talking about this shit non-stop just because he says it's nobody's business. Obama and his campaign can condemn it and look better for it, while 50 million other people still talk nonstop about it for the next week.

The topic of sex education and birth control can be brought up at the debates without any reference to Palin or her daughter, and everyone will just know that she's a disingenuous bitch when she starts harping on her family values.

the difference between the teenage daughter of a liberal & a paleo-conservative is that the latter is pregnant.

Distracted much? ...McCain has now successfully changed the debate from the economy, the war and more central issues that he would lose the election on (or that can actually be influenced by who is in office) and even the Huffington Post and Dan Savage are drinking the Kool Aid.

Maybe it can be Gay Rights or Religion in schools in 2012 when McCain's on life-support running for his second term.

How about the right to have a baby?

Something the Liberal Statists have wanted to take away from people for decades...along with land, free speech, cars, and anything else that gives the Individual freedom.

I appreciate Smiley's sentiment here, but I don't understand why men can't or shouldn't work to support freedom of choice. No, we shouldn't be imposing values, but I don't think supporting choice (including access to birth control and comprehensive sex education) is exclusively the responsibility of women. Savage says that the Christian right aren't just coming after the gays, they're after sexual freedom in general, for the gays and the straights alike, so we all have an interest in that fight. This too impacts all of us, and I think we all can play a role. Since I lack the means to get pregnant myself, I'll accept that my role should be only a supporting role, but because I care about women (and also because I have the means to get a woman pregnant but that's a secondary reason), I want to help here.

Jane Smiley is a good writer but evidently not much of a political consultant. Obama is smart to avoid wading into this muck. A discussion of issues surrounding birth control and choice is still entirely appropriate, but personalizing it so he appears to be attacking a pregnant 17-year old is just a terrible idea.

As someone above noted, he surely understands that this scandal will not cease to be covered just because he refuses to talk about it, so he can afford to take the high road here. People who don't actually want Palin a heartbeat away from the Presidency might wanna consider slowly backing away from trying to run his campaign for him.

Umm - I would rather have dudes back up my freedom of choice when it comes to reproduction, not back off. Thanks Bill!

John Bailo, the only people trying to take away your right to have a baby are the ladies who refuse you. I would not normally feed you, but your troll eyes are so sad this morning.

This is all a fucking bullshit smokescreen.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS BANKRUPT AND IN DEBT. PAYING OFF THAT DEBT WILL TAKE MORE MONEY THAN WE HAVE OR CAN READILY RAISE IN TAXES.

I know it's not as much fun to talk about as Bristol's baby bump, but that's because government is serious business.

Greg, reproductive rights ARE serious business to a majority of Americans. Get over it.

Irena, I look forward to your explanation of how trying to lose this election for the Democrats furthers the cause of reproductive rights.

I agreed with her until that last sentence. Poorly done.

while it would not be classy for the opponent to comment on these issues, it is entirely relevant for the voters, who are attempting to choose who will RUN THEIR FUCKING COUNTRY to discuss any and ALL issues regarding the candidates.

there is a difference between asking and investigating and forwarding chain letters stating unsubstantiated "facts" however, gramma.

sincerely,
diggum

Greg, I can't fathom how you reason that a discussion over a blog post is going to lose the election for the democrats, but anyway... Palin is an extremely controversial figure who has been placed within arm's reach of the presidency. It's entirely appropriate for democrats to discuss her position on ALL the issues that matter to them. If you don't like it, you'd best be hiding your eyes for a while...

And Jen, I'm with you completely. That last sentence blows.