Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential hopeful and running mate of John McCain, has revealed that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five-months pregnant.Palin, governor of Alaska and a staunch opponent of abortion, said that her daughter, Bristol, would keep the child and marry the father. "We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents,'' Sarah and her husband, Todd Palin, said in a statement on Monday.
The news comes as the Republican National Convention is to open in St Paul, Minnesota.
"Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realise very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family," the statement added.
Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for McCain, said the Arizona senator considered the issue to be "a private family matter". "As parents [the Palins] love their daughter unconditionally and are going to support their daughter. Life happens," he said.