WASHINGTON — He’s an unlikely political nemesis — a hunky teenaged hockey player more remarkable for his brawn than his brains.
Yet more than liberals, Democrats or those who believe in evolution, Levi Johnston has become a constant thorn in the side of Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor who appears to be positioning herself for a run at the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.
The 19-year-old Johnston is a veritable media darling, making routine appearances on various U.S. talk shows to dish constant dirt on his ex-girlfriend’s famous family.
A high school dropout and avid hunter whose family home in Wasilla is said to be strewn with antlers, Johnston has reportedly spent the last few weeks lifting weights and noshing on moose meat in preparation for his in-the-buff appearance in an upcoming issue of Playgirl magazine.
He was the subject of a profile in the September issue of Vanity Fair magazine, and on Wednesday, the adult website Fleshbot will recognize Johnston’s status as “biggest pop culture star turned sex star” by giving him the crossover trophy at it first annual awards.
“It’s quite a transition to go from the future son-in-law of the Republican VP nominee to modeling in a nude magazine that’s marketed toward gay men,” said Fleshbot editor Lux Alptraum.
It’s all made for a scintillating political soap opera — the social conservative with apparent presidential aspirations versus the strapping male centrefold who’s already embarrassed her with allegations about her family life while making veiled threats to reveal even more.
This week, their battle moved into the legal arena when Johnston announced he’s pursuing action to gain joint custody of his son with Bristol Palin, whose teenaged pregnancy stunned Republicans last year when it came to light shortly after her mother was chosen as John McCain’s running mate.
Johnston and Bristol Palin were engaged to be married, but broke off their relationship in March. Johnston alleges the Palins have since made it difficult to see his son, Tripp.
“It’s not working; I’m done,” he said this week of his strategy to “play nice” in an attempt to see the 10-month-old boy. “It’s going to have to go to court. They just finally pushed me over the edge.”
Johnston’s recent allegation that Palin routinely refers to her son Trig, who has Down syndrome, as “retarded” set off yet another war of words that has undoubtedly contributed to the toxic relations between the two.
“We have purposefully ignored the mean-spirited, malicious and untrue attacks on our family,” Palin said in a statement.
“We, like many, are appalled at the inflammatory statements being made or implied. Trig is our ‘blessed little angel’ who knows it and is lovingly called that every day of his life.”
She also made a dig about Johnston’s Playgirl gig.
“Consider the source of the most recent attention-getting lies. Those who would sell their body for money reflect a desperate need for attention and are likely to say and do anything for even more attention.”
Johnston, true to form, shrugged it off with little emotion.
“She’s doing her thing, I’m doing mine,” he said in a recent CBS interview. “She’s quitting governor, she’s writing a book for her money, so we’re kind of on the same page here.”
Without providing any details, he also suggested he had a lot more dirt on the woman who was once poised to become his mother-in-law.
Johnston has already alleged Palin knew he and Bristol were having pre-marital sex in her home, a surprising charge given the former governor’s abstinence-only stance regarding sex education in high schools. He’s also accused her of badgering the couple to let her adopt Tripp in order to avoid political embarrassment.
“You know, I mean, if I really wanted to hurt her, I could very easily,” Johnston said.
The legion of Palin detractors in the nation’s capital — both Democrats and Republicans alike — delight in the drama.
“He serves as a constant reminder of just how low rent this family is,” one Republican campaign strategist said recently. “I hope he never goes away.”
Comedian Kathy Griffin, who took Johnston as her date to the Teen Choice Awards in August, says the teen is enjoying his time in the spotlight.
“Levi enjoys being in on the joke,” said Griffin, who added he would need a “very large fig leaf” for his upcoming Playgirl shoot. “He likes playing along. He likes anything, I think, that is a middle finger to Sarah Palin.”
