The President As Moral Compass
When is it okay for the personal to become the political? Gov. Sarah Palin did not get the chance to answer that question this week when it was revealed that her teenage daughter was pregnant. Almost immediately, Senator Obama issued a statement that said scrutiny of Gov. Palin’s children should unequivocally remain off limits to the media (and by proxy, voters?) But that’s not going to stop most citizens from unpacking as much political meaning from the candidates’ personal lives as possible.
Let’s set aside for a moment debates about teenage pregnancy–and the specter of abortion that lives in its shadows. How and when do we want our political leaders to weigh in on moral issues? We asked Sen. John McCain this last November and here’s what he had to say about the line between private lives and public policy. Oh, and why abortion is a special case.
For more the rest of the interview, click here!
