Who you gonna believe? Me or your lyin’ eyes?
The Atlantic magazine’s Andrew Sullivan embarrassed himself and his publication during last year’s presidential campaign when he continually aired irresponsible and false claims that GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin wasn’t the mother of Trig. Sullivan suggested that Palin was covering for her oldest daughter Bristol. Once it was revealed that Bristol too was pregnant and that it was impossible for Bristol to have been Trig’s mother and be as far along in her own pregnancy as it was, it didn’t stop Sullivan from continuing his odious rumor-mongering. In fact, the shrillness increased.
Now that Palin’s book “Going Rogue” is out, Sullivan has decided to “defend” his odious gossip to Politico by claiming that he never did what everyone knows he did.
She writes on page 238: “Formerly reputable outlets like the Atlantic ran with the loony conspiracy theory that I was not Trig’s mother—perhaps it was Bristol or Willow, they suggested.”
“It's another untruth. My blog never ran a story that Bristol or Willow was the mother of Trig,” Sullivan told POLITICO by email. “And I never aired any conspiracy stories. It's all on the record and, unlike Palin, I don't lie about things that can easily be checked.”
Sullivan continued in an email below. (I’ve capitalized letters for clarity).
“In fact, my blog never stated anything about Palin's pregnancy and took her at her word. That's why she decided not to sue me. She had no basis for any kind of suit. I simply asked her and the campaign to provide easily available proof that she indeed was the biological mother of Trig after her bizarre and incredible stories about her pregnancy and labor. She has failed to produce any such evidence. And she clearly never will. If she hadn't used the baby as a central political argument in favor of voting for her, I would not have cared. But it seems to me fair to ask factual questions about a story that the candidate uses on the stump and that has aspects of it that are simply bewildering."
“I ask her again: please provide evidence to confirm a core story of your political message and campaign. I will happily publish any such evidence on my blog to clear the air for good and all. But she won't. But then she is of course the leader of a formerly reputable political party.”
Yeah, then go and read this and this pretend all these statements are true.
If the Atlantic had any editorial integrity, Sullivan would’ve been sacked long ago.
0 comments on “Who you gonna believe? Me or your lyin’ eyes?”
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To be fair, that Sullivan finds pregnancy "bewildering" is understandable.
I find this entire debate odd. Why can't she just release her medical records proving Trig is hers? Then Andrew and the other groups would look stupid and stop asking.
df,
I agree that, in this specific accusation, it would settle the issue. However, it sets a terrible precedent. The next time it will be "prove to us that you don't abuse your wife". It is up to Sullivan to prove the case, not Palin to disprove the allegation.
Point taken, to a certain line, but at some point it is the politicians duty to provide information end the rumors and questions? If someone wants to run for office it is their duty to provide information to the public that will allow us to make an informed decision on their health and ability to stay in office.
I believe there are two reasons Palin won't provide the records (1) She wants the drama simmering so she can talk about the crazies who are after her (2) Trig isn't hers and she's covering something up. In my opinion both options point to her being disqualified for any public office in the future.
df
df -- First, if Palin adopted her own grandaughter, then that is an act of extreme generosity. Only Sullivan doesn't recognize that. It is also a private matter. I really don't see that Palin has used her (grand) children as props anymore than Carter used Amy or Kerry used his wife (she was "African", remember?).
Second, "Andrew and the other groups" look stupid already.
"If someone wants to run for office it is their duty to provide information to the public"
Not if the information is to dispel rumors that were designed just to embarrass her. Al Sharpton, on his radio show, allowed guests to wonder if Palin was involved in Michael Jackson's death. That's just a notch below what Sullivan did. No, she should not answer these baseless rumors.
Then why not simply say I adopted my grand daughter? If this happened it would only make her look better.
Rumors only begin to embarrass people if they are true or you make such a big deal about them when the truth comes out people are puzzled as to why you didn't just say that in the first place and avoid the hassle.
"Not if the information is to dispel rumors that were designed just to embarrass her"
I'm sorry Dom, but I don't follow you. How would the rumor of her lying about a pregnancy be designed to embarrass her if she was pregnant? Why not provide the records that show the truth? At that point you get to spin that the child is theirs and these evil liberals will do or say anything to bring me down. Instead you do nothing of the sort and let it simmer. It just doesn't make sense.
df
"Then why not simply say I adopted my grand daughter?" Because she didn't. Trig is her daughter. The question you ask should be asked of Sullivan. "Why would she lie about an act of generosity?"
"How would the rumor of her lying about a pregnancy be designed to embarrass her if she was pregnant?" A woman becomes pregnant, carries a baby for nine months, gives birth under fairly painful circumstances, all out of love. And she does all this for the fifth time. Along comes cruddy Andrew Sullivan, who knows nothing of this first-hand, and demands to see the paper work. Not only should she not answer, she should tell him to go f*** himself.
I left a response but its not here, any idea Matt?
The Republican Party, can, and likely will, do better than nominate Palin to be its 2012 presidential candidate. However, in my opinion, she is a great American, for she is better than almost anyone else at exposing the illiberalism, intolerance and mean-spiritedness of those on the left. For that reason alone, she does her country a great service.
Your comments are screwed up. They stop at the 6th comment.
Hmmm...appears to be working now. I'll try to figure out what's happening. It may be the caching software.