It had to happen. A bidding war erupted for the first pictures of Bristol Palin’s baby. The latest Internet reports indicate that she made an agreement with a magazine to put out the first pictures of the newborn. The deal is said to have been finalized at $300,000, after bidding started at $100,000.

Little Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston became the center of attention when his grandmother, Alaska governor Sarah Palin announced that her teenage daughter, 18-year old Bristol was pregnant. This was just three days after John McCain named her as his running mate.

Sarah Palin herself has become something of a fixture in pop culture, thanks in part to being repeatedly spoofed on Saturday Night Live. I suppose media interest in the newborn will continue for some time, especially since his grandmother’s future political aspirations are still unknown. Tripp’s father, apprentice electrician Levi Johnston may have to prepare himself for celebrity style media scrutiny.

At any rate, Bristol Palin has joined a pretty elite group which includes Brad and Angelina, although their offer would be nowhere near those of mainstream celebrities. So what’s next for Sarah Palin’s daughter, and indeed the governor herself? Can they shine the spotlight on the issue of teenage pregnancy in a way that has never been done before?

Or is it, as the family claimed during the campaign, a private issue that they have to deal with on their own? There are so many sides to this argument. Some may say that as long as the baby is being born into a supportive home then it’s not big a deal. An unwed teenage mother who is jobless and finds herself pregnant might be looked at a bit differently. Undoubtedly she would place a burden on taxpayers, and that is just one aspect of this often debated issue.

Anyway this represents a good head start for little Tripp’s future, financially I mean. Hopefully at some point the interest will die down and he will be allowed to have a normal life. After all, his mom is not the celebrity in the family. That honor belongs to grandma, who will no doubt be able to share interesting campaign stories in the future.