I'm a redneck brags father of Palin girl's baby
THE braggart who got the American vice-presidential candidate’s daughter pregnant has described himself as a “redneck” who doesn’t want children.
Alaskan ice-hockey fanatic Levi Johnston, 18, is to marry 17-year-old girlfriend Bristol Palin who plans to keep her baby when it is born in December.
But, adding to the embarrassment of the Republican Party over the pregnancy, a crude self-portrait of Johnston emerged from the MySpace social website where his page was peppered with swear words and loutish bragging.
It was also revealed he has a criminal record. Last year he had to pay £185 bail after state troopers saw him catching salmon out of season in Moose Lake, a popular Alaskan fishing location.
On his internet page, which he pulled from public viewing yesterday, he called himself “a ******* redneck” – a derogatory description for a bigoted, uneducated white worker.
He went on: “I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some sh*t and just ******* chillin’ I guess.”
He admitted that he was “in a relationship” but added “I don’t want kids”.
Johnston had not updated the page for months and Bristol became pregnant since he made that statement.
It is not clear if they were already engaged or whether a hasty wedding was announced after Bristol’s mother Sarah Palin became the shock choice of Republican presidential candidate John McCain to run as his vice-president.
In a more aggressive tone, Johnston’s MySpace page declares – using crude expletives – “You mess with me and I’ll kick your ass.” Bristol had often been seen in the stands of the ice hockey stadium in the Alaskan town of Wasilla, cheering her boyfriend as he scored.
Residents of Wasilla, where Levi and Sarah were classmates, said they knew Bristol was pregnant several weeks ago.
Sarah Palin, who has five children, including a baby with Down’s Syndrome, is vehemently anti-abortion.
She and John McCain also strongly support President Bush’s “abstinence only” sex education policy in schools.
This discourages teenagers from having sex or using contraception, teaching them the only way to avoid becoming pregnant or catching venereal disease is to refrain from sex until marriage.
News of Bristol’s pregnancy and Hurricane Gustav hitting Louisiana had derailed the Republican Party’s Convention which kicked off in Minnesota, yesterday.
President’s wife Laura Bush and wannabe First Lady Cindy McCain took the stage to appeal for donations for hurricane victims.
