This is Morgan, and I'm writing on behalf of Audrey who is out taking a much-needed break with her family tonight and for much of tomorrow.
While approving comments today in her absence, I have noticed a disturbing number of them seem to assume that Audrey is closing this blog and/or dropping her quest for the truth about Sarah Palin's Curious Pregnancy.
I just spoke to Audrey and she has asked me to assure you all that nothing is further from the truth.
Given the outcome of the election, the urgency to get to the bottom of this story certainly has been somewhat alleviated. But that doesn't mean the threat of Sarah Palin's return - or Audrey's pursuit of the truth - has gone away. It just means there is now more time to investigate the story as the Religious Right tries to buff out the dents Palin received during the campaign so they can roll her back out again in 2012.
If you read Audrey's last post you'll see that she never said she was closing the blog. She only plans to ramp back the coverage a bit, which is understandable. As a close friend, I can assure you that she has an extremely busy professional and personal life. In fact, I've often wondered how she juggled things before she started titling at the Palin Windmill.
So for those of you wringing your hands, please note that when Audrey said it was "over," she meant the campaign, not the blog. Tips, communication, and input are still welcome. Posting will continue, although it may not be daily unless something big breaks.
The Palin Deception Web site and blog are still very much alive. And Audrey remains on the case.
36 comments:
So glad. Thanks for taking the time to write this. I too wonder how Audrey balances everything. She's really been this incredible kind of guide through the frustrating smoke and mirrors of the Palin sideshow. I check Palin Deception as often as the times, huffingtonpost, and my own email. Until I found this site, I really had started feeling like a born-again Jew home for Passover--almost apologetic and embarrassed for holding on to the Trig birth mystery when it seemed like everyone else had put it into the crazy conspiracy theory pile along with the government hiding aliens and Elvis being alive. Thank you for this constant reminder that I haven't gone completely off the deep end.
Lower 48
I've been reading Audrey's blog for the past few weeks with interest - love it! What I keep wondering is this: With all the interest in the Sarah-Bristol-Trig's mom story, don't you think that there MUST have been reporters who traveled to Alaska (maybe from the Enquirer or elsewhere) to see what they could find? There must be SOMEONE, some student, their parents, who saw Bristol in March or April, who can tell us whether or not she looked really pregnant or not.
Actually, if she was seen and DIDN'T look pregnant, that should have been news too. But there is nothing from any publication. I just keep thinking that there must be more than one person in the state of Alaska who saw Bristol in March or April who could say whether or not she had a big belly or not.
Well thank you Morgan, and thank you Audrey. When I first heard about Sarah's birth story, I was very suspicious, and even more so when she told the world her 17 year old daughter was 5 months pregnant.
It took me some hours, but I finally stumbled upon this blog. I am so grateful for a place to discuss these matters. I am glad the election is over, and I am hopeful that the truth of this story will still come out.
Oddly, I found that the post election Sarah seemed nicer in her interviews than during the campaign, but maybe that is because she was humbled. I truly feel that she did not deserve to be elected.
That will teach her to make fun of someone's "Community Organizer" experience. :D
Thanks, Morgan. For this reassurance; and for the part you've already played in helping Audrey. You're right: it's just the urgency that's over! grammy
Postergirl, I'm not sure exactly where it is but if you look back through the posts and the comments I believe Audrey has mentioned other reporters going to Alaska. There was some debate, too, about what role the Enquirer played in checking out this story.
My personal feeling is that - if Trig isn't Sarah's - the secret of his birth is closely guarded by a very small handful of insiders. Between their loyalty and the HIPPA regs it's been difficult to get the real story out.
The medical records would have cleared everything up and ended all of this, but Sarah Palin never released them, which is very telling IMO.
Yes, don't forget that Sarah is due to be a grandmother soon, supposedly in about 6 weeks! So, it is definitely not over.I for one, can't wait for the shotguin wedding, I now do not think will ever happen.
Alaska politics have been put in the national spotlight (well a somewhat dimmer spotlight than our economy), with possible voter fraud, and vote suppression due to the extremely low turnout numbers we are seeing there. The Ted Stevens thing will not die any time soon, something just is not right there.
Anyway, I look forward to seeing everyone's comments...again, because I too still have questions regarding the bizarre Trig Plain birth story.
Wonderful post about why we still need to get to the truth about this.
http://thebuddhadiaries.blogspot.com/2008/11/why-americans-still-need-to-know-truth.html
Lower 48
Thank you for that post, Morgan.
I just got back from a conference in Anchorage at which Dr CBJ was a featured speaker. Her specialty is medical/forensic examination of children who have been abused. I had been to one of her sessions at a previous conference so I knew what to expect. This pretty, demure blond woman explains the ins and outs of distinguishing between injuries (usually vaginal) that are a result of sexual assault and those from some other source. She shows lots of slides and discusses each one calmly and compassionately. She is involved in the state's Child Advocacy Centers (CAC) that are responsible for investigating cases of child sexual assault. CACs interview children where molestation is suspected and perform medical exams. CACs are designed to be warm and comforting places so that children will feel less threatened during a traumatic time.
I admire this woman's work greatly. I have no idea how she got herself mixed up in the SP/Trig birth mess. She obviously is no obstetrician. I'm sure it is distressing to her to have to issue a "statement" like she did. But I'd rather see her do that than break HPPA and lose her license to practice. The state of Alaska, with the highest rates of child abuse and neglect in the country, needs her. Her efforts to set up CACs and educate medical professionals on how to conduct exams is changing the landscape of child abuse identification and prevention in Alaska. I wish her well.
I wonder if the main reason that the McCain campaign has been unceremoniously throwing Sarah under the bus so soon after the election was over is because they found out that Sarah and Todd have been lying to them as well as to the public about who is Trig's REAL Mom!
silvergirl:
Sarah is being nicer because she wants to run for president. She did the bidding, the dirty work, for the party and now she feels they "owe" her.
Audrey, keep this up.
I think that even if Bristol is pregnant (think Jamie Lynn Spears) there were some shennanigans going on up in Alaska that need to come to light.
i just watched SP carrying trig.
it was very telling.
i carry my grocery bag with more care and attention than she showed.
and todd, who was behind sarah, did not seem to be willing to lend a hand.
has he ever been seen holding the child?
I know it is a difficult issue regarding Cathy Baldwin-Johnson, her role in the Sarah Palin/Trig deception,and her apparently good work in the cause of child abuse. But I think we are ignoring the larger implications and overlap of the two. Child abuse exists for a variety of tragic reasons, but the conditions of a child's home life are a crucial issue as is the very dependence of a child. A society that permits lying to protect parents, deceit regarding sexuality, and hypocrisy about the body will only encourage child abuse and sexual fears and perversions. I cannot stress strongly enough that, rather than admitting that Palin, as a grandmother to a pregnant teenager, would adopt her own grandchild in order to give him a more secure environment (or whatever), would prefer to create an enormous web of lies that would supposedly leave intact her beliefs in "abstinence only" education, NO cholce for any GIRL or woman, and no privacy to pregnant women or girls. Cathy Baldwin-Johnson must knowingly be contributing to a culture of deception which actually allows child abuse and sexual perversion to flourish. If she is unaware of that, than she is naive and perhaps not actually doing anything to help anyone. Mary G.
Anonymous: I don't understand how she can carry a baby that way, either. He's supposed to be her child, and even if he is her grandchild, she should show more care. I think she's just too self involved to really think about what she is doing.
Otherwise, shouldn't she have thought things through when it came to the pregnancy story? If her version is true, then she never really cared for that baby anyway. I feel sorry for the poor little boy.
Anon, Todd held 16-18wk old Trig at the RNC...when the camera was on him. Once he thought the camera was off, he passed the baby to Sarah, who unceremoniously passed this newborn, special needs infant...to her six year old.
Personally, everyone I've EVER seen hand a baby to a young child only does so in a carefully controlled situation where the child is sitting down on a couch or stable surface, and the person handing the baby to the child is near constantly reminding the child to "use both hands!" and "watch his head!".
For me, the most telling issue in this charade has been the lack of regard SP&TP show when handling Trig. Especially for someone who claims to be a nursing mother...women who breastfeed naturally graduate into holding their babies in the same positions they use to nurse. Not so for Super Sarah. She holds that poor infant as if he's a half-rotted banana someone handed her when she wasn't the least bit hungry.
Alternately...the total LACK of care and regard shown by Srah and Todd is mirrored almost TOO intensely by the incredible care and concern that BRISTOL exercises when handling her "little brother".
I don't care how much a young lady is family-oriented or how much she supposedly has 'always loved babies'...when Bristol is holding Trig, she adapts a comforting yet protective demeanor, a posture rife with tenderness yet also imbued with a touch of aggression- the kind mothers tend to exhibit when they feel their offspring is being threatened in some way.
Like Audrey said regarding the photo of Bristol tenderly cradling what I believe to be her firstborn child...the thing speaks for itself. I defy anyone, any WHERE...to produce another photo where a SIBLING relationship holds such a dynamic. The photo alone was enough to raise serious doubts about Sarah being Trig's birth mother.
Added with everything ELSE- the utterly ridiculous "birth story" which no physician would have WILLINGLY been a part of, the lack of any physical indicators of pregnancy for Sarah (a 30-weeks-pregnant woman in five inch stiletto boots sits down in a chair with NO adaptations for her pregnant body- no careful bending of the knees, no supporting her body's weight on her arms as she braces herself to sit...none of the characteristics that virtually ALL WOMEN IN THEIR THIRD TRIMESTER exhibit??? Ri-ight.), the absolutely asinine "medical records" which took weeks to produce; why? That letter could have been drafted in an hour...the list goes on and on and ON. Any one of them is legitimate cause to question the validity of Sarah's Palin's adamant statements concerning the birth of Trig and Bristol's incredibly conveniently timed pregnancy. But all of these things together?
I'm sorry; at this point only an idiot would say there is nothing wrong with this convoluted, outrageous, ever-changing story.
-Liz
If anyone doubts the need to continue to obtain the truth from SP regarding the birth of Trig (even if it's just to confirm that SP used poor judgment in returning to AK to deliver him), please read this article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/07/poll-64-percent-of-republ_n_142284.html
The Republicans intend to keep SP in the political mix for a very long time.
Monday night will be Sarah Palin's first lengthy, informal press interview since being nominated for VP. Could be interesting to us -- what might she let slip?
From the Fox news press release:
"FOX News Channel's Greta Van Susteren will present the first extensive post-election sitdown interview with Governor Sarah Palin during On The Record on Monday November 10th at 10PM ET.
"Van Susteren will conduct the taped interview in Wasilla, Alaska and present Monday night's show live from that location. The whole hour will be devoted to Palin..."
--jwc
Atlantic Monthly columnist and blogger Andrew Sullivan is also going to stay on this story. At his blog The Dish he writes:
"We know about Palin's relationship with the truth from long experience. And there will surely be, over time, substantiation of all these charges - "silk boxer shorts"! "I'm pregnant!" - or not. Just know that while the Dish is not staffed by investigative reporters, we sure do keep an eye on what they find."
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
the_daily_dish/2008/11/
palin-and-the-j.html
--jwc
Liz:
"Todd held 16-18wk old Trig at the RNC...when the camera was on him... "
Is there a link for this somewhere?
Thanks.
Thank you for that thoughtful response, Mary g. I certainly agree with you. In fact, I suspect that Dr CBJ would agree with you. I think she is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Here's the scenario that I imagine:
1. SP calls Dr CBJ and tells her that Bristol is pregnant. Tells her they want her to be the delivering doc because they trust her and they want to keep it secret. Dr CBJ agrees.
2. Ultrasounds are conducted but Trig is not diagnosed with Downs in utero. So Dr CBJ is not aware of any large risk factors around this pregnancy.
3. SP announces to the world she's "pregnant." Dr CBJ may or may not have known in advance she would do such a thing. In any case, she can't contradict without breaking HPPA. Maybe CBJ thinks this is a very bad thing for poor Bristol and her baby but there is not much she can do about it. While it is not good parenting, it doesn't rise to the level of what the state considers abuse and hence she is not mandated to report it.
4. Oops! Bristol goes into labor while SP is in Texas. Dr CBJ calls to inform Sarah. When Sarah asks whether she will likely have time to give her speech and get home before the baby comes, CBJ says yes.
5. The wild ride ensues.
6. Baby is delivered and turns out to be Downs. SP thanks CBJ for her service and says "I'll take it from here." CBJ thinks, "this woman is nuts," and gets out of there as soon as she knows the baby is safe.
7. CBJ is completely out of the loop until the press is really agitating for a statement. The campaign decides what they want the letter to say and forbids CBJ to release anything else.
8. She complies, while making sure the language does not say anywhere that the baby came out of SP and not BP.
I have no idea if it really happened that way but I think so. CBJ is a huge fixture in the child protection community. I doubt she condones "abstinence only." She is way too smart and has seen way too much for that.
It makes sense to me that she might even make a little pact with herself: let this one go so I can continue the work I am doing. Her work is such that she affects many people because she trains medical professionals to correctly diagnose what they see on the young children they examine. You can't always tell if what you're looking at is a result of abuse or some other type of injury. She is making sure that more and more people can assess correctly, thus paving the way for more prosecutions for sex offenders and other abusers.
I'm not sure what I would have done differently, if I were her.
First, thanks to Morgan and Audrey and some consistently awesome posters, including mc and Mary G., who makes such great points about the effects of deception in perpetuating abuse of children.
Another thing that has struck me is what a terrible effect that living such a lie would have on the other children in this family. What in the world is a seven-year-old supposed to make of all this as she grows up?
I have not yet seen mention of this, but the Newsweek campaign articles contain some very interesting references to this blog's subject, reporting that the day after Palin was announced as the VP candidate, "a couple of reporters began asking questions about Bristol. Some had caught a glimpse of her, and explained to a campaign aide that she looked, well, pregnant. The aide denied any knowledge, but Schmidt tapped one of McCain's friends, Steve Duprey, to go have an awkward conversation with Palin. Told of the reporters' nosing around, she looked out the window briefly and replied, 'We have a strong family. We've been dealing with this already. We're gonna tell Bristol. We'll be fine. Let's move on. What else do you have?'" Palin is described as remaining "phlegmatic the next day when the left-wing blogs began speculating that 5-month-old Trig was actually Bristol's child and that Palin was covering for her daughter. When an aide told Palin that he had started receiving calls from 'respectable news organizations' demanding physiological proof that Trig was actually Palin's son, she quipped, 'What, do I have to show them my stretch marks?'"
These descriptions from reporters attached to the campaign at the time are so interesting, and reinforce Audrey's common sense ("It comes down to this...."): immediately after the VP pick, reporters--those who'd seen Bristol and including reporters from "respectable" news outlets-- were pressing the McCain campaign for answers about a 5-month-old baby and Bristol. Immediately Palin knew that she'd have to produce some "proof"....and instead of just having the attending physician verify that she gave birth a fifth time, she makes a crack about stretch marks and then lets the campaign announce to the world that her minor daughter is five months' pregnant????
The secret cannot be kept forever. Some day a birth certificate will have to be produced to get that child a passport, to enroll him in school, etc. Or maybe an 18-year-old woman who is no longer under her parents' legal control will want the charade to be over so she can openly give her beautiful child all that he needs from her.
"Is the Prime Minister of Ukraine Hotter Than Palin?"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=4414717
I would say so--YES!
I agree with the comments about the unmotherly and unfatherly way that Sarah and Todd have been holding their "precious" son, Trig--like a sack of potatoes! It's outrageous!
What a wonderful site. I have been wondering if anyone still thought the whole pregnancy thing was a lie. Now I know.
Yes, it is extremely important to know the truth. This woman wants to be our President or at very least a Senator.
I certainly can see wanting to protect a child, but if she really did want to protect her, why did she ever agree to put her entire family in the national spotlight?
I don't want to think ill of anyone and I can see how she could get herself in this situation, but truely everyone if poor Bristol has a miscarrage, I think all the pieces will fall in place.
For me the final peg was that picture of Levi kissing Trig's head. I have never in my life seen that level of gentleness and caring by a teenage boy, especially one who claims he is a "red neck", in my life.
I will be back. If there is anything that can be researched from a distance just ask.
Thank you.
I see what you mean, Sandy Beach. I would just hope CBJ really is not so involved, as you say. It should have been a private family matter (except for the hypocrisy of wanting to dictate school curricula and women's reproductive care on Palin's part...). I will check out those extra details provided by anonymous@6:00. Thanks to all for thought-provoking discussion and dedication to truth! mary
an additional tidbit on my previous comment on the manner SP was holding baby Trig.
Someone at HUFF-POST noticed that the child had his feet bare! no socks, while 'mom' was wearing a winter (blue) sweatshirt.
...
on another thread i encouraged AUDREY to consider writing a book on this issue: it'd be an instant bestseller and thus exposed her before she has a chance to advance her political career any further.
Thanks so much, mary g, Sandy Beach, Liz, Audrey, et al. I feel much better realizing I'm not the only one who has these "crazy notions" - keep up the great work and excellent posts!
here's an excerpt from blog by
HOWARD BRAGMAN at HUFFINGTONPOST...
all the more reason to keep going after this hoax:
"A few things are clear to me and anyone who has turned on a television in the last 10 weeks: the red-meat Republican base adores her and this base gets to decide who runs; she has "star quality"; there's nothing that's so ruined about her image that can't be fixed with time and intensive education; she will be a very formidable presidential candidate in either 2012 or 2016.
"This is not to say that I agree with her. We differ on almost every issue and it was clear to me from day one that she wasn't ready to serve and wouldn't help the ticket.
"Yet she has a bright political future. She has the ability to tell a story that motivates. She fills arenas and generates enthusiasm. And with the Republican Party's problems with the female vote, she could be the answer to many of their problems.
"Sarah Palin is not going quietly into the Aurora Borealis. This moose-hunting Momma and political gunslinger will be back. Anyone who underestimates her appeal and unbridled ambition has not seen the bodies left behind in her home turf of frozen tundra."
Look closely at the latest images of Trig and the look at Levi. Do you see any resemblance? I know the baby also looks like Piper but looks nothing like the First Dud!
I just finished reading the book “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell this weekend. While reading it, I learned about Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen who created a well-known taxomoy of facial expressions. In their research, they identified all the muscular motions that the face can make and then combined them together to create the expressions we see on people’s faces and that we equate with emotions. They worked to catalog all these expressions along with the rules for reading and interpreting them which is called the Facial Action Coding System or FACS.
One example that Gladwell used in the book was how Ekman studied Bill Clinton’s facial expressions during the 1992 presidential primaries. Ekman said, “There was this expression that’s one of his favorites. It’s that hand-in-the-cookie-jar, love-me-Mommy-because-I’m-a-rascal look.”
Basically, Ekman explained how he contacted the Clinton’s campaign and suggested that he meet with Clinton to train him to NOT do this facial expression anymore. The campaign turned him down, but history showed us that he lived up to this facial expression. His true character was revealed in his facial expressions….
Other examples Gladwell gives is that old videotape was reviewed of various other famous (and infamous) people. When these videos are reviewed and FACS is used, some interesting light is shed upon these people’s split-second facial expressions. These quick expressions appear to be mostly unnoticeable to viewers at the time. And, these categorized facial expressions end up revealing a LOT about the person and situation that was being taped (such as a courtroom setting, interview, etc.).
What I am getting at is this. Is there someone out there who is an expert in Facial Action Coding System and could review early interviews of Palin after Trig was born to categorize her reactions to questions? Additionally, I think later tapes of Palin on the road during the campaign should also be analyzed, especially when there are questions that she probably knew she was lying about (such as not supporting the bridge to nowhere), but hoping to get away with it – just for comparison.
Does anyone know if any FACS researchers have studied ANY of the presidential candidates? It could be quite fascinating.
Just thought this angle might be of use in continued to reveal the truth about Palin.
Sleuth for Truth
Does Huffpo know something we don't about Trig?? Seems like they think (like many of us do) that she has only four children. Interesting....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/07/sarah-palins-post-electio_n_142218.html
Just in (from Greta at Fox interview airing tomorrow):
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/55562.html
Sarah raises her hand and says "I am Trigs mom." She asks if we want to see her medical records to prove it. Yes Sarah, we DO!
From an interview with Palin on Sunday by KTUU and ADN:
Q -- What misinformation are you talking about?
Palin -- Some of the goofy things like who was Trig's mom. Well, I'm Trig's mom (raises her hand) and do you want to see my medical records to prove that?
My note: actually Andrew Sullivan and many others would like to see your medical records and not just the summary sheet released the day before the election.
Article about Palin from ADN.
http://tinyurl.com/56kgpb
Quote:
Q. What misinformation are you talking about?
A. Some of the goofy things like who was Trig's mom. Well, I'm Trig's mom (raises her hand) and do you want to see my medical records to prove that? ...
*****Before anybody gets too excited she doesn't disclose her medical records in this interview.*****
Duh! We've only been waiting months and it would have prevented poor Bristol from being thrown under the bus to save your political career!
XXXX
Well, she adopted him. Of course she's Trig's mom. The question is, did she give birth to him?
Perry--so true, IMO. Other questions for Sarah: why are you mixing formula for the baby if breastfeeding is the breeze you made it out to be? I'm guessing there's no breastpump to be found mixed in those suitcases of RNC booty. And why are the kids still showing no signs of being in school? Where the heck is poor Bristol?
Here's a link to a video on the ADN site. At minute 3:24 she says "I am Trigs mom and do you want to see my medical records to prove it". Interesting since she never actually released records that prove it.
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/134247
An alternative explanation for Bristol's motherly and protective demeanor might be that she felt neglected and "unmothered" herself, and empathizes with the unwanted Trig. SP's "unmotherly" behavior may be normal for her; Superficially, anyway, she does not come across as the maternal type. The most likely explanation is that Bristol is the real mother, but in solving a puzzle it helps to keep one's thinking fluid.
In the same vein, if Trig doesn't look like Todd, it may mean Todd isn't his father (although I think boys usually resemble their mothers' relatives anyway), but it's another step to infer that Sarah isn't his mother.
Another thing. Didn't Levi's sister refer to Trig as "baby brother"? A "brother" is one who shares at least one parent. Might SP be covering, not her daughter's indiscretion, but her own-- or Todd's?
Very puzzling, and the only thing that is certain is that SP is hiding something.
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