Sarah Palin Media Blitz Touches on Bristol’s Teenage Pregnancy

November 13, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: News

Sarah Palin’s memoir, Going Rogue, is not officially released until Tuesday, but the media blitz has already started, and the 2008 Republican running mate of John McCain is not shying away from the subject of her daughter Bristol’s teenage pregnancy.

The day after Sarah Palin’s vice-presidential candidacy was announced, news of Bristol’s pregnancy hit the press and spread like wildfire. What could have been — perhaps even should have been — a private family matter, instead was placed on center stage with a national audience.

The hottest interview so far is Oprah Winfrey’s session asking Palin candid questions about the anguish she experienced during that trying time for her family and the continuing controversy with Levi Johnston, the estranged father of Bristol’s son. Palin expressed her hope that the controversy and drama with Johnston can still turn out for good.

Harpo Productions has released previews of the interview, but didn’t reveal whether Johnston would be attending Thanksgiving Dinner at the Palin residence. The Oprah Winfrey interview will be played in full on the air on Monday. Check local listings for time.

The new release has been top of bestseller lists for weeks as the former Alaskan governor captures the attention of Americans. Talk show hosts continue to speculate whether Palin could still enter the next presidential race as a candidate.

Palin’s family came under sharp criticism on many fronts during the 2008 campaign. They were attacked for the makeover the family received which included more than $150,000 worth of clothes. Palin says she was told that the costs were being taken care of, or were “part of the convention.” She goes on to describe tension and controversy between her advisers and those of John McCain, accusing aides of keeping her “bottled up.” She also speaks frankly about her much-criticized interview with Katie Couric.

Palin received a $1.25 million advance for her autobiography in which she bluntly relates her side of the real stories which have been in the press since the 2008 vice-presidential candidacy was announced. The initial printing is said to be 1.5 million copies.