May 20, 2008
Responding to an ad from the Tennessee Republican Party that reruns Michelle Obama's now famous "proud of my country" line, Barack Obama warned Monday that his opponents should "lay off my wife." Regardless of whether the Republicans listen to him, he is trying to establish some limits.
On the Republican side, John McCain's campaign is also trying to set some spousal limits. Following the lead of Cindy McCain, the campaign insists that her tax records are none of the public's business.
It's natural that candidates want to shelter their spouses, who aren't on the ballot, from scrutiny and criticism. And it's understandable that they would seek to apply some parameters of privacy and decency to a campaign likely to have little of either by the time it's all over. But it's hard to see why these spouses deserve the protections the candidates advocate.
In Mrs. Obama's case, she is an accomplished professional who has campaigned vigorously on her husband's behalf. If the Obamas seek the benefits of having her do so, they must be willing to accept the scrutiny that her words — and gaffes — attract.
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