You are exactly right, Thomas.

Yeah.

Just what this country needs.

Another Wall Street tool.

And the wedding? Only slightly less meretricious and decadent than oh, what,a Kozlowski Toga Party?

(b.t.w. - I'm a "leftie", and we have noone to blame but ourselves for giving the neocons ammunition because of our own hypocricy.)

Walk the walk.

I remember when John McCain asked the question in 1998, "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?"

I am a Christian and consider myself to be relatively conservative, yet this letter is exactly right. When I was reading about Chelsea Clinton's wedding I admit that I noted the same ironic contrast between Chelsea Clinton and Bristol Palin. I have a lot more respect for Chelsea Clinton than I do for any of the Palins.

I think it's unfortunate that many Christians believe that being a Christian and being a conservative/Republican are one and the same. Christians need to do a better job of discerning the difference between the honest leaders who live by the principles they espouse (and campaign on) and those who are hypocrites. I don't understand why Christians so blindly endorse politicians like Sarah Palin.

This letter is certainly a testament to "the stupidity of the American public."

Clearly Mr. Butera feels it’s wrong to pick on kids and/or judge them based on how you feel about their politician parents --- but apparently only if those parents are Dems. If those parents are in the GOP then it’s open season on their kids. What a jerk.

Calling a welfare mother with 4 kids to 4 different baby daddies, or the wanna-be gangster loitering on the corner or the local juvenile delinquents "underachievers . . . with no education or skills to speak of" gets one labeled racist, classist or -- worst of all -- conservative.

Such people are somehow always victims of society who are not only above judgment but entitled to be societal leeches without consequence. But if we can verify that the parents are ‘conservative’ then these children should be ridiculed instead of pitied & supported by society? What a crock.

It’s also great how he manages to take so many shots at Christians. After all, every intelligent statement on social issues is riddled with idiotic stereotypes that lump hundreds of millions of people together & deem them hypocritical fools, right?

I nominate this for "dumbest letter of the week"

I don't know that we can compare these two young women.

Yes, I was dumb-struck when I saw that Bristol Palin was pregnant - broke up with and then got back with that idiot boyfriend, and father of her child. Today it is reported that once again, she has broken it off with him. (I hope for good this time.)

Chelsea has gone to school, gotten her degrees, and a good job. She apparently depends upon herself for her needs. (except that 4 million dollar wedding)

But, she and Chelsea come from different worlds. The only thing they have in common is that their mothers are politicians.

To compare the two is - well, it's just not fair. We don't personally know either of them - nor does the writer.

As I remember it, until the last election, Chelsea was protected from the press. It was a well-known fact that the Clintons made sure the media was arms-length from their daughter. She was permitted to grow up away from the light of fame that her parents lived by, for the most part.

Not so with Bristol. And I find this a shame. This is where I might fault Sarah Palin for not being that "grizzly momma bear" she so fondly talks about. She failed her daughter here. (just an opinion)

I wish both Chelsea and Bristol the very best in life. They travel different roads. Let us see where those roads lead them.

Sorry for length of post.

Just due to the timing it is hard not to compare and contrast Chelsea Clinton and Bristol Palin, but it is also unfair to do so. I am very happy that Chelsea Clinton was able to get through all the weirdness that she experienced as a White House teen and emerge as a seemingly well adjusted, successful young woman. I hope Bristol Palin is able to work through all the junk she is dealing with and do the same. Both girls/young women have borne the brunt of many cruelties they did not bring on themselves.

PghGirl--the guy who wrote this isn't saying that it's okay to rip on politicians' kids or that welfare mothers should be supported and Bristol Palin should not. He's saying that many Christians do not treat Bristol Palin the same way they treat an 18-year-old welfare mother (actually he's saying that if Chelsea Clinton got knocked up at age 18 that she wouldn't be given the same treatment by conservative Christians that Bristol Palin is getting).

He's pointing out the irony that Chelsea Clinton has lived a life thus far that is more consistent with the values preached by conservative Christians and that Bristol Palin has lived a life that is more in line with the values typically associated with liberal Democrats, and that the Christian right can't seem to see that.

Let's also not forget that Chelsea Clinton hadn't even turned 13 when her dad was inaugurated, and Bristol Palin is an adult. And there is a difference between making fun of a 13-year-old child because of how she looks and making fun of an 18-year-old adult because she went and got herself pregnant despite having a mother running for VP on conservative family values.

Cruelty knows no "difference".

Conservatives repeatedly attacked Chelsea when she was still a child.

Supposedly this was done for political gain.

Some people like conservatives have no class and never will

"Some people like conservatives have no class and never will".

And some posters never will either.

An important point of interst I find is the differnce in parenting. The Clintons kept Chelsea out of the public eye while the Palins did the opposite. By doing this, the Palins more or less, want the public to validate their parenting skills.

Chelsea's accomplishments are self-validating.

In doin so, the Palins put their kids in the limelight which I feel is irresponsible. Kids need to be kids.

By the way, my criticism of the Palins would also apply to the Jackson family. Michael Jackson never had a childhood and that is irresponsible parenting.

Clippit – I have to disagree with your characterization of this letter. The writer makes no intelligent points, he’s just doing a lot of stereotyping (let’s face it, McCain is hardly conservative, let alone right-wing) with a little whining thrown in. He can “what if . . . “ and “if it had been Chelsea . . . “ all he wants but what it comes down to is stereotyping, period. He’s built a straw house of a ‘statement’ here as an excuse to make fun of a pregnant 17 year old and to take cheap shots at Christians, nothing more.

I feel bad for both of these young women for having to grow up the way they did. Good for Chelsea for being able to overcome it & I hope Bristol has a more successful future. Most of all, I feel sorry for the extremely small-mind that crafted this ridiculously juvenile, stereotypical & anti-Christian diatribe.

Tell me PghGirl412, who wears their religion on their sleeves more.....the Palins or the Clintons?

Children should be off limits---PERIOD!!

Idiots like this letter writer, the P-G and all those who dare attack offspring out of hatred for their parents are simply gutless cowards.

Parents whose lives are in the public eye and who fail to protect and shield their children are the idiots. That applies to the Palins.

To give credit where credit is due would apply to Laura Bush for keeping the twins out of the spotlight.

Clippit, you claim that the guy who wrote this isn't saying that it's okay to rip on politicians' kids, yet it seems to me that he is doing just that: "no education or skills to speak of". Not exactly speaking highly of her.

PghGirl, I agree with everything you said here, and most of your comments on other letters.

racer - Religion has nothing to do with any of this except that Mr. Butera is using a problem in Sarah Palin’s family to insult ALL Christians, call them hypocrites & blame them for imagined wrongs that he ASSUMES would have happened if some Democratic politician’s teen daughter was pregnant.

The whole premise is just ridiculous. How often does the paper publish letters criticizing someone for not being a good enough Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Muslim, Sioux, Orthodox Greek, etc.? NEVER. How often do you have a conversation (real or cyber) insulting roughly 1/3 of the world’s population despite the fact that they come from all nations, walks of life, belief systems, societies & religion. My guess would be ‘never’ on that as well.

So why is it ok to pick on Christians, especially with such blatant hatred & vitriol as is often proclaimed on this message board by the proud, chest-thumping liberals? This guy is just another wingnut making any excuse (no matter how ridiculously far-fetched) to attack people whose beliefs differ from his own. If he was stereotyping any race, either sex, any non-Christian religion, any single ethnic group or even certain professions, you’d be one of the first ones attacking him for that kind of stupidity.

Thanks, Craig. I agree with much of what you say as well. As a whole, I enjoy all of the diferent perspectives but some things are just downright offensive.

Ah yes, the same old tired philsophical B.S. from the Left. Apparently you don't realize bashing Bristol Palin while lauding Chelsea Clinton serves to illuminate the hypocrisy of the latters' parents.

Bill & Hil have been spewing the liberal line for years; you know, it takes a village, union yes, public schools are good and would be GREAT if we just shovelled in more money.

Now contrast what they've SAID with what they DID. How many years did Chelsea spend in any public school system? And while we're at it, just how much of her "virtuous" behavior is actaully attributable to the relentless attention of the media? Are you really going to stick your head out when you know your life is one big "Whack a Mole" game? Maybe Bristol would have avoided becoming pregnant regardless of her mother's attitudes if she had been in the same "bubble" Chelsea was at the same point in her life. Don't recall Fox News trying to cast Chealsea's wedding as a moral contest with Bristol Palin, but that's probable becasue I actually WATCH Fox instead of hearing what they said via "PMSMBC".

I would also note that Racer & just about every other stridently progressive poster on this board steadfastly refuse to heap the same sort of "hypocritical failed parent" scorn on anyone else that they do on Sarah Palin. If Bristol's such a screw-up and it's all Mom's fault, why do y'all leap to make excuses for the parental failings of the myriad of less than famous people whose kids rape, rob, murder, and vandalize, eh?

I agree with Kevin Morris's post.
An the Clinton's can spend whatever for the wedding, far as I know, they earned the money for it.
You go girls, both of you, I think we all wish you the best!

"racer - Religion has nothing to do with any of this except that Mr. Butera is using a problem in Sarah Palin’s family to insult ALL Christians, call them hypocrites & blame them for imagined wrongs that he ASSUMES would have happened if some Democratic politician’s teen daughter was pregnant."

I'm a Christian and I didn't feel insulted. What does insult me is when Benedict labels pedophilia as idle gossip if you really want to know.

As BTW StrayDoggie, the subject is Britol and Chelsea. If you read c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y StrayDoggie, I also criticized Michael Jackson and his family. And StrayDoggie, I've never defended the parents or the perpetrator of those who rape, rob, murder, and vandalize.

Now I'm no Palin fan or a feminazi but I really do see some sexism in the abject hatred of everything Sarah (including her children, even the mentally handicapped infant). We have sooooo many idiot politicians who say/do horrible things, whose children do horrible things but we don't focus on it much AND we re-elect these people. Men just aren't treated so much like garbage in the media or in politics in general, even when it's deserved.


It's hard to fathom how this one woman, no matter how silly, has inspired so much ire & disrespect from the oh-so-diverse-tolerant-&-compassionate left.

This one woman (Sarah Palin) did it herself by NOT shielding her kids.

It would be foolish to think that there are no Republicans who think Palin is nothing but a blow-hard.

"Now I'm no Palin fan or a feminazi but I really do see some sexism in the abject hatred of everything Sarah (including her children, even the mentally handicapped infant)."

You mean like the people who voted for Hillary Clinton?

PghGirl, President Bush was treated like garbage, more than Palin by far.

I can only imagine the hell the "christian" right would have put Chelsea through had she become pregnant out of wedlock. Even if it had happened 15 yrs ago, Limbaugh & Co. would still be howling over it.

Chelsea is a class act.

Yes, Bush was treated horribly & with a complete lack of respect by the media, the Democrats & some fo the public. It was ridiculous.

But those same fools happily elect & re-elect the Ted Kennedys, the Charlie Rangels, the Luke Ravenstahls, the Chris Dodds, the Ed Rendells, etc. of the world.

. . . Not to mention how they worship a president who appoints unqualified idiots, like oh say, a tax scofflaw as Sec of Treasury, an AG with more ethics violations than brain cells, a Medicare leader who has written extensively about rationing care & how we keep old people alive for too long, a DHA secretary who appears to loath the mere thought of national security & all the rest.

Sorry for going on a tangent but the point of my last post is that, with the exception of Bush, we treat our politicians with respect no matter how unqualified or even criminal they may be, except when they're women.

Hillary Clinton hasn't been treated *quite* as badly as Palin but it's pretty close, even in her own party, despite the fact that she was about 1,000 times more qualified than the clown currently running the country.

Long story short: we'll accept & even reward completely unacceptable behavior by male politicians but vengefully torture even the most qualified female pols.

Ah yes, the treatment of women in politics.

It's still a man's world to muck up the way they do. Won't change. Oh, we'll see token women in government jobs, but not as president.

Hillary (and I did support her run for pres.) was savaged by the media in their orgazmic push for obama. But they have all seen what that got them. I have heard many question their zeal in getting him elected.

The media is run by men, for men. Their jokes have been the grist of the water cooler for as long as I can remember. And women have long been the bane of those jokes. (unfortunately)

As with any candidate; I want to see only the most qualified entrants in these political contests - male or female.

Perhaps things will change. I hope so.

"How often does the paper publish letters criticizing someone for not being a good enough Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Muslim, Sioux, Orthodox Greek, etc.? NEVER. "

How often do members of these faiths seek to use the secular law to force us all to live by their religious dogma in our personal lives and marriages? How often do public officials argue that they MUST be good and virtuous people, better than their opponent, because they are devout members of one of those religions? How often do people scream that we're a "Buddhist" or "Hindu" or "Zoroastrian" nation, and that everyone else ought to accept second-class not-real-American status, shut up and let the Buddhists/Hindus/Zoroastrians tell us how to live? How often do kids get pressured by peers and teachers to pray in school to a deity other than the Christian one, and how often do schools get pressured to give Hindu or Sioux myths equal status with scientific theories in science class?

When Christians stop trying to bully the rest of us, the rest of us will stop complaining about Christian behavior and pointing out Christian hypocrisy.

Katja:

Hypocrisy is universal.

Katja, if that's your view of the US, it's extremely paranoid and -- since it's not very realistic – not just ridiculously judgmental but also extremely intolerant.

That type of scenario IS the norm in many countries (of all religious persuasions) so even if it's not an American thing, it does seem to be a ‘people’ thing.

I'm still waiting for anyone to explain why the oh-so-tolerant & diverse left is actually the most intolerant bunch of hypocrites in the world

-- you know, when it comes to mainstream religion, US traditions, patriotism, Christianity, capitalism, people of European ancestry, Republicans, people in the finance industry, people in the healthcare industry, people in the insurance industry & all Democrats who aren't far left enough (among other things).

PghGirl, you forgot to include any black or legal immigrant (I say legal because, obviously, no illegal has anything bad to say about any liberals) that dare go against Dems, be it in print, attending a rally, voting, etc.

Good point, Craig. The way they berate blacks & immigrants who don't tow the lib party line is deplorable. The media loves to go to political rallies & lecture these people about how they're too dumb to see that they're supporting the enemy. It's so insulting.