Palin's future son-in-law has his say

WASILLA, Alaska - Levi Johnston, who's having a baby with Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter, can't believe all the things he's hearing.

No, he wasn't held against his will on the campaign trail. No, he's not being forced into a shotgun wedding with 17-year-old Bristol Palin.

"None of that's true," Johnston, 18, said in a rare interview. "We both love each other. We both want to marry each other. And that's what we are going to do."

Johnston discussed his relationship with Bristol Palin and how life has changed with fatherhood fast approaching. He agreed to talk despite the presidential campaign's advice in the days after Gov. Palin's nomination to avoid the media.

"They're not telling me anything right now," Johnston said as he checked his Blackberry. "It's pretty chill."

Johnston said he was a little shocked when he learned about the pregnancy but said he quickly embraced the prospects of fatherhood. The baby is due Dec. 18. Johnston has dropped out of high school to take a job on the North Slope oil fields as an apprentice electrician.

There's no word on how his future mother-in-law feels about Johnston's decision to drop out of school. Last year, she made a point of trying to turn around the high dropout rate in their hometown.

Johnston said he's expecting a boy, but he declined to discuss baby names. "I'm looking forward to having him," he said. "I'm going to take him hunting and fishing. He'll be everywhere with me."

Johnston said he wanted to set the record straight. For starters, he said his much-maligned MySpace page was a joke, the one that claimed he said: "I'm a . . . redneck," and "I don't want kids." Johnston said that his friends created the page a few years ago and that he had nothing to do with it.

Johnston said he has dated Bristol Palin since his freshman year in high school. "We were planning on getting married a long time ago, with or without the kid," he said. "That was the plan from the start."

While Johnston provided few details about next summer's wedding, the planning has started: A cousin will likely be his best man, and he has asked two hockey buddies to be groomsmen.

Johnston said he wasn't forced to campaign with Palin's mother. Bristol Palin invited him, Johnston said, and he jumped at the chance. It was a whirlwind experience for Johnston, who was seated with the Palins at the Republican National Convention.

"At first, I was nervous," he said. "Then I was like, whatever."

He said being in the limelight hadn't changed him. "I'm still the same old boy. I'm just a workin' man."

Asked about Barack Obama, he replied: "I don't know anything about him. He seems like a good guy. I like him."

Johnston didn't register in time to vote, according to the Elections Office in Wasilla. But he's still rooting for John McCain and Palin. "I just hope she wins," he said. "She's my future mother-in-law. She better win."