September 2, 2008 Will Palin's pregnant daughter affect campaign? Play video

(NECN) - The Republican National Convention gets back on track today in Minnesota. The planned program was scraped yesterday because of Hurricane Gustav -- and the focus was on the revelation that Sarah Palin's unmarried teen daughter is pregnant.

James Pindell, the national editor of www.politicker.com, joins NECN for a discussion.

Sarah Palin voluntarily told John McCain's campaign about her pregnant teenage daughter and her husband's 2-decade-old DUI arrest during questioning as part of the Republican's vice presidential search.

The Alaska governor also greatly detailed the dismissal of the state's public safety commissioner that has touched off a legislative investigation.

Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr., the lawyer who conducted the background review, told The Associated Press in an interview Monday that Palin underwent a "full and complete" background examination before McCain chose her as his running mate. Asked whether everything that came up as a possible red flag during the review already has been made public, Culvahouse said: "I think so. Yah, I think so. Correct."

McCain's campaign has been trying to tamp down questions about whether the Arizona senator adequately researched his surprise vice presidential selection or whether he chose the first-term governor without fully looking into her background.

Since McCain publicly disclosed his running mate on Friday, the notion

First, a campaign-issued timeline said McCain initially met Palin in February, then held one phone conversation with her last week before inviting her to Arizona, where he met with her a second time and offered her the job Thursday.

Then came the campaign's disclosure that Palin's unmarried 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, was pregnant. The father is Levi Johnston, who has been a hockey player at Bristol's high school, The New York Post and The New York Daily News reported in their Tuesday editions.

In addition, the campaign also disclosed that Todd Palin, then age 22, was arrested in 1986 in Alaska for driving under the influence of alcohol.

*Material from the Associated Press used in this report*