Yes, We Can Talk About Candidates’ Spouses
The Washington Examiner editorial board gets it right about the scrutiny Presidential candidate’s spouses should justly receive. Just like Sen. Obama can’t claim Michelle Obama is off limits to what she says on the stump Sen. McCain can’t use the privacy argument to keep Cindy McCain’s income under wraps:
It is unfair to voters for the Obamas to demand that she be allowed to use fighting words without being subject to, yes, a fight.
This appears to be part of a disturbing effort by Obama to exempt himself from fair comment on legitimate issues, as with the lengthy list noted recently by National Review’s Rich Lowry of issues Obama wants to put off-limits to debate.
As for McCain, he and wife Cindy refuse to release her tax returns. She has a legal right to keep them private, but legality isn’t at issue here. What is at issue is John McCain’s willingness to be subject to credible transparency and accountability.
Even if a husband and wife officially segregate their incomes, family money is fungible. That is why it has become standard practice for presidential candidates to release their tax returns — so the public can decide for itself if any income sources look fishy. It should it be expected of spouses to do the same.
In the case of Cindy McCain’s tax returns they’re going to have to be released anyway. I can’t imagine a situation where the McCain campaign stands up the constant pressure that will be put on them from the MSM, the Obama campaign, and webloggers. They will be better off releasing them sooner than later.
Public scrutiny is the nature of the beast. If they didn’t want to get their spouses involved Obama and McCain shouldn’t have run for President.
“Aspiring Presidential Wives Aren’t Exempt from Discussion” [via Michelle Malkin]
