There's been some discussion recently about the wives of politicians being "fair-game" in the media. Some politicians love to issue the directive "My wife and children are off limits..." which sounds great and correct, but its not that simple.
There seems to be two different groups of political wives. One group avoids the limelight at any cost and is usually seen and not heard. Most of the time, that is. Think Barbara Bush.
The other group is willing and almost eager to engage and participate in the political back and forth. They often speak on the President's behalf, and sometimes do it better than their husbands do. Think Hillary Clinton.
If someone avoids the process most of the time and stays away from critical or controversial statements, then I think they should be left, for the most part, alone. It's bad form, I say, to attack a person who isn't exerting whatever political force they possess in a aggressive fashion. If they're staying out of the fray, don't try and pull them in. If on the other hand, they always seem to be in the news and have taken to the campaign trail and are trying to benefit from the process, then within the limits of good journalism, have at them.
Kids are and should be off limits no matter how their parents use them.
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