Hey That's Personal!

Most people, including myself do not know what it's like to have the public eye watching us at all times, cricizing and once in a while applauding our every move. Celebrities from the entertainment world and politicians a like often complain about the paparazzi and other forms of news media reporting on their personal lives. The media often retaliates by saying that these professions are chosen knowing that they have the potential to put the person in this occupation in the public eye, thus under public scrutiny. There is glory in being a "famous" individual and all of the perks. Some say, come along with the watchful and often very critical eye of the public.
   The problem is politicians aren’t movie stars. Pop sensations or reality TV instant celebs There job is not entertain but to keep the government of the United States up and running. Despite having such serious positions, high profile politicians on the federal level, are people too. When they are not in the office they are mothers and fathers, husbands and wives and with that come the problems of family life. People, whether we like to believe it or not are not perfect, they make silly mistakes and some not so silly ones as well. The difference between you and I and a high profile politician is that the whole world is not watching us make these mistakes.
It is my opinion that the media needs to find a happy medium between "lap dog" and "watch dog," which has become more like a "hound dog" searching for juicy meat. I generalize when I say this but the media tends to chop on any thing that seems less than perfect in a politicians life, and to be honest, I know these are public figures but I really don't believe it is my business if President Clinton has an affair or ten. Not that I approve of people having affairs, however that issue should be between him and Hillary not him and the world. When the media first reported on the Lewinsky scandal people, including some in the media were calling for his impeachment. After he lied about the affair, the thing is if an accountant lied to his co workers about having an affair he wouldn't be fired from his job would he? Using this example, I can say that I believe the media has crossed the line when it comes to sharing information about politician's personal lives, as what President Clinton did was not illegal. Elliot Spitzer on the other hand is another example, as what he did, use an "escort" service, qualifies as using a prostitute and is therefore illegal in the United States. Whether or not one believes that prostitution should be legal is beside the point as at the time Spitzer made the choices he made prostitution is and was illegal. Politicians should be exposed when partaking in illegal activities. I do not feel that politicians much like any one else, has the right to privacy when participating in illegal activities. If an average citizen is caught committing a crime a local paper might report it, using their name, if they are over the age of 18, the same should go for politicians. Politicians are the countries law makers and should therefore have to lie in the bed that they make, which is more than just an expression for the Spitzer case.
  A politician should not have the right to cry media fowl play if they are participating in fowl (illegal) play themselves. This being said, there is a thing called the right to privacy, something that many American citizens claim when things such as security cameras are installed in public places or extra security is added in air ports. The media needs to focus more on how a politician is doing their job during working hours, and less on a senator who has an extra cocktail (but is of course not driving under the influence, that would be illegal!).
1998 CNN Lewinsky scandal coverage poll :http://articles.cnn.com/1998-01-29/politics/poll_1_bill-clinton-union-speech-clintons-ability?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS