POLJUNK

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has repeatedly said that politically motivated attacks on candidates' families, especially thier children, is off limits. Obama himself noted that he was born to an 18-year-old. He said that Gov. Palin's daughter's issues have nothing to do with the governor's abilities to perform her duties, either as Governor of Alaska or potentially as Vice-President of the United States.

Obama is right – the story shouldn't be about Bristol Palin. Young people make mistakes and even the most diligent parenting is sometimes no match for raging hormones and the recklessness of youth in general. So enough about Bristol.

This whole story raises some disturbing questions about Gov. Palin and her judgment. A piece by Ruth Marcus in today's Washington Post informs us that, "Sarah Palin opposes programs that teach teenagers anything about contraception. 'The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support,' she said in answering a questionnaire from the conservative Eagle Forum during her 2006 gubernatorial race." The Republican platform promotes abstinence-only education in public schools. I'm just wondering if perhaps daughter Bristol might have benefited from effective sex education. I would think that responsible parents, and now especially the Palins, would see a value in teaching children the basic facts of life, especially given that not all parents are experts on the birds and the bees. Will Sarah Palin continue to support ignorance-only policies?

And then there are the lingering questions about the birth of baby Trig. Apparently, Palin's water broke and THEN she delivered a 30-minute speech at a convention in Texas and THEN she boarded a plane bound for Alaska (an eight-hour trip, including a layover) and THEN she chose to travel further to a medical facility closer to her home-town as opposed to going to a hospital in Anchorage, where the plane landed. Why the hell didn't she immediately go to the nearest hospital once her water broke? The decision to fly might not have been the brightest either. According to pregnancy-info.net, "The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends women don't fly after their 36th week of pregnancy." The Republicans initially touted this chain of events as "toughness," but that doesn't necessarily mean that she's smart. No word on whether Palin asked the flight attendants for a towel to sit on or if an Alaska Airlines maintenance crew had to place an order a new seat-cushion.

According to ABC's Jake Tapper (again), Sarah Palin was also a member of the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP) in the 1990's. Basically, the AIP is a separatist party seeking to have Alaska secede from the United States. I thought the secession thing was settled in, oh, about 1865 or so. One could make the argument that she was/is, literally, anti-American.

Sarah Palin has been in the national eye for less than a week now. I'm sure that there are many more details about her that will come to light; some favorable, some not so much. In any case, this election will be as much about judgment as it will be about anything else. So, let's review. Palin opposes sex education while embracing the pregnancy of her 17-year-old child, she opted to fly thousands of miles after her water broke, and she thinks Alaska would be better off without the other 49 states. In my book, that's three strikes. Palin, you're out!

Did I mention that Palin is currently under investigation?