<p>Not that this matters much, but any skirt that my own dd wears looks like a mini skirt. Why? Because she is almost six feet tall. Everything is short unless she shops in the “old lady” section(as she puts it). Leggy girls will always be accused of wearing skirts that are too short. When the average girls wear them, they not them at the knee or below. The Obama girls have been blessed with height as well. They can’t win for losing. </p>
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<p>There’s a difference between Bristol Palin and the Obama girls. Bristol turned 18 before the 2008 election. Since that time she has sought out the limelight, appearing on Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Wife Swap. She has made hundreds of thousands of dollars as a spokesperson for “abstinence,” even after becoming pregnant out of wedlock.</p>
<p>I have nothing but contempt for ANYONE who criticizes the son with Down Syndrome. That is inexcusable.</p>
<p>Is there a way to verify SAT and ACT scores? Employees can ask applicants to show proof of what they put on a resume, but anyone can post something fictitious on LinkedIn or elsewhere on the internet. (In this case, however, the mere act of posting 14-year old scores implies the individual is somewhat psycho.)</p>
<p>Someone asked about Lauten and her shoplifting as a teen…here is one such article about that:</p>
<p><a href=“GOP Staffer Who Attacked Obama Girls Was Arrested During Her Own "Awful Teen Years" | The Smoking Gun”>GOP Staffer Who Attacked Obama Girls Was Arrested During Her Own "Awful Teen Years" | The Smoking Gun;
<p>This says it all in terms of the irony:</p>
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<p>What Carol Costello did is a whole 'nother level of obnoxious. She played a 911 call for the audience and giggled at it. But that woman is one of the dumbest news anchors I have ever seen. Occasionally, I catch her interviewing someone when CNN is on in a hotel or whatnot and the questions she asks and the background information she seems to be unaware of is mind-blowing sometimes. But, giggling at a 911 call is unbelievable whoever is on the tape.</p>
<p>Does the girls’ school require uniforms? I wore plaid jumpers with pleated skirts for years in Catholic school. Since then, I have never worn plaid and wouldn’t unless someone was holding a gun to my head. Would any young girl wear it if not required to? I know nothing about fashion, maybe skirts like that are “in” these days?</p>
<p>I believe that Malia is almost 6’ tall, and Sasha looks tall these days, too. That’s a good point about tall girls wearing short skirts by default. My son, within a month of Malia’s age and about 6’ tall, doesn’ t have the problem, because his pants come in waist sizes and lengths. And his shirts come in neck sizes and sleeve lengths. Why is it that men can have semi-custom clothes, even at the lower end of the price scale, and women can’t?</p>
<p>sally305, so you are okay if the children are over the age of 18 to be ridiculed by the media or assaulted because of who their parents are ? Does that mean that in two more years, it’s open game on Obama’s 16 year old or that it was okay for the media to report on Jenna and Barbara Bush’s underage drinking while at college ? I’m just curious where the line is drawn and things are equal no matter what political party one’s parents belong to ?</p>
<p>No, lje62. Notice I didn’t say anything about the Bush girls, who were going about their business as college students while their dad was in office. Bristol Palin, on the other hand, has ACTIVELY SOUGHT OUT the limelight and profited handsomely from it, as has her mother. (And she seems to have far more fans than detractors, by the way.) Do you not see a difference?</p>
<p>I don’t think the line is drawn on the basis of age, but rather on the basis of whether or not the president’s relative takes a public role (not that I think it’s OK to go after anyone, really). The Bush daughters were probably at the worst age to be the subjects of intense media scrutiny when their father was president. I wish that none of those photos had been published. When Jenna Bush was married, she did not have a White House wedding, but was married at her parents’ home in a remote area, where she could have privacy. </p>
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What about the younger Palin daughter who was trashed by David Letterman during the campaign?</p>
<p>I, too, have an almost 6 foot tall daughter. Everything looks too short on her! </p>
<p>I’m not defending her at all and think she was an idiot or maybe drunk at the time of the Facebook post but the girls were trotted out to look cute at the turkey pardoning and they are probably too old for that role. But, I’ve never been a big fan of the kids as props when it may help but leave them alone. There’s a conflict in there somewhere. Also, she was airing private thoughts when she has a public PR role as someone’s spokesperson. That’s just dumb. I didn’t notice what the girls were wearing at all but I did notice the teenage get me out of here faces.</p>
<p>zooser, I didn’t say anything about the younger daughter. That is wrong too.</p>
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<p>I actually thought this too, Marie.</p>
<p>I agree with Sally. It’s a combination of age and activities. A person can’t try to profit from celebrity status in the public spotlight and not expect to be In the public spotlight. Her children should be off limits, though. </p>
<p>Bristol tried to do a reality show based on her family. I’m so against these reality shows where the cameras go into a home with minor children. Whether it’s the Osbornes or that Crisly person, or a politician’s family, I think it comes close to negligence to put your childrens’ private family lives on camera. </p>
<p>I don’t think there is a conflict. Presidential kids have to appear in public, whether it’s for the turkey pardoning, inauguration, or the Easter Egg Hunt. That isn’t an invitation for public harassment. </p>
<p>Carol Costello’s behavior was appalling. Again, just because someone is over 18 and seeks out the limelight, doesn’t justify laughter or derision when such an event occurs. Unfortunately, it all speaks to what we have become as a society. (Not us here on CC 
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<p>I’d never heard of this (latest) Bristol Palin controversy, so I looked it up. I don’t think the clip should have been mocked on CNN, but I have to say, a transcript of it would certainly garner plenty of criticism for Bristol Palin if posted on the internet. It puts her in much worse light (in my opinion) than a couple of adolescent eye-rolls. Also, she’s an adult. Costello’s apology was perhaps a bit better than Lauten’s, but not much.</p>
<p>Another opinion column referred to a Washington Post columnist who made snarky remarks on how John Roberts’ children were dressed at his swearing in ceremony. They were 5 and 6 at the time. No resignation. </p>
<p>Despite her remarks, this woman may actually have more standards than Costello, the Post columnist, David Letterman and Andrew Sullivan (who if memory serves was the one to make snide remarks about the little boy with Downs). She at least had the good graces to resign.</p>
<p>Another 6’ tall woman here. All skirts and shorts look mini on me. I wear capris because they look like normal shorts on me. </p>
<p>Tatin, it’s not a competition. Until we get past the point of tallying up “which side” has committed more wrongs and just agree that certain behavior is wrong no matter who engages in it, we will never make any progress.</p>
<p>Lauten does not have “more standards” than other people who have said obnoxious things. Her behavior was reprehensible unto itself. </p>
<p>There is a limit to the kinds of comparisons one can make between a journalist and a member of a congress-person’s staff. There is a point at which complaints about a double-standard are irrelevant. </p>