Sarah Palin's daughter is pregnant.

There are stories apearing (I saw it in the Telegraph, but it is elsewhere as well.) that Sarah Palin's teenage (but legal) daughter Bristol is pregnant. A statement from the Palin family states that she will be marrying the father.

The fact that the story is being released by the Palins at this point shows that the lesson of 2000 (when the democrats released a story about George Bush having been in trouble for drink driving 72 hours before the election). There will be time for the story to die off before the election.

I think that the attitude of the Palin family is praiseworthy as well. Commenting on the pregnancy, Palin states that the parents will have the support of the family, but will learn the difficulties of yung parenthood. As a governor, Palin is clearly in a position to cushion her daughter from the realities of the situation and from any inconvenience. That she is making her daughter face up to her responsibilities while promising to support her suggest she will not.

No doubt a few religious nuts will wish to criticise Bristol Palin and her boyfriend, but I hope most reasonable people would join me in wishing them a happy future.