I spoke to Cherie Shirey, Assignment Manager for TV station KTVA in Anchorage and she made the following statement...

"These internet rumors are very bizarre. We worked with Governer Palin many times in 2008. Our reporters worked her on location and in the studio and I worked with her myself. She was definitely pregnant. You could see it in her belly and her face. The whole idea that Sarah Palin wasn't pregnant with Trig is completely, absolutely absurd. "

It's a KTVA reporter in this picture with Governor Palin. Shirey confirmed the photo was taken in April, 2008.

ST. PAUL--Newsday columnist Larry Levy, here at the opening of the Republican convention, says of the story about Sarah Palin’s teenage daughter being pregnant, “It’s almost all upside.”

In addition to making the pro-life, religious right happy, Levy says, "it appeals to the average, working-class woman.” Those women, Levy says, are “tired of hearing guys questioning the experience of the governor of Alaska who, geez, if she hadn’t taken time out to raise five kids, might be president of the United States already.”

Who knew, right? Still, nice catch by the RJC, who just sent this out over email. Hey - what's that over Governor Palin's shoulder?

Because that question was otherwise a total nail biter. There are nice zoom shots starting at about 6:50, and thus does MR get its first Palin banner. Meanwhile, leftists ostensibly concerned with Jewish issues came out swinging against Gov. Palin:

Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida lashed out Saturday at John McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate, accusing her of supporting "Nazi sympathizer" Pat Buchanan, and branding the move an "affront to all Jewish Americans." "John McCain's decision to select a vice presidential running mate that endorsed Pat Buchanan for president in 2000 is a direct affront to all Jewish Americans," said a statement by Wexler.

Actually that's asinine, but at least guilt by association is in the ballpark of what might someday become almost an argument. Compared to the rest of the NJDC's incoherent anti-Republican smears it's a veritable mathematical proof. And I kind of like this new standard: giving money to Nazi sympathizers is a direct affront to Jewish Americans. Hmmm.

Democratic Leader "Pleased" Israel Has No Plans To Defend Itself From Iran

A Question For Democratic Jews: Are You ******* Retarded?

NJDC: Biden Is Pro-Israel Because... Ummm... Err... Because He Just Is OK?

That's about the only thing that I didn't know about Bristol Palin's pregnancy. The rest of the details I picked up almost without trying, while talking about other things with townsfolk — some who know the governor and her family well, some who don't. It was, more or less, an open secret. And everyone was saying the same thing: the governor's 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, the father is her boyfriend, and it's really nobody's business beyond that.

I happen to agree.

About those peaceful anti-GOP protestors …

Biden: Obama will surrender on nukes to Iran

For those unfamiliar with Ha’aretz, it doesn’t exactly have a knee-jerk conservative spin.  In fact, it’s at best a center-left editorial board. They’re not terribly sympathetic to the Bush administration or most of its policies.  They wouldn’t have much reason to simply make this up.

If anyone doubted that an Obama presidency would surrender to radicalism and hostile forces abroad, this should clinch it.  Biden has pretty much told the Israelis that they’re on their own, and America won’t bother to support them against the nutcases in the region.  If Obama and Biden don’t have the courage to face Iran’s nuclear ambitions, then exactly when will they defend American interests?

Update: The Jerusalem Post says this conversation took place three years ago:

Army Radio reported that the Delaware senator was heard saying in closed conversations with Jerusalem officials three years ago that he was firmly opposed to an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reportedly claimed that Israel would likely have to come to terms with a nuclear Iran. He reportedly expressed doubt over the effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic and said he was against the opening of an additional military and diplomatic front, saying that the US had more pressing problems, such as North Korea and Iraq.

The Ha’aretz report didn’t mention a time frame.  Still, either way, the message is the same: Biden won’t stand up to Iran, and since Barack Obama chose him for his foreign-policy chops, one has to figure that Obama agrees.  After all, Biden is the man who once proposed sending $200 million to Tehran to pacify the mullahs.

Trippi to Democrats: Don’t laugh off Palin

At any rate, this shows that reality has begun to dawn for the Left.  The massive support for Palin on the campaign trail, the enormous fundraising boost, and the sinking poll numbers for Obama point to the conclusion that McCain made a wise choice.  He will attack Obama at his supposed strength and point out what a pair of empty suits the Democratic nominees are on reform and change.

Trippi says that Democrats will make a mistake in ridiculing Palin.  Unfortunately, just like his analysis, it comes at least a day late.

Oy: Palin’s daughter is pregnant

Update: KP was ahead of the game:

A McCain campaign official tells ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that McCain knew of Bristol’s pregnancy and “didn’t believe Governor Palin should be disqualified” from the vice presidency because of it. “If Democrats try to attack, it will backfire spectacularly,” the official said.

Update: The more I think about it, the more I think McCain probably did know. The timing is simply perfect to release the news: You wouldn’t want to do it on Friday, lord knows, when she’s getting her intro to the country, and you wouldn’t want to do it later in the campaign when it’s closer to Election Day or even later this week when it’d distract from her convention speech. Now’s the time to do it, when it’ll be no higher than the third-most important story of the day.

If I’m right, then the nutroots’s smears about Palin’s own pregnancy gave McCain an amazingly fortuitous pretext here. Now he gets to play the victim — “we had to do it to stop those dastardly left-wing bloggers from hurting the family” — instead of just someone making an embarrassing admission.

Homeopathy degree suspended after wave of criticism - The degree at the University of Central Lancashire has been put on hold after "relentless attacks from the anti-homeopathy league" (The Guardian)

Bloody idiots should never have offered such nonsense to begin with.

Schott Solar has visions of quadrupling its operation in Albuquerque, N.M., to reach 1,500 jobs and $500 million in investment. But the investment tax credit, company spokesman Brian Lynch said, is what makes solar power cost-competitive. Without it, expansion plans must be reconsidered.