Dear Elected Officials...

Ironically, I'm writing this on the day I take public office for the first time (hence the picture above), but at least that means it can remind me in the years to come that elected officials forfeit "privacy." We live in a public world, because we represent the public, and while we have freedom to speak our minds, people can also call us out on that- and will.

That must have been lost on outgoing Montgomery County Commissioner Bruce Castor, who spent 30 years in the Montgomery County government and once ran for Attorney General (and lost to Tom Corbett, sadly). Castor became publicly angry after a reporter apparently showed up at his house, seeking comment about the Cosby indictment. His excuse was that his wife is home alone, but I find it hard to believe he's never had a reporter or anyone else show up at his home to discuss issues in his three decades in office. He's mostly mad because the Cosby issue blew up his campaign for a return to the DA's office, and probably frankly wants out at this point. Still though, reporters will show up at your home. They should try your office first, absolutely, or a cell phone if you give it out. If not though, realize that your home address is public record, and available to the public when you are in office. That's life.

Of course, then there's the people who really deserve scrutiny. New Hampshire State Representative Katherine Prudhomme-O'Brien decided to heckle Hillary Clinton over Bill Clinton's issues with women in the past. Monica Alba, the NBC News reporter covering Hillary, then tweeted out Prudhomme-O'Brien's public state house bio. Some conservatives are crying foul. Again though, she's a public official who took it upon herself to go to a candidate for President from the other party's rally and go after them. She made herself, already a public figure, very, very public. She has no expectation that the press will not print her identity and link to her government biography. This is public information. Yes, her address and phone # are on the page, and we may all agree that this is stupid, but that's how it is. Most documents that candidates file also have that information. This is simply standard practice.

When you do things, you're accountable for them. You answer the best you can and move on. You don't try to "work the refs" by saying you shouldn't have to respond, or should be covered "softer," or whatever else some folks try to say. Public life is hard, but it's not a right, it's a privilege.