Bristol Palin, the 17-year-old daughter of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, is five months pregnant, according to reports.
In an official announcement intended to knock down rumors by liberal bloggers that Sarah Palin faked her own pregnancy to cover up for her child, the Alaska Governor herself confirmed that her teenage daughter is expecting.
One of five children of Sarah and Todd Palin, Bristol is about five months along and is planning to keep the child and marry the father.

Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby.
Bristol Palin (right) was rumored to be the real mother of Sarah Palin’s infant son, born in May. According to the Palins, that’s not true – but she is pregnant now.
Presidential hopeful John McCain, who named Palin as his running mate last week, knew of Bristol’s pregnancy when he selected Sarah.
McCain officials said the news of the Bristol Palin pregnancy was being released to rebut what one aide called “mud-slinging and lies.”
The rumors specifically revolved around a pregnancy scandal – that Sarah Palin had faked her most recent pregnancy and pretended to have given birth in May 2008 to her fifth child, a son named Trig, who has Down syndrome.
The gossip going around was that Trig was actually Bristol’s child and that Sarah Palin the grandmother, covering up for her teen daughter.
Follow the jump for the Palins’ statement on the subject …
“As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.”
“Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media, respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.”
What do you think? Will this hurt Sarah Palin with voters?