The Philly Inquirer, among others, are reporting today that one of Rick Santorum’s top aides is gay. The staffer was “outed” by a gay website. It’s a reprehensible thing to do–invade a staffer’s personal life like that. And of what relevance is it, say, to any reader of the Philly Inquirer? Santorum has issued a statement praising the staffer, clearly furious that one of his people has been targetted in such a rotten way. Is that the “news” too? Maybe people are shocked Rick Santorum doesn’t actually hate gays? Of course, maybe we really are that bad off. Unfortunately we’re also so bad off that a man who happens to be gay isn’t “allowed” to work for a senator he wants to work for without his personal life being made “news” by some webguy who decides the staffer is a “hypocrite” or shouldn’t be able to choose who he wants to work for. Why must legitimate “news” sources follow those marching orders?