...the media picks up the story? Would it not have been easier to simply say it is a private family matter and refuse to discuss it? Did she expect the media to not point out that she is anti abortion and sex education while her own kid is a pregnant tart?

The McCain campaign coordinated the press release and have expressed outrage at the reaction in order to make the kid and Palin some kind of false martyrs. This is the only thing to do with such unacceptable and hypocritical news