In fact, media have more control about whether 17-year-old Bristol Palin's pregnancy is news, spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday during a news briefing.

"I think that whether or not this is an issue in the campaign is actually more up to the media than it is to any of the politicians who have all across-the-board said this is a private family matter and that they support the family," she said. "So the media is the one that's going to have to decide whether or not this is a story that they want to follow and that they want to exploit. And that will be up to you all."

Bush said he believed the issue was "private family matter ... and the president I don't think will have any other comment on it," Perino said.