Andrew Sullivan complains in his blog that John Kerry is getting off easy, not releasing his divorce papers, while former Illinois Republican Senate candidate Jack Ryan was excoriated for not releasing his:
"If Jack Ryan's sealed divorce papers are legitimate objects for perusal (and you are prepared to force the issue in court), why not Kerry's? Can't you just wait for the Chicago Tribune to explain why they won't pursue the story?"Andrew's problem? The Trib gave a rather high-fallutin explanation as to why it was ok to see Ryan's file, and I don't buy it (their explanation, that is). It frankly sounds like a bunch of legalese - you can read it yourself via the link I just gave you.
The real reason Ryan's files are relevant is that he was running as a family values Republican. He believes that the federal government should legislate the way you and I run our private lives. Therefore, Ryan should have a lesser expectation of privacy about his private life than, say, John Kerry who does not support govt intrusion in this area. The issue isn't whether divorce records per se should be public, but rather, whether people who live in marriage glass houses should be throwing stones.
