Ex-Sen. Al D'Amato To Become A Dad At 70

[deadparrot]

(AP) Former U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato is looking forward to a couple of big milestones: his 70th birthday and a new baby.

"If you had told me this prior to getting married, I would have said you're out of your mind," D'Amato joked on Friday as he confirmed that his wife, Katuria D'Amato, 41, is expecting a baby sometime next February.

The D'Amatos celebrate their third anniversary next week; his birthday is Aug. 1.

"We're tremendously blessed. God has given us this wonderful news, and we're very excited about it," D'Amato told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/13/politics/main3055515.shtml

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. That's too d*mn old to become the parent of a newborn.

IMHO

[jgraz]

3. Also too damn stupid and corrupt

And let me just add: eeewww :puke:

[LeftyMom]

4. Hopefully the kid will potty train before the Mrs has to start changing him.

What a horrible idea. Babies are awesome and great fun, but they're exhausting at a third of his age. That's the time to watch the grandkids for a few hours, get 'em good and wound up and then send them home with your kids, not to be dealing with colic and teething and spit-up.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. How many of us have watched our parents become a little, um, forgetful or dippy, as they get older?

Who in the heck would wish that (dealing with an aging person) on a little child?

[LeftyMom]

7. My parents started out forgetful and dippy.

Thank goodness we really don't have any history of dementia on either side, 'cause my Mom would be a potted plant and Dad would be almost as bad.

Even without that, the physical part, watching somebody slow down, get old and die, is hard on a young kid. Usually they do it at arms length with grandparents, and in some awful cases disease does it with parents, but why on earth would one bring a child into this world when you have almost no chance of seeing them to adulthood, and every chance of having them face the trauma of losing a parent when they're least equipped to cope?

[LeftyMom]

2. Seems kinda unfair to the kid

I mean, chances are Dad won't live to see her start kindergarten, let alone graduate from high school. And Mom's no spring chicken either.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. What 10 year old wants an 80 year old dad?

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. Both Tony Randall and Scotty (from star trek) had kids at very advanced ages. And they are both DEAD

[deadmessengers]

8. I'm actually surprised to hear he's as young as he is

I had figured him to be about 80 at least.

[mmonk]

9. At least the kid won't have to spend too much time with him.

[rucky]

10. They can share diapers. n/t

[Captain Hilts]

11. That's disgusting. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. Fred Thompson - cancer survivor and 60+ has very young kids.

[Alexander]

13. Having kids over about 50 is not good...

You're scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to the male sperm, and the kid will have his father die when he's young.

My dad had me at 51. Lots of people thought he was my grandpa, because he smoke, drank and looked every year of his age and then some.

I'm 23 - thankfully he's still around. But he's 74 now and I don't know how much longer I have on this earth with him, so I try to cherish every moment.

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. 23 is young to be dealing with a 74 year old parent.

I'm about twice your age and currently dealing with the issues of parental aging. I could not have dealt with it at age 23. I hope you have many more years with your father.

[Herman Munster]

18. My father was almost 60 when I was born

He passed away when I was 20 and everyone thought he was my grandfather and it got tougher as he got older and his health started to fail.

But on the other hand he was retired and spent a hell of a lot of time with me that my friends parents who were too busy working never did with their kids. He was in good health till just the last few years and I have many good memories as he shared a lifetime of experiences with me that a younger parent would never have been able to share.

So it cuts both ways. Ultimately, while it's not ideal to have older parents, you can't choose your parents, and it's counterproductive thinking about it as there's nothing you can do to change things. You just got to make the best of it.

But 70 is way too old and very unfair to the child. 60 probably should be the absolute maximum. At least I had 20 years with my dad and I was an adult when he passed away. It would have been much harder if I was 10 years old and I wouldn't have been old enough to really learn from his experiences like I did.

[frazzled]

16. Wow, 41 is no spring chicken for becoming a mom, either

Though I say, more power to her. I had a friend who had a first baby in her forties. Worked out very well.

From the other end of the tunnel, however: my husband's mother was 40 when she had him (a second marriage). Just when we became empty nesters and saw a little fun time in our future after the long years of child rearing, we find ourselves taking care of a 94-year-old. Well, that's life. And it's good. Not complaining, just contemplating the pros and cons of older parenthood.

[LeftishBrit]

17. I wouldn't care if he was 25...

the very thought of some poor kid having D'Amato as a father makes me go "ewwww!" Wasn't he one of the more revolting figures in the Clinton impeachment?