The problem with Bristol Palin is not that she is pregnant and 17. In fact, I agree that minor children, in particular, should be left out of politics. The problem with Bristol is the hypocrisy of the Republican party. They want the "family values" argument to ignore that a) abstinence only programs are short sighted and do not work; b) that the divorce rate when people marry in their teens is the highest of any demographic; c) that Republicans do not support health care for everyone, only those who can afford it (too many pregnant teens are not covered and these pregnancies are high risk to start with); d) Viagra is covered under most healthcare plans but birth control is not; e) with the decline in middle class wages over the past 20 years most families are forced to have both parents work at least part time leaving the rearing of our children to the schools where we tie their hands and bind their mouths in terms of what they can actually teach; and f) the GOP likes to tax work and not income which has caused an acceleration of real wage decrease among the middle class. Does anyone in the GOP know what the impact of Alternative Minimum Tax is on wage earning, middle class families?

Sarah Palin is an abstinence only, "intelligent design", no taxation, Republican. She is one of the biggest hypocrites of all. She turns a blind eye and closes down conversation to teenage sex, the environment and the plight of the citizens she purports to support. Sure she arranged for every Alaskan to receive $1,000. But she in turn demands that they turn a blind eye to the rape of the environment by big oil. With their record profits this is a very small price to pay. A sustainable jobs program (no, not building a bridge to nowhere or a new Wal-Mart) would have done more for these folks.

It is exactly this hypocrisy that has turned me off of the GOP since Reagan. The Bush crowd has taken it one step further in embracing a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" mentality while cutting off the very bootstraps that people are supposed to pull themselves up by. They embrace the hypocrisy and wrap themselves in church and the flag. In that order.

Hypocrisy is always more convenient than the truth. If the GOP seriously wants women's votes they need to stop the naked pandering and start talking about the things that matter to us. Education is at the top of the list. "Intelligent design" and abstinence only programs just don't get the job done. I agree with whoever said that Sarah Palin is no more than "Dan Quayle, but with less experience."

Leave Bristol Palin alone. She has enough problems. Attack her mother and John McCain for the hypocrites they are.