Palin Fires Back At Levi Johnston

(CBS)  Levi Johnston says he's not going public with "huge" things he knows about Sarah Palin -- things that could "get her in trouble and could hurt her."

The teen father of the infant grandson of the former Republican vice presidential candidate and former Alaska governor made the remarks in Part One of an exclusive interview with "Early Show" co-anchor "Maggie Rodriguez," which aired Wedesday. Part Two aired Thursday.

Johnston, 19, told Rodriguez he doesn't plan to reveal what he knows about Palin, who quit as Alaska governor in July.

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Johnston lived in the Palins' house for two months while waiting for the baby he has with Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, his former fiance, to be born.

In Part One of the interview, Johnston also repeated a story he had told to Vanity Fair magazine -- that he heard Palin jokingly refer to her baby son, Trig, as "the retarded one." Trig was born with Down syndrome.

"The Early Show" asked Palin if she had, in fact, said that.

In a statement, Palin said, "We have purposefully ignored the mean-spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family. We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied.

"Trig is our 'blessed little angel,' who knows it and is lovingly called that every day of his life. Even the thought that anyone would refer to Trig by any disparaging name is sickening and sad.

"CBS should be ashamed for continually providing a forum to propagate lies. Consider the source of the most recent attention-getting lies -- those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention."

In the Rodriguez interview, Johnston also discusses an upcoming photo shoot in Playgirl magazine, saying it will be done tastefully.

"The Early Show" has invited Sarah Palin to appear on the show more than a dozen times. She has declined.

In Part Two of the interview, Johnston tells Rodriguez he knew Palin would quit as governor as soon as she began fielding many big-money offers to do other things. He also spoke more about the Playgirl spread, and addressed the chances of a reconciliation with the Palins:


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[JV1970]

by twrightfield November 7, 2009 4:00 AM EST
Here is a good role model. Drag out a make believe family to a national audience (it would have been a lot easier to be self righteous without a pregnant teen daughter) Quit your job because you have your reasons. Oh yeah get that book finished and travel around the country selling it. I don't think Levi should be on a national news show, it is tabloid crap, however if what he is saying is untrue, you can bet they would sue!! Oh maybe they are waiting for him to cash in on his body and then sue!! There is a role model I want to look up to. GET AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU CAN!!


They'll sue! They are just waiting until he has some money to sue for. They should sue him! He deserves to be sued! He has lied and slandered the Palins in every way possible! He also owes Bristol about 10 months of back child support. I know that a judge hasn't ordered him to pay child support yet but he should have been paying it anyway. That baby is his child and he should be supporting him!

[JV1970]

by twrightfield November 7, 2009 4:00 AM EST
Here is a good role model. Drag out a make believe family to a national audience (it would have been a lot easier to be self righteous without a pregnant teen daughter) Quit your job because you have your reasons. Oh yeah get that book finished and travel around the country selling it. I don't think Levi should be on a national news show, it is tabloid crap, however if what he is saying is untrue, you can bet they would sue!! Oh maybe they are waiting for him to cash in on his body and then sue!! There is a role model I want to look up to. GET AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU CAN!!


They'll sue! They are just waiting until he has some money to sue for. They should sue him! He deserves to be sued! He has lied and slandered the Palins in every way possible! He also owes Bristol about 10 months of back child support. I know that a judge hasn't ordered him to pay child support yet but he should have been paying it anyway. That baby is his child and he should be supporting him!

[watervliet]

MEDIA BLITZ TOGETHER!!! WHAT A JOKE!!!!

[brewin1]

If Levi has any compassion for his son, he will stop this nonsense! How embarrasing will it be for that child to look back at these interviews and see what an immature, disrespectful, arrogant excuse for a man his father really is! Grow up Levi! Go find a real job and stop looking for a way to make a quick buck! I'm glad the child is with the Palins!

[JV1970]

You are absolutely right! It's time Levi realized that he's not a boy anymore. It's time he grew up and started acting like a man. He criticizes the Palins and their parenting abilities but it's obvious that his own parents were lacking in that area, too. They failed to teach him to be a man. They also failed to discipline him and they allowed him to be the immature, disrespectful, arrogant excuse for a man that you said he is. They also failed to teach him that a man works for a living and supports their children without doing nude photo shoots for magazines and doesn't go around criticizing his ex-girlfriend's parents to the public and making threats about them to the public. And another thing, I'm glad that baby Tripp is with the Palins, too. It's obvious that Levi isn't anywhere near ready to be a father. Even though Bristol is younger than Levi, it's obvious that she's the more mature of the two. She grew up when her son came into the world. She had to because she's a mother and she has a son to raise who depends on her for his very life. I think she realized that the minute he was born and she held him in her arms. I think Levi has yet to realize that.

[twrightfield]

Here is a good role model. Drag out a make believe family to a national audience (it would have been a lot easier to be self righteous without a pregnant teen daughter) Quit your job because you have your reasons. Oh yeah get that book finished and travel around the country selling it. I don't think Levi should be on a national news show, it is tabloid crap, however if what he is saying is untrue, you can bet they would sue!! Oh maybe they are waiting for him to cash in on his body and then sue!! There is a role model I want to look up to. GET AS MUCH MONEY AS YOU CAN!!

[JV1970]

I also think Levi will regret that nude photo shoot in Playgirl. I think it's going to come back to bite him. First of all I think it will go against him in court if the Palins decide to file for full custody of baby Tripp and what to prove Levi to be an unfit parent. It will be ammunition that they can use against him. I also think it will be something that will be hard to explain to Tripp when he's older.

[0015kmichelle]

Hello? Ever stop to think that Sarah and Levi are in this media blitz together? When ever Sarah falls from the headlines, some new information just pops up. "Big secret" give me a break! We fall for this manipulation over and over and over again. It's helping both of them stay in the headlines and sell, sell, sell!

[Father_of_Catclaw]

Didn't she start her pole public career dancing in Anchorage?

[buddesatva]

Difficult to believe Levi could say anything more damaging to Sara Palin than the nonsense she spouts everytime she opens her mouth. More absurd is the coverage of her and this silly sideshow. Isn't 15 minutes up yet?

[thomasmc1957]

She is acting like such a witch, he should just go public with everything he knows. It would serve her right.

[JV1970]

He'd better not unless he has proof of every word he's saying because he might have to prove it in court! He'd also better have witnesses who'll testify for him. If he doesn't it's just his word against the Palins and he would lose if he's pulled up in court. He might also have to pay a huge lawsuit settlement. I think that's what's going to happen if he keeps running his mouth. Sonner or later the Palins are going to get enough of his mouth and his threats. I think they are just biding their time until the time is right, probably after he receives his payment from Playgirl when he has some money, and they are going to hit him with a huge lawsuit and make him prove what he's saying. I don't blame them! They should have already done it! He needs to learn that when you crticise someone or gossip about them in public or lie about them or libel or slander them you pay for it!

[JV1970]

There is one more thing I want to say. What Levi is doing is not endearing him to the Palins. Saying hateful things about them is not going to help him see his son any more often. In fact he is only making things worse and they hold all of the cards. They control the situation because they have his son. If he keeps saying the things that he's saying, he's only going to make them mad and spiteful and he'll regret it because he won't be able to see his son.

[JeromeThomas]

Of all the electronic media I watch, I prefer NPR and PBS, especially The News Hour with Jim Lehrer. It is telling that I cannot remember a time when they have refered to anything of a non-news nature Levi Johnston has said about Ms. Palin. I am glad. If I want to know the state of the contention between her and Levi, I will tune in one of the several television gossip shows.