Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old teenage daughter 5 months pregnant

Sarah Palin’s selection as John McCain’s vice presidential candidate was a big surprise to most.  And the surprises keep coming. The Republican National Convention is underway in St. Paul, Minnesota, but between hurricane Gustav and Palin, there is not much focus yet on the gathering. It was just revealed that an attorney was hired to defend the governor in a probe into the firing of her public safety commissioner.  But in more dramatic news, the former beauty queen and mother of 5, announced in a statement today (Monday) that her 17-year-old unwed daughter Bristol is five months pregnant.

The 44-year-old Alaskian governors’ statement read, “Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support. Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family.”

Palin was apparently motivated to release the statement preemptively to combat a rumor that Bristol may have been the mother of Palin’s youngest son, Trig, who was born in April.

The McCain campaign confirmed it was aware of Bristol’s pregnancy before it selected Palin and said it did not affect McCain’s choice.

Asked for his reaction, Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama wouldn’t go there. “I’ve said before I think families are off-limits, children are off-limits. It has no relevance,” Obama said. “I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories.

Source: People Magazine