Is it true that McCain's VP pick Sarah Palin has a down's syndrome child?

'Especially since Obama voted against the baby born alive bill?'

Wrong. Actually he voted 'present'. Also, I don't think that story has much legs outside of the Fox News cult, since the inferences some make from it are so specious.

The reasoning I've seen is, 'The bill had X, Y, and Z in it. Obama must've voted "present" b/c of X, not Y or Z.' Brilliant. That doesn't even rise to the standard of circumstantial evidence.

Considering that protection of children after they're born is granted by federal law, including during the time Obama was in the Illinois legislature, which Obama pointed out as part of his explanation of his voting record, concluding from his voting record that he's for killing born children is even more tenuous.

In fact, the need to protect babies after they're born with legislation itself seems phony. (see more below) Are you sure this whole thing isn't a right-wing gullibility test for the rest of us?

As Obama said at Saddleback Church (transcript here:http://www.rickwarrennews.com/transcript/ ) his being pro-choice doesn't mean he's pro-abortion. Obama wants to reduce the abortion rate, just like the rest of us. He's just unwilling to take his anti-abortion stance so far as to make illegal a woman's choice in the matter, including in cases of rape, incest, or even the endangerment of the life of the mother.

This doesn't really seem to jive with your insinuation at all.

As for the actual need of such legislation (setting aside that the baby-protection part was already redundant), the perception of a need was triggered by a nurse called Jill Stanek, who claimed that fetuses that were born alive at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois, were abandoned without treatment, including in a soiled utility room. The Illinois Atty. General's office, then under abortion foe Jim Ryan, directed the Illinois Dept. of Public Health to conduct a thorough investigation of the claims, because what she was alleging were violations of existing law, sup'porting Obama's position that Illinois law already prohibited the conduct. Illegalities aside, Ryan was naturally quite concerned that such heinous activity could be going on in a hospital, as any sentient human being would. But as one might expect, the story that was so heinous that it couldn't be true, in fact was not true. The investigation concluded, 'The allegation that infants were allowed to expire in a utility room could not be substantiated (and) all staff interviewed denied that any infant was ever left alone.' Shafer was quick to add that neither he nor the IDPH report concluded that her testimony was untruthful or exaggerated to help advance her anti-abortion views -- simply that their investigation did not substantiate the allegations. Nevertheless, not too credible, huh?

Jill Staneck also says domestic violence is acceptable against women who have abortions. She also supports billboards in Tanzania that say 'Faithful Condom Users' in English and Swahili, written next to a large skeleton, to discourage condom use. She claims that 'aborted fetuses are much sought after delicacies' in China, to which she added, 'I think this stuff is happening.'

So why was the legislation put forth in the first place, given that the baby-protection part was redundant? The act was designed as 'wedge' legislation. It was designed for just for the sort of attack that you've been reading. When a bill-authoring group does this, they put in one horrible provision (the 'infanticide' part of the bill) and package it with a bunch of other provisions that assault a woman's right to choose. Then, when someone votes against the bill to protect that right, they say the vote was over the 'infanticide.'

Articles that spin such legislation as infanticide are little more than gullibility tests. It looks like you may have flunked it. Didn't this story seem a little implausible to you from the start?

Furthermore, this story has been debunked dozens of times in Yahoo Answers, so you really don't have an excuse for reposting it here.

If people want to attack Obama for not making abortions illegal, then OK, fine. If they want to scold him for not doing enough to combat the impulsiveness and short-sightedness that leads to so many abortions and an STD rate among teens of 25%, then OK, fine (though I give a link below contradicting this). But passing on stuff that's just made up is a bit much. Trying to keep others from breaking Commandment 6 doesn't give people permission to break Commandment 9.

Furthermore, McCain is hardly one-sided on this matter. McCain's saying to great applause at Saddleback that life begins at conception (actually it begins before conception; sperm and egg cells are respiring cells) of course doesn't reconcile with his support of embryonic stem cell research. When he reminded the church audience of his position, he was met with -- crickets.

But back to the exceptions: note also that prohibiti

John McCain didn't pick Palin - she was chosen by Big Oil. McCain hardly knew who she was - and there suddenly she's the VP candidate???? And the boys at Big Oil aren't very smart - they didn't look into her past. They just know that the American people are stupid and will vote for trash like Palin without asking too many questions. Big Oil needs a stupid person who is easily manipulated - like Li'l Bush. Palin is perfect in this role - she's stupid, she's paranoid and she's a religious nutball. And McCain isn't going to make it a year as president - and we'll be stuck with Bimbo Palin!!! OR work like Hell for Obama!

Yes, she just had a baby in April with down's syndrome. She knew about it before she was born. So it's great to see her selected for VP knowing that she has strong pro-life values.

Yes, if she were a Democrat, she would have aborted it.

You know what's funny, it always has been the liberal left that says with much fanfare that a woman must be liberated, she can do anything, she can have it all, and I'll be damned that first crack out of the bag we have liberal leftists saying she can't take care of her job and kids because she is a woman.

Oh, where is Helen Reddy when you need her?

I don't know. If she does, should she and her husband have simply had the baby lobotomized like Joe Kennedy did to his daughter?

yes, she has a baby that does, she has 5 children all together

With all of those kids how could she find the time to serve as president when called upon?

Yes it is.