The McCain camp is claiming they came out with the news because people all over the web were speculating (for some reason) that Palin’s newborn son was actually Bristol’s baby…and Palin was covering up some kind of horrible scandal. In an attempt to quiet people down, however, McPalin have only blown on the embers of the political rumor mill.

Now, it’s pretty obvious that some of us at CC are wary of Creationist and polar-bear-ignoring Palin, but after hearing report upon report about how a 17-year-old unwed mother spells trouble for the highly conservative Republican ticket, I can’t help but feel conflicted.  When it comes to going after Palin and her family; is all fair in love and politics?

Last night, Obama was quoted as saying “People’s families are off limits,” and from a personal stand point, I agree with him.  But in an age where we know the gritty details of celebrity love triangles and weight battles, isn’t it kind of naive to think that the media would leave Washington’s most famous alone?

Right now, America is totally obsessed with teenagers, and when a Conservative like Palin has a daughter who seemingly goes against her mother’s teachings and gets pregnant, doesn’t it make complete sense that the media will pounce and tear the story limb from limb?  It’s controversy!  It’s Right vs real.  It’s the “don’t have sex until you’re married” viewpoint once again smashed against “teach teenagers how to have safe sex.”  Lindsay Lohan isn’t doing anything weird or slutty so we have to turn our feelers toward whatever sordid story we can — and Bristol Palin had the unfortunate timing of getting pregnant before her mom got the biggest career boost of her life.

What do you think, lovely readers?  Does the media need to back off the families of politicians?  Is it none of our business?  Or is thrusting yourself into the limelight acknowledging that it’s open season on everything that was once private?