Obama: "People's Families are Off Limits"

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(MONROE, MICH.) - When asked to respond to Sarah Palin's announcement today that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, Barack Obama sternly said the story is irrelevant to the presidential campaign.

"I think peoples families are off limits and people's children are especially off limits."

Obama addressed the press after he attended a Labor Day picnic here. Although he intended to give a statement on Hurricane Gustav, Obama was quickly asked about Bristol Palin's pregnancy.

"My mother had me when she was 18 years old," Obama said, adding that families should deal with these issues privately. "That shouldn't be the topic of our politics, and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that's off limits."

Obama said he was offended by comments from a McCain advisor suggesting that his campaign may have been spreading rumors about Palin on the internet.

"Our people were not involved in any way in this and the will not be. And if I ever thought that it was somebody in my campaign that was involved in something like that, they'd be fired."

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by juanamarie September 3, 2008 1:33 PM EDT: As a woman I think the questions being asked about Sarah Palin are sexist and wrong! To ask if she can handle the job because she is a mother is crazy! This is 2008 people BACK OFF! Whatever happened to equal rights? Would you prefer her to be barefoot and pregnant? She can obviously handle being a working mother as do most of the women in this country. I am outraged by these questions, and I am a Democrat so it''s not out of any political motivation, but as a woman that sees we have come a long way... let''s not backtrack people! To say "being in politics opens you up for this" is wrong because it implies that if you are involved in politics we can discriminate against you, and treat you unfairly. How WRONG is that? Very in my book!; Reply to this comment


by concerns47 September 2, 2008 1:25 PM EDT: Palin should resign from the ticket, she was not vetted properly, Romney would be a better choice.; Reply to this comment


by allurfears September 2, 2008 4:19 AM EDT: PALIN GETTING NEW McCAIN CAMPAIGN VETTING- AFTER THE FACT

NOW there are reports that McCAIN HAS SENT a team of "VETTERS" to Alaska TODAY. They will be investigating Palin to find out what they should have discovered about Palin BEFORE McCain decided to make her his V.P. candidate.

Now it is coming out that McCain made a last minute "seat of the pants" decision to pick Palin. This came after Karl Rove vetoed Joe Lieberman, and the Evangelicals vetoed Tom Ridge. McCain "liked" Paliin, so he picked her without doing the background work.

Reports indicate that McCain campaign vetters arrived in Alaska ONLY ONE DAY before the decision to pick Palin was announced Friday. McCain met with her the FIRST TIME on Thursday, and OFFERED HER THE JOB ON-THE-SPOT.

McCain''s decision on Palin was driven by IMPULSE and WITHOUT CARE for the details or issues.

This proves McCain is no where near ready to make critical decisions for this country. He failed to properly do the HOMEWORK before making his most CRITICAL decision to date. We do not need him deciding which war to start next.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02vetting.html; Reply to this comment


by zoom2020-2009 September 2, 2008 1:55 AM EDT: Are the Republicans living in some kind of fantasy land? Listening to their representatives speak is like listening to Stepford people speak (oblivious to facts).

I am appalled at the way they are trying to put a positive spin to the choice of McCain with Palin and all the recent news of her daughter''s pregnancy and pending investigation of abuse of power.

The Republican party has always portrayed themselves as the Christians with high moral standards and sound judgment. If this is indicative of McCain''s leadership skills in choosing his running mate, the US has a lot to fear should he be elected.

I suspect that the Republicans will not GET IT until November when the voice of the American people echoes at the polling booth a resounding message the Republicans refuse to hear.; Reply to this comment


by missglo September 2, 2008 12:16 AM EDT: Palin knew when she introduced her family. That her daughter, holding her brother. And hiding her swollen belly. Than was the time she should have said her daughter was pregnant. Yes it is Americas business, when a person is running for Public Office.; Reply to this comment


by roy214 September 1, 2008 11:22 PM EDT: you know I begin to injoyed this comment thing very much it''s true it realy keep me busy and give a hel of opportunity to express not just my self but to speack my consern as a matter of facts the real problem is not with the politicians or the one that serve them but rather in the so call reverant ,pastor preachers ,theologian Doctor ,prophet teachers you I think this is the first time I am writhing some thing that is very important to me yes it''s true they are nothing but liers ,decievers ,thieves falses prophets say''s the Lord this peoples are the problems they are evry where they wants to be evrythings and alls thing yet they to like to be seen no ! they dont like the front they prefere the behind the seen power they not in to politic they dont endorse no candidate yet they give they toughts they direction they instruction evry minutes evry Hours in evrything even on the choice that senator MCcain need to choose you know I hope you not angry at me for telling you this thruth yes it''s a real diseases in America and need to be cured I mean it it''s true they are the real enemy of America and they never have enought no never they are so greedy and you know that they rich I mean full of money more they can spend that right.; Reply to this comment


by allurfears September 1, 2008 10:23 PM EDT: PALIN and "ALASKA INDEPENDENCE PARTY"

The Alaskan Independence Party (AIP) believes:
-- Alaskans must vote for secession from the United States (can you say "49 states"?)
-- That "the vote for Alaskan statehood was invalid"
-- ALL environmental regulation should be eliminated
-- All government lands should be turned over to private parties
-- THE MAJOR PARTIES MUST BE "INFILTRATED" TO OBTAIN ALASKAN INDEPENDENCE

WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF PALIN''S RELATIONSHIP TO THE AIP?

Palin belonged to the AIP before she decided to seek higher office.

The AIP supported Palin for Governor.

AIP Vice Chairman of the AIP, Dexter Clark revealed this year:
"the one we were hoping would get elected, Sarah Palin, did get elected. ... And there was a lot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town- that was a non-partisan job. But you get along to go along - she eventually joined the Republican Party

Sarah Palin recorded a nice message to the AIP Convention this year, saying that the party "plays an important role in our state''s politics" and that "we have a great promise to be a self-sufficient state."

Is Sarah Palin a radical Alaskan secessionist? She certainly believes in them, and she belonged to their party before it became politically expedient for her to join the Republicans...; Reply to this comment


by allurfears September 1, 2008 9:44 PM EDT: I am not surprised on how the Republicans are attempting to gain sympathy by accusing Obama''''s campaign of fueling these rumors. It appears this was rumored in Alaska way before last week''''s VP announcement. Her 4 month old was rumored to be Bristol''''s.
Posted by angel667 at 06:42 PM : Sep 01, 2008
------

Nope- It''s just McCain/Rove politics as usual- LIES - LIES -LIES; Reply to this comment


by angel667 September 1, 2008 9:42 PM EDT: I am not surprised on how the Republicans are attempting to gain sympathy by accusing Obama''s campaign of fueling these rumors. It appears this was rumored in Alaska way before last week''s VP announcement. Her 4 month old was rumored to be Bristol''s.

I''m a woman, young, and also determined. However, I know how hard it is to rear children. I''ve had to sacrifice a heck of a lot. I was given a word of wisdom by a much older successful woman reflecting on her adult child,
"As much as I''ve accomplished in life, my biggest regret has been not spending enough time with my child". That resonated with every decision I chose while rearing my child who is now in college.

Her husband is clearly not Mr. Mom or else one of them would have had a handle on things. Gov. Palin was back at work after 3 weeks with the 4 month old special needs child. The average maternity leave is a minimum 6-8 weeks. Palin is strickened by the Superwoman complex of the 90''s and it doesn''t work.

She should have had the sense to decline McCain''s offer instead of sacraficing her family''s dignity. The timing isn''t good and it was a selfish move.

It''s a very unhealthy example for our nation and scores of underaged good decent conservative girls. Clearly, they''ve critized minorites, adult celebrities and ended Jaimie Spears'' short career. I''m curious to see how the hyprocrites will handle this one.; Reply to this comment


by allurfears September 1, 2008 8:26 PM EDT: Sorry Barak, but the party of Family Values can''t pick and choose when they want use "Family values" to win votes, and when "Family values" are inconvenient hypocrisy.

Southern Baptist leaders like Richard Land and Al Mohler have praised McCain''s choice. But these are the same men who support this statement from the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message:

"A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation."

Evangelical "Family values" say : Get thee to nurturing, woman! If she were a good Christian woman, Palin should be taking care of her kids (and her kid with a kid coming).; Reply to this comment