by G.K. Dickey

Created on: April 20, 2008

Ugly and embarrassing as it becomes at times, there is simply no way to prevent the news media from delving into the personal lives of politicians. In large part this is because the politician who draws such focus has either been caught red-handed or has come forward to admit his transgressions. Keeping the door open on such coverage is critical to holding politicians accountable. It is also the price we pay in the struggle to preserve a free press and a vigorous democracy.

It hasn't always been like it is today. When the wheelchair-bound Franklin Roosevelt was president, the press readily accepted the unwritten rule that no photograph of FDR would be published unless it was from the waist up. In the case of John F. Kennedy, his extramarital dalliances were hardly a secret, yet the media was virtually mum about the matter at the time. Fast forward a generation and the public discussion about Bill Clinton's oval office escapades reached an unparalleled, if not disgusting extreme.

While the modern media has proved its penchant to play the "gotcha" game with politicians, entertainers and virtually anyone else with name recognition, the key issues boil down to perspective, responsibility and fundamental fairness. Certainly, the media's flagrant exploitation of some stories cannot be condoned. The insatiable appetite for the recent Paris Hilton drama, for example, was blown completely out of proportion to its news value, was blatantly irresponsible and was callously unfair.

When it comes to coverage of a politician's affairs, both private and public, however, there are several factors that significantly change the dynamic.

First, the politician becomes a "public figure" as soon as he or she becomes a candidate for office at any level of government. By voluntarily thrusting himself into the public eye, the courts have ruled the politician opens himself up to a higher degree of scrutiny.

Second, by soliciting for and accepting campaign funds, the politician subjects himself to an array of campaign financing laws. Since contributions have to be reported, this opens the door for an intrepid reporter to "follow the money" and study the sources of the donations, which can turn up some curious, and sometimes scurrilous, associations.

Third, as makers of the laws, elected officials are held to a higher standard when it comes to upholding the law. In the case of Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, the issue that brought his sexual orientation into the public eye was not that he is, or is

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