Of Colons and Candidates

In 1985 the American public was treated to detailed information about President Reagan’s colon when he was diagnosed and successfully treated for cancer. I wondered in a Washington Post Health Section column at that time how much intimate knowledge about a president’s, or any elected official’s, physical condition the American public was entitled to have. Aren’t even presidents entitled to some privacy? Then came the 24-hour news cycle and Monica Lewinsky’s stained dress. At that point no presidential biological material, inside or outside the body, seemed off limits.

This article was originally published in science progress.