Suddenly Puritanical Shuster: Bristol & Levi 'Unwed Parents'

Photo of Mark Finkelstein.
By Mark Finkelstein (Bio | Archive)
January 6, 2009 - 20:45 ET

He stopped short of demanding they be branded with a scarlet 'U.'  But the suddenly puritanical David Shuster insists that the proper term for Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston is "unwed parents."

Shuster rendered his verdict on this evening's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the MSNBC show he's been hosting since David Gregory parted for Meet The Press. Shuster teased the issue at the top of the program, then devoted a segment to it later on.

View video here.

Shuster also took aim at Levi for leaving his job as an apprentice electrician when a flap arose of his lack of a high school diploma. Note the tabloid-worthy chyron: "Levi Johnston Quits His Job Days After Bristol Palin Gives Birth!"  Nice touch, that exclamation point.

Now, it is of course true that Bristol and Levi are parents and unwed.  But when's the last time you heard an MSM type refer to an "unwed mother" or "unwed parents"?  As we all know, the approved PC terms are "single mother" and simply "parents" or "partners."  

So what's caused Shuster suddenly to become strait-laced?  You don't suppose it could possibly stem from a desire to embarrass Bristol's mother, do you?


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How about we use

January 6, 2009 - 20:55 ET by 10ksnooker

The liberal favorite, single mom.

The libs suddenly developed

January 6, 2009 - 20:55 ET by thebutlerdidit

The libs suddenly developed morals when it came to the Palins. They have had no problem with all the Hollywood stars who are single mothers, heck, they brag on them, show pictures, probably send baby gifts. But suddenly, they are worried about the Palin kids becoming latch-key kids if Palin got VP, and most definately worried that little Trig might be neglected. I love the hypocrisy.

EXACTLY!

January 7, 2009 - 10:35 ET by moderncommentaries83

For years, feminists told us that women needed men like fish needed bicycles, and that marriage and stay-at-home motherhood were the WORST. THINGS. EVER.  For women.  

Feminists always claim they want women to "have it all" - motherhood, and a career.  For years, people knew this was bunk, as they lamented women who took "menial" jobs that afforded them more time with their families, or how they treated women who had more than 1 or 2 children, etc.

And the second a woman comes along that has all those things -- a successful career, a beautiful big family, principles, and good looks to boot -- suddenly liberal feminists think women should be stay-at-home mothers!

Now, suddenly, after decades of undermining the traditional family structure, of comparing marriage to a man to slavery, of glorifying single motherhood and belittling the role of fathers in childrens' lives...it's wrong to be unwed parents.

Don't get me wrong -- it is preferable for children to be born to married parents.  But it's also more preferable for a child to be born, rather than seen as a "punishment" and aborted.  The Palin situation is far from ideal, but since when did conservatives have to be perfect?  Liberals seem to operate under the assumption that since people can't live up to moral standards 100% of the time, there should be no moral standards.

As someone else said - if liberals didn't have double standards, they wouldn't have any standards at all.

Aut viam inveniam aut faciam

reap what libs. sow

January 6, 2009 - 21:24 ET by Maytag

I just read the local paper ,over new years, there were 5 babies born ,4 unwed couples. Isn't that what they (LIBS) preach? No morality no responsibility , let it all out. Now because it is a girl with conservitive Mom they are upset. 

Mile-Wide Mouth making sure

January 6, 2009 - 21:51 ET by bigtimer

Mile-Wide Mouth making sure of his steady employment with msnbc.

All of this is disgusting..I still can't watch much of msnbc Mark, glad for your reports.

Hope the msm is happy, he gets gainful employment, learns on the job I would think, and this too is gone.

The left are evil little creatures, never happy until the destroy all in their paths that they fear, whatever means it takes to do so.

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

I thought he was funnier

January 6, 2009 - 22:26 ET by kg

I thought he was funnier when he was Olbermann's go-to-guy.

"Forget change, I want improvement!"

kg... I wished I had your

January 6, 2009 - 23:08 ET by bigtimer

kg...

I wished I had your sense of humor, I mean that as a compliment, I know it is hard to express correctly what we are trying to convey to others sometimes on the board what we mean, but I have never, ever found this slimy critter one bit humorous...try as I might.

Maybe given time...

One can hope.

"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh

I forgot to ask, Shuster

January 6, 2009 - 21:58 ET by thebutlerdidit

I forgot to ask, Shuster didn't mention that Palin would be "pimpin'" out the baby's pictures for $$, did he?

Shuster...More hypocritical, liberal crap!

January 6, 2009 - 23:02 ET by PrairieSky

If a politically conservative young woman gets pregnant and keeps the baby, she is an ingnorant, backward slut...

But, if a politically liberal young woman gets pregnant and has an abortion, then she is exercising her sexual independence and reproductive rights.

How screwed up is this thinking????

And Mark, you are right on target with your comment "You don't suppose it could possibly stem from a desire to embarrass Bristol's mother, do you?" That is precisely the motive behind Shuster's blathering.    

"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981

Yep, screwed up is right

January 7, 2009 - 00:08 ET by MichelleC

Prairie ~ You hit the nail on the head and said it perfectly...their thinking is screwed up.  Oh wait, I don't think they actually are thinking!

Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July.  Democrats believe every day is April 15th ~ Ronald Reagan

Michelle...You got that right...

January 7, 2009 - 00:30 ET by PrairieSky

Constructive, intelligent thinking is as foreign to libs as logic.

"...peace is the highest aspiration of the American People. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it, we will never surrender for it, now or ever." President Ronald Reagan~ January 20, 1981

I see your confusion

January 7, 2009 - 14:24 ET by dscott

I see your confusion regarding Shuster's remarks, yes he indeed is using a "different" standard depending upon whom he is referring.  However, Shuster like all liberals believe you should live up the to standard you set for yourself. (this is why they don't think ill of losers since their self standards are low)  Bristol is an unwed mother, i.e. she gave birth without the prior arrangement of marriage which is not in the child's best interest (by conservative standards) and therefore not acceptable to conservatives as a practice.  By liberal standards, IF Bristol was a non-conservative, she would be a single mother showing acceptance and support of her situation as they would not want to judge her actions. 

There is some merit to Shuster's deference to Bristol by calling her unwed since it is common knowledge that she intends to wed the father of her child, IF this comment were said only in conservative company.  However, Shuster like many liberals are disingenuous with their choices of terminology when it comes to communicating to the public, since they love to make conservatives out to be hypocrits.  Making such comments on the public airwaves for all to view, suggests malice on his part as his intent was animus not deference.  David Schuster's guilt is not one of hypocrisy, but of malice.

I would have thought by now Mr. Schuster would have learned his lesson since the pimping out of Chelsea Clinton remark.  Hillary Clinton maybe a political version of a madam, but that is for editorial comment not reporting of the news.  Alas, he now has a track record of being unable to comport himself as an ethical journalist.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.

The "proper term" for David Shuster...

January 6, 2009 - 23:39 ET by JPR1

is douchebag.

Nitwitt, buffoon, dunderhead, troglodyte don't quite cut it.

Hey, Levi, Bristol press on. Take hard counsel. Make something extrordinary out of this. Show these liberal weenies it can be done.

MSM are so two faced!

January 6, 2009 - 23:53 ET by jarrett.edwards

 

So all of a sudden the MSM hate un-wed parents. Every election Democrats claim to champion single mothers. Are they now ready to preach morals! I guess Obama will be giving a speech to inner city youth about the rampant plague of unwed African-American parents. Bill Cosby, has been trying to talk about it and the media treats him horribly because of the issue. Talk about racism its ok for black people to have children out of wed-lock, but white people are held to a higher standard.

I think it is pretty

January 7, 2009 - 01:28 ET by mostlymoderate

I think it is pretty disgusting when a politicians children have their characters assassinated by the MSM.  Unfortunately, that is all the MSM ever does in regards to Palin.  Palin herself is so perfect in SO many ways, the MSM has to pick on her poor children.

They're afraid of

January 7, 2009 - 01:53 ET by RR GOP

They're afraid of her.

They have been rattled by the slew of negatives surrounding Obama before he's even been sworn in.  They're well aware of a HUGE Conservative groundswell that isn't sitting back and taking the election of Sham Wow good-naturedly. Also, they're sweating out the birth certificate lawsuits because if anything ever does come of that, they'll have to explain why they didn't cover it...oh, and lots of other things that have popped up here and there.

Also, I think they're experiencing buyer's remorse.  They have the queasy feeling deep in the pit of their stomachs (mixed with lattes and white wine no doubt) that they were instrumental in backing a four-and-out loser.

Of course, looming in the distance are visions of another big terrorist attack.  Oh, the loss of a few thousand more Americans is of some consequence to them I'm sure, but the real tragedy will be that their boy will suffer politically and may not get four more years to build a Worker's Paradise with them as a built-in Pravda all ready to be an integral part of the New Socialist apparat. 

One of the 24% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 89% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory.

Exactly

January 7, 2009 - 10:13 ET by Arel

she is a conservative Christian woman who stands behind her covictions and that intimidates the crap out of them.
Women, and I mean all women, should be furious at the way she has been treated by the MSM but apparently only liberal women get the support of the women's rights groups these days.

SHAM WOW!

January 7, 2009 - 10:51 ET by sherylsims

  ROFL!!!! I never heard that one before!!! Thank you!  That started my morning out with a laugh!  LOVE IT

IMO...

January 7, 2009 - 02:35 ET by tim_gallant

.. they are shooting themselves in the foot on this one.

I know that they are trying to do: scream "hypocrisy!" (We'll leave to the side that their very screaming is an ultimate example of that.)

But the truth is that Bristol keeps her baby, parents are to be wed. There is a follow-through. God knows that I wish kids didn't mess up. But sometimes they do, and it's not a particularly conservative  position to deny that. It's not Christian, either - we believe that human beings are fallen.

But what it comes out to here is that the family is demonstrating mutual support, and the right thing (which is supposedly unworkable and unrealistic) is being done. Just one more example that doing the right thing is a real-world alternative to the non-reality of the Left.

I frankly doubt that this issue will ever hurt Sarah Palin. The media hounds were never going to like or support her anyway. Tough on them.

http://www.changeint...

Throughout history there

January 7, 2009 - 11:18 ET by Hunter12

Throughout history there have been a lot of nine pound babies born three months "premature".  How many people have attended a golden anniversary where the oldest child is getting ready to celebrate their 50th birthday in just a few months?  Bristol's problem, if someone actually thinks she has one, is that she is on a national stage with the entire MSM sporting one for her mother, and not in a good way.

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."  - Sir Winston Churchill

Yeah, but

January 7, 2009 - 21:23 ET by Heather Radish

They also hate heterosexual couples who stay married longer than a couple of years.

 Bristol's biggest "mistake" was knowing who the father of her baby is--and choosing a man who loved her and wants to marry her.  If the father was unknown, or in prison, or wanted nothing to do with her except send a check every month via the family courts, the feminists and the media would like her a lot better.

I'm praying...

January 7, 2009 - 04:04 ET by AgentAmerican

That the great GOP counterstrike of 2010 will bury these squirrels. I want to kick something everytime I read another account of Robin Shuster's stupidity and Rachel Maddow's insanity.

2010: A GOP Hill

I'm holding my breath

January 7, 2009 - 10:45 ET by Hunter12

I'm holding my breath waiting for Shuster to come out and denounce the Jolie-Pitt or Robbins-Sarandon hook-ups as examples of wanton behavior that leads impressionable young people to emulate these highly praised personages.  I'm already a lovely shade of blue.

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."  - Sir Winston Churchill

2 points

January 7, 2009 - 10:47 ET by Seashell

I thought politicians kids were off limits to the media.  Imagine what  would happen if Obamas kids were being discussed by the media.  Also, many of you have posted about how the MSM champions liberal unwed mothers.  I've got 2 words for you to back that up:  Murphy Brown.

 Politicians kids aren't

January 7, 2009 - 10:54 ET by sherylsims

 Politicians kids aren't off limits at all.  It is just the way they are covered.  I mean, Obama's kids are going to a terrific magical school in just a few days, and will be getting organic lunches and taking vegetables to the homeless.  They get reported on, it is just in such a loving way they don't mind so much.

Good morning sheryl

January 7, 2009 - 11:01 ET by cocodrie

You're right. I remember how the Bush twins were treated with "kid gloves" by the MSM. I also remember how the Kennedy kids were treated.

one more point

January 7, 2009 - 10:56 ET by Agnostic

To show the feelings the liberals have for Palin remember that Cheney's daughter didn't even get this much attention - close though but he was in the WH for years.

A person may be won over with logic and reason but the masses must be bought with spectacle and platitudes. - 2008 Elections

Oh yeah

January 7, 2009 - 10:56 ET by sherylsims

  And Malaria's friend gave her a scrapbook, and poor little things are going to have to leave their "home" to go to DC... etc, etc.  They get reported on so much it is giving me gas.

Shuster likes to embarrass

January 7, 2009 - 11:44 ET by HockeyKid

Shuster likes to embarrass mothers. Remember his comment about Hillary "pimping out" Chelsea?

Hey, David!  Yo momma!

"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me