There's been a lot of buzz recently about U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama. For those who haven't heard about him yet, he's basically the flag bearer for Democratic hopes of retaking the Senate this year. His inspiring biography, which takes him from growing up on Chicago's South Side to becoming editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review, makes me think this guy is future presidential material. Check him out.

Now hear this: Apparently his Republican opponent Jack Ryan has hired a guy to follow Obama around with a video camera wherever he goes in public. For the amazing details, see the article from the Chicago Sun. It's short.

Obama cannot go the bathroom without having the guy a few feet away. He is tailed whenever he drives somewhere in his car. When he's having private phone conversations, he's recorded on video.

This is political dirt-digging at its worst, with the intent to harass. When asked why the campaign was paying for this, a Ryan spokesman said that they just wanted to make sure that Obama did not contradict any of his public statements.

Oh I see. It's good to know that the Republican campaigners are so interested in holding other politicians to such high standards of integrity.