I have also been wondering about the "family values" issue. I was fortunate enough to be able to afford to stay at home with our children when they were young. Sarah Palin can also afford to do so. I would like to hear her explain why leaving her baby in the care of others is the best thing for him.

One other question about the so called pro-life stand; I do not understand how a thinker can be anti- abortion but pro-war. Is is that other women's children do not have a right to life?

That's a fair question Ann but you have to look past the surface and understand whether or not the outcome of such a war will provide a greater value of liberty, freedom and life to women and their children post-war.

When we bombed Serbia, there were women and children there. However, the greater good was to stop the atrocities being commited against men, women, and children. The end result is that the constant oppression stopped. Likewise, this is in process in Iraq. You can agree or disagree with Clinton and Bush for these two examples but the end result is the same. Despite the vile actions of war, it has changed the world into a better place in the end. It's sad, isn't it? That is the underlying drive to get away from big government. Leadership makes these horrible decisions against the will of the people so we need to constantly remind them that they work for us, the people. We don't elect them for the purpose of redistribution of wealth, giving us things, etc. We need to be a strong, liberated people who rely little on government.

I disagree with your premise that there is a greater good in war that has changed the world into a better place, especially when government picks and chooses which atrocities it will be involved in. Iraq is certainly not a better place. Not only is it still a dangerous place but the escalation has brought huge concrete barrier walls that divide and segregate neighborhoods, along with security checkpoints that include biometric IDs. Perhaps having military buildups in a large number of countries strikes you as making the world better, but it isn't for liberty or freedom.

Not Ann, and she may respond, as will I. The people we elect for office pass laws that essentially tell other people how to run their families. Having mandatory abstinence classes in Texas high schools instead of sex ed that covers birth control is one example. What Palin believes, for example, about teaching creationism in schools affects families that want their children taught science instead of religious fables. Also, when a person runs for office, that person's life as he or she brings it into the open is to be examined and scrutinized, particularly against the claims he or she makes for values. You must be new to polifics if you don't realize that this type of thing goes on in every single election, and if someone doesn't want the attention, then he or she needs to lead a private life out of the spotlight, where his or her decisions can only affect the immediate family.

I myself am a Democrat, pro-choice and glad to be. I prefer not to have someone who wasn't even vetted by McCain and obviously chosen only because she was a female become the VP. He can sure do it, but I can sure say that I think her family example, her ethics scandal for which I just read she lawyered up, and her lies about pork such as the Bridge to Nowhere rightly need to be brought into the light and strongly examined.

The war in Iraq has nothing to do with protecting our country. It's sad that you are apparently someone who falls in line with the fearmongering that Republicans have been doing for 8 years. One can be strong on protecting this country and be against a pre-empteive conflict based on lifes from the Bush administration that McCain supports.

I feel tempted to do a "If you vote Republican" such as you did, but I don't believe that one must be threatened into a vote.

See. that's how I feel, too, Jean. When my kiddos were little, I stayed home with them and we sacrificed and budgeted. I had to go to work at one point and I was resentful about it, as my children and being there for them was what I really wanted to do. I don't fault anyone if they must work. But I do believe that children are our greatest asset and whether it's a mom OR a dad being home with them and spending time, a PARENT ought to live up to that responsibility. And, I don't care if it seems sexist, I think if one has a child that has problems, you double down on raising that child. And you don't allow other people to use it as a prop.

This is all the most ridiculous bunch of crap I have ever read...How in the world can any of you sit in judgement of people you really know virtually nothing about...As for saying people need to stay home with their children..many could argue that what you are actually doing is sheltering your children...I own a child care center and I see children everyday who are sent off to kindergarten completely scared and unprepared to interact with other children because all they have ever done is stay home with their "wonderful-dedicated" mommies...I love my 3 childen just as much as anyone and they are all very well rounded well adjusted children and I have always worked, as a necessity, but if I did not have to I would not have done things any differently...I am neither demacrat or republican...I am AMERICAN and I say cudos to Gov. Palin for not being afraid to try and make a difference while continuing to be a good mother!! I fear that possibly many of the mothers who stay home with their children use the "good mommie" card to defend the fact that they are unwilling to dedicate their time to make a difference in the world!!!

Texasmom- Um.. you mean like you are sitting in judgment of SAHMs?

David-I am with you. I've been thinking about it and I believe the crux of this is choice. People may or may not agree with the idea of a SAHM (if it's feasible to do) but in a McCain/Palin world, choices for women become narrowed.

Yeah, me too. This was NOT all right with James Dobson before, but I think there must be a long line at the doctor for Fundies with whiplash.

To lp-perhaps not on this post, but we have spoken extensively about her flip flop lie about the Bridge to Nowhere, her ethics scandal, her purchase of property while mayor that has left the town in the red, and many more. One thing that will help is when she puts herself in front of reporters in the plural, and not the upcoming softball interview with ABC's Charles Gibson.

As far as her family life being only her business. When she stops parading around her family and discussing her personal choices she made for the down syndome child, her life can be private. She can't have it both ways and we are certainly right to discuss a public figure whose not-so-private choices might be made for EVERY women and not just her own family.

We could all agree that the majority of our senior citizens and the generation below are conservative republicans. How many of them got married right out of high school and were pregnant? i know that my mother is one of those. she was already engaged to be married when she found out she was with child, the date for the wedding just hadnt come yet. I dont think its fair to attack Sarah for the date of her marriage and the birth of her first child not "adding up". How many people in their forties and even the generation before are still married to the person they first wed? How many people period are still married to their first? What I think we shoud be doing is commending her on her ability to retain her marriage, have five shildren AND work. She is by no means lazy and seems to have all the ambition most of us can only dream of having. Also, how she feels about the sanctity of marriage and wedlock has nothing to do with how americans lead their lives. Its not like its possible for wedlock to be outlawed, and its not possible to prevent sex between unmarried people. All one in the public eye can do is set a good example of how to live a good life and she is doing that. She has not been divorced, not given up any children nor had an abortion, nor is she forcingher daughter to. There is seperation of church and state for a reason, not every citizen is christian, and they shouldnt be subject to be lead on christian values. We all should, however, be led and lead lives with values, however those may differ. If you think there is a problem with someones value system all you can do is set an example. I am not a republican, but a democrat, however I do comment Sarah for her life and respect her decisions in her own life, yet I feel that some of you are getting a little too judgemental.

Oh, Please. Who said people with children with disabilities have to resign from life?I don't even know what you MEAN by *resign from life*. I have said repeatedly that I believe that if it's possible one parent, if a CHOICE IS MADE to have a disabled child.,ought to TAKE CARE of that child, and I believe that staying home to care for him or her is what at least one parent ought to do. I don't care if it's the mom or the dad, but it seems the height of selfishness to have a kid you KNOW will be disabled and then run off 3 days later to go back to work. You may not agree with me. That's fine. The good news is that you don't HAVE to agree, because people have a choice on what they should do. But our opinions on this differ.

Sorry to break it to you but your premise about what liberals think about life is wrong. But this is not an abortion issue, and it won't be on this thread.

Jamie- Since when can we all agree that the majority of our senior citizens are conservative republicans? How about a statistic backing that up, please, otherwise there is no agreement here based on merely a statement without proof.

The problem with some of what you say is that the people who have taken over the Republican party are religious extremists who not only don't believe in separation of church and state, as a rule, but also have been working to impose their view of family life and sexuality on those who do not agree. That has happened in Texas to a large extent and I will not repeat the examples again.Yes, people do have children out of wedlock- what Palin did was slash funding for teen moms. That's not just living your own life with your private family, but imposing your viewpoint on others.. and hypocritically.

I would like to review her "not place in the library list".

A lot not to admire about Sarah Palin as, in other topics, her various prevarications have come out since she's been announced. I wish she would stop repeating the Bridge to Nowhere lie since that has been repeatedly debunked. I wish she would stop trying to thwart the ethics investigation that she initially said she would cooperate with.

I don't think anyone has said  that a woman doesn't have the right to have a baby and work. Speaking for myself, what I have said that my opinion is that a woman who chooses to have a down syndrome baby ought to make sure that either she or her SO is around to raise it, as I would imagine down syndrome babies take extra care.  Perhaps if she had spent more time caring for her children, or her husband had, her teenage daughter wouldn't have ended up pregnant. Overall, I repeat that my position is this.

Adding a very reasonable post I just came across-a working mother with 2 special needs kids. Go read it.

Comment from a Florida Republican via Tampa Bay newspaper

"I'm truly offended by Palin,'' said Republican Philinia Lehr, 37, of Largo, a full-time mother with a nursing degree who voted for George Bush in 2004. Like Palin, she has five children and she doesn't buy that the Alaska governor can adequately balance her family and the vice presidency.

"You're somebody's mom and what are you going to do, say, 'Excuse me, country, hold on?' … She's preaching that she's this mom of the year and taking that poor little baby all over everywhere. And, you know, what she's doing to her 17-year-old daughter is just appalling.'' Lehr said she's bothered by the way Palin's pregnant daughter has been brought into the national spotlight.

To alice Watched the debate last night. Obama. Not more of the same. And not more of the lack of judgment that caused McCain to pick this clearly unqualified woman. https://salon.glenrose.net/default.asp?view=plink&id=8671

To alice- I didn't see anyone say that Palin can't call herself a Christian-if she wants to go have Christian witch doctors pray over her to keep her safe from witchcraft, thinks God's plan is to have the Iraq war, and thinks we should be praying for government to get pipelines passed as bills, she sure can. I personally think it's weird and what I DO see people saying here, myself included, is that she is a Christian hypocrite, with skewed family values.

P.S. To hurricane-this is NOT an abortion thread.

Alice-you apparently have not been following the McCain campaign's attempts to keep Palin from the media. She's not staying away from the media for any other reason other than she is clearly not suited to answer questions on the fly. See the Couric/Palin interview for so painful and cringeworthy an interview that even right-wing NRO said she ought to go home and take herself out of the position. Unfortunately, her reluctance to put herself before news media has made her a joke.

The point about the pipeline bill is not about energy, it is about her asking people to pray for it to pass as a bill. As if God cares about whether a pipeline will be built or not.

McCain, who cheated on his crippled wife, and married the woman he was cheating with, has some **** family values. Palin also cheated on her husband so her family values are ****. If you didn't like Bill Clinton because of his family values, you must use the same brush on the McCain/Palin ticket.

No war is ever for nothing, but the Iraq war was based on a lie. How many soldiers have to die for a lie? It is certainly not dishonorable to stop the war, let Iraq have their country back, and bring soldiers home or to someplace where our security is actually threatened. McCain is on the wrong side of the war, so was and is Bush.

Salon..............you are right on about everything. It's more about common sense then anything else, something right wingers seem to lack even an ounce of these days. Too bad we all have to pay for it.

Salon....you are my new hero. Next drink is on me!