By Leadfoot_LA
I am not a journalist, so I’m not the most qualified person to present a list of questions that would put Sarah Palin’s pregnancy hoax to rest once and for all. But I’m apparently more qualified than some of the journalists out there (I’m looking at you Justin Elliott, Julia O’Malley and Jason Linkins), whose stories are more fluffy opinion pieces than hard hitting investigations (click to read our detailed responses to the "definite debunker" by Justin Elliott and to the "Make.It.Stop." article by Julia O'Malley which she published at the Anchorage Daily News). Below is a list of questions journalists need to ask if they want to put this story to bed once and for all.
Please feel free to add questions in the comment section and we will update the post throughout the day.
Questions for Matsu Regional Medical Center:
· Are you accredited to handle high-risk births?
· If a 44-year old woman carrying a baby known to have Down Syndrome showed up in your emergency room with ruptured membranes one-month prior to her due date, what would you do?
· Sarah Palin's parents were photographed by KTUU at your facility holding a very chubby pink baby on April 18, 2008. Had that baby been born the night before, a month early with a hole in his heart and jaundice, would they have been allowed to take him into the hallway for a photograph?
Questions for Dr. Cathy Baldwin Johnson:
· You founded The Children’s Place in Alaska for victims of sexual assault and molestation – what is your area of specialty?
· Are you an Ob-Gyn?
· Would you recommend that a 43-year old woman with 2 previous miscarriages and currently carrying a fetus with Down Syndrome see a specialist? Or would you be comfortable in handling her pre-natal care?
· Would you recommend the woman described above travel via airplane late in her pregnancy?
· Would you recommend that same woman fly once her membranes have ruptured?
· Would you recommend that she attempt a 10-hour trip home to meet you for the birth, or go directly to the nearest hospital?
· Would you deliver a premature baby from a high-risk pregnancy at Matsu Regional Medical Center?
· Would you recommend that a baby born a month early with a hole in his heart and jaundice attend work with his mother 3 days after his birth?
· Have you ever in your career seen a baby bump that appears square?
· Do you help arrange adoptions for teens who give birth?
· How many babies did you deliver in 2010? 2009? 2008? 2007?
· Did you write the medical letter Sarah Palin submitted on the eve of the election in 2008? Were you present at Trig's birth? Did you deliver Trig?
· Why did that medical letter focus largely on Trig Palin and the circumstances surrounding his birth, rather than the complete medical history of Sarah Palin?
- You reportedly told AP reporter Steve Quinn that Trig was Palin’s child. Is that true? Did you say only that Trig is Palin’s child or that she gave birth to him? (He IS her child, but is she is birth mother?)
- How did you tell Quinn about Palin’s status without violating HIPAA? Why weren’t you reprimanded? (My guess is that because by saying “Trig is Sarah’s child,” you were just stating an obvious, public fact. Had you said “She gave birth to Trig” or “She did not give birth to Trig” – you would be in violation of privacy laws.)
- Why did Quinn feel the need to speak to you in early September if he had already seen Palin’s rounded belly through thin material in March?
- In what year did you deliver Piper Palin? Why is her birth year wrong on the letter you wrote and submitted on the eve of the 2008 election?
- Did Palin have her tubes tied after the birth of Piper?
Questions for Alaska Airlines:
· Do you allow women who are 8 months pregnant to fly?
· Why did you allow Sarah Palin, who was 8 months pregnant and leaking amniotic fluid, to fly on April 17, 2008 (on not one, but TWO flights)? Same for the flight on April 15, 2008, from Anchorage to Dallas?
- Why did you say the state of Palin’s pregnancy was not apparent, nor was she in any distress during the flight, if she was (by her own account in Going Rogue) 8-months pregnant, leaking amniotic fluid and having contractions?
Questions for Bristol Palin:
· Why did you live with your Aunt Heather in late 2007-early 2008?
· Did you have mono in late 2007-early 2008?
· Why did you leave school altogether in late 2007-early 2008? (Bristol was sent to live with her aunt halfway through her junior year, transferring from Juneau to West High School in Anchorage in the winter of 2007-2008.)
· Would you be willing to show your school records to verify where and when you attended high school?
· Have you given birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin? Are you his biological mother?
· Why did you delay your court date multiple times for the traffic ticket you received in the fall of 2007 and not appear in court until February of 2008?
· When and where did you first learn your mom was pregnant with Trig? How did you react?
· Mercedes Johnston says you were trying to get pregnant with Tripp. Why?
· When was Tripp Johnston born?
· Where was Tripp Johnston born?
· Why have you never spoken publicly about the possibility that you are Trig’s mother? Why haven’t you tried to put the rumors to rest?
· On the Jay Leno show, you stated that you couldn’t go to prom because you were pregnant. Tripp was born in December 2008 (not prom time) and you would have been too early in your pregnancy for it to have mattered in May 2008. Why did you have to skip prom because you were pregnant?
- Levi Johnston stated that your mother begged you and him to let her adopt your baby. Why would she beg to adopt Tripp when she already had an infant with Down Syndrome to care for and knew she was being considered for the VP slot?
- What is your correct birth year?
Questions for Levi Johnston:
· Why did you drop out of high school in early 2008, before Tripp was even conceived?
· Why did Bristol refuse to enter your house and instead wait in the car during her visit on Christmas 2007?
· Why were you present at the birth of Trig Palin?
· What date was Trig Palin born?
· Why did you seem so loving towards Trig in the photos taken in the Palin kitchen on your birthday in 2008?
· Why did you seem so loving towards Trig at the Republican National Convention?
· Why have you volunteered your time to help support other children with Down Syndrome?
· Your sister says that you and Bristol tried purposely to conceive Tripp. Why?
· Have you been paid any money by the Palin family for any reason?
· How did you pay for the new truck you purchased shortly before Tripp was born?
· What were you referring to when you said, “I know something Sarah Palin didn’t do when she was governor.”
- Why does Trig Palin strongly resemble you in some photographs?
- You were granted weekly visitation with Tripp. Why did you allow Bristol to take him to Arizona, thereby invalidating the custody order?
- Do you believe Sarah Palin set up your mother or controlled her sentencing in any way? Why was the phone she used during her crime given to her by Bristol Palin? Is your mother currently being threatened?
· Is Bristol Palin the biological mother of Trig Palin?
· Are you the biological father of Trig Palin?
Questions for Todd Palin:
- If your wife was leaking amniotic fluid and having contractions (HER story), why did you send this email saying only that her “speech kicked ass.”Was it not also important to mention she was in labor?
- When the benefits administrator asked you to verify dependent status for your son Trig in this email, did you send them his birth certificate? If so, why is there no email record of that transaction?
- When did Sarah first tell you she was pregnant?
- Did you accompany her to any pre-natal appointments?
- Why didn't you inform the rest of your family of her pregnancy?
- Why did Sarah substitute you for her security officers on her trip to Texas?
- At what time did you call Dr. Cathy Baldwin-Johnson on April 17?
- How many times did you speak to her that day?
- Why did you send a message after Sarah's speech saying that it "kicked ass" but not mention she was in labor?
- Why didn't you take her directly to a medical facility in Dallas?
- Is it true that you supported her decision to fly home in labor because you believed that you “can't have a fish picker born in Texas?”
- Weren't you worried she would give birth on one of the two airline flights you took that day?
- Weren't you worried about possible life-threatening complications to your wife and your son in the event she gave birth on the airplane?
- Weren't you worried that if she gave birth on the airplane, the negative publicity would irreparably harm her political reputation and thus her ability to financially support your family?
- Why didn't you take her to directly to a hospital in Anchorage after your flight landed?
- Were you present in the room when Sarah gave birth to Trig?
- Is Trig your biological son or your biological grandson?
- Since 43-year-old Sarah had had 2 miscarriages, and due to age and circumstances, this 7th pregnancy with a DS child was high risk, why did you let her fly and bypass all medical help until she finally reached Matsu Regional Medical Center?
Questions for Sarah Palin:
· When did you first know you were being considered for the VP slot? (In early 2008 Vogue magazine did a photo essay about her and Adam Brickley's "Draft Sarah Palin" website taking off.)
· Was it simply a coincidence that you announced your pregnancy one day after McCain secured the GOP presidential nomination?
· You were a 43-year old woman, with two previous miscarriages, who knew you were carrying a baby with down syndrome. Why did you choose to have general practitioner Carol Baldwin-Johnson treat you during pregnancy, rather than an ob-gyn?
· Why didn’t you submit medical records during your campaign for vice president, as is standard? Why did you only submit a summary letter, and why did you release it at midnight the night before the election?
· Would you be willing to let a journalist review your complete medical records (you can redact anything too embarrassing)?
· Where was Trig born? Why have you said he was born in both “Anchorage” AND at Matsu Regional Medical Center, 50 miles away?
· Once your water broke in Dallas, why didn’t you go to a medical center nearby?
· After your speech in Dallas, why did you choose to fly home rather than go to a medical center nearby? Were you aware of the risk of infection to both yourself and Trig?
· Did you consider what would have happened had you gone into full blown labor during that flight?
· Why did you use 2 Blackberries during your term as governor? You can have one device receive and send emails from multiple email addresses (most people use one device for both work AND personal emails), so why two devices?
· How do you think it is possible that you had such an ample pregnant belly during your pregnancy with Track, but hardly showed during your pregnancy with Trig?
· We have seen photos of you with a nearly flat abdomen on April 9, 2008, then a full pregnancy belly on April 13, 2008. How is that possible?
· The Elan Frank video shows you with what appears to be a square cushion under your shirt. How can a pregnant woman’s baby bump appear to be square?
· Why did you say you “love to run the hills around Juneau because it thrashes (your) guts?” while you were in the advanced stages of pregnancy?
· Why has the State of Alaska fought so hard and long to prevent the release of your emails sent during your time as Governor?
- Why did you not discuss Trig’s Down Syndrome with your other kids (namely Piper as she is youngest and would have the most questions) prior to his birth? Didn’t you want them to be prepared?
- Why, as shown in this email, did you dismiss your security staff for your trip to Texas, and insist that only Todd accompany you in their place?
- Why did this man who ran into you in the airport during your Reckless Ride, say you were “relaxed, reading a book” and showed no signs of being in labor, if you were having contractions hours earlier during your speech in Texas (as you said in Going Rogue)?
- Once you were back home in Alaska why did you drive past the Anchorage hospital that has a fully equipped and staffed NICU to give birth at a small regional hospital not accredited to handle high risk deliveries?
- Did you keep regularly scheduled gynecological appointments during your pregnancy with Trig? If so, why do these not show up on your official schedule, which has been made public? May we have the dates of those appointments?
- When you went to prenatal care appointments, did you travel in your personal vehicle or in a state vehicle? Where did you see Dr. CBJ for these appointments? In her Wasilla office or her Anchorage office?
- Were you with your personal bodyguard Trooper Wheeler for those OB/GYN check-ups?
- Several women have come forward to say they shared carpool duties at the local elementary with you, and that you told them you had your tubes tied shortly after birth? Have you had your tubes tied?
- Plus, there's the "induction" of labor. If they want us to believe that Sarah was leaking something other than amniotic fluid, why would labor have been induced?
- If you WERE leaking amniotic fluid and in labor, why were you induced at 35 weeks once you reached Matsu? If you WERE NOT leaking amniotic fluid and in labor, why were you induced at 35 weeks once you reached Matsu?
- Why did you have to "hide" the pregnancy in 2007/08? You were married and had other kids – so what if you were pregnant? Other female politicians have had kids. People do know that professional women bear children. Why did you wait until you were 7 months pregnant to announce it -- even to your family, kids and co-workers?? You are a tough Mama Grizzly, so why couldn’t you just announce your pregnancy as a married woman governor?
· Why have you not taken any action to prove “Trig Truthers” are incorrect? Why haven’t you shown his birth certificate?
· Why did you lie and say you have showed Trig’s birth certificate, when in fact, you have not?
· Why have you never filed a lawsuit against anyone claiming Trig is not your biological son?
· On what date was Trig born? Would you be willing to show us Trig’s birth certificate to prove it?
· Would you be willing to submit to a DNA test to prove Trig is your biological son?
I’m sure you all can add many, many more. Go for it!
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