The statements seem to have been initiated by Sarah, with Bristol and Levi at most nodding in agreement when asked if they're planning to get married. A reasonable person would assume that it's only under pressure from Sarah that these kids are even considering getting married. They sure aren't in any hurry.
Rush's drug abuse was dissappointing, but as someone who's making millions of dollars of year from legitimate employment, he's a little different than someone making a career of illegal drug dealing. If Chelsea Clinton was dating or engaged to a guy who described himself as a "f**king redneck" and whose mother was arrested on six felony counts of illegal drug dealing, we'd be hearing a very different reaction from most conservatives, including plenty of comments on how it reflects on Hillary's and Bill's values and how they raised Chelsea. I don't like the double standard.
And if you haven't heard about Levi's MySpace page before, perhaps you should do some googling. It was widely reported by virtually all major media outlets, and despite hopeful internet postings by Sarah-worshippers that "it could have been hacked", nobody associated with the McCain-Palin campaign denied the reports that it was his own posting. Then, in his campaign-arranged interview with AP, Levi claimed the page was "a joke", pretty much closing down the speculation that it wasn't his own writing. As reported in the New York Post (identical to reports in countless other media outlets):
On his MySpace page, Johnston boasts, "I'm a f - - -in' 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 s- - - and just f - - -in' chillin' I guess." "Ya f - - - with me I'll kick [your] ass," he added. He also claims to be "in a relationship," but states, "I don't want kids."
Sure, even kids who are raised by the most dedicated parents can go astray, but Sarah has obviously been pretty focused on her career for the past few years, and Todd was spending quite a bit of time out in the oil fields. When you discover that your kids have gone WAY astray, AND you've got a new disabled baby, the response of a dedicated parent (mother or father) is not to jump at an opportunity to take your career to higher and more time-consuming levels, especially in a way that invariably involves putting increased media attention on your troubled kids.
In the final analysis, though, I'm less inclined to blame Sarah for the sorry spectacle that her placement on the McCain ticket created, than to blame whoever pushed McCain into naming her, and to blame McCain for not refusing since he didn't know the first thing about her. Sarah is a hardcore minor-leaguer compared to the people responsible for her ending up on the ticket, and they shouldn't be allowed to frame her as the scapegoat for their screw-up.
So on the one hand, you complain about Bristol and Levi being on the campaign podium, and on the other, you complain that they didn't talk publically about their future plans. Interesting.
Unless you have some proof that Sarah lied about their plans, it is merely your own fantasy.
They sure aren't in any hurry.
Why would you want them to be? Seems to me this article clearly states that Levi's dad advised him to get a job and get his GED. Perhaps they are waiting for those to be accomplished.
Rush's drug abuse was dissappointing, but as someone who's making millions of dollars of year from legitimate employment, he's a little different than someone making a career of illegal drug dealing.
They both broke the law, yet you call Rush's doing so a 'disappointment' while Levi's mom's shows that she is. . .what. . .some sort of gutter rat? Talk about a double standard.
And if you haven't heard about Levi's MySpace page before, perhaps you should do some googling.
I did. I found references to it for CBS news and the Huffington Post. Since I trust neither of those news sources, can you provide a more reliable link? If not, I'll just have to take those reports with a grain of salt.
By the way, I notice that even those two reports don't mention WHEN Levi posted those things to his MySpace page. They also mention that Levi's mom indicated the kids had been planning to get married even before Bristol got pregnant. So if you trust these news sources, then you have to admit that it isn't just Sarah Palin making that statement.
Then, in his campaign-arranged interview with AP, Levi claimed the page was "a joke"
So you're calling him a liar too? Yet you believe CBS and the Huffington Post? Interesting.
they shouldn't be allowed to frame her as the scapegoat for their screw-up.
That we agree upon.
Just a question. . .do you have kids? If so, how many hours per week do you and your wife work? What do you both do for a living? I'm just trying to make sure that you apply your standards for parenting to yourself as much as you do to Todd and Sarah Palin.