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In his briefing today, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack was asked just what kinds of information would be in one's passport file. He responded that it would depend case by case but referred anyone interested in the basics to check the application.

To start with, any applicant must submit proof of citizenship, most commonly a birth certificate. Followed by one's name, date of birth, social security number, place of birth, address, e-mail address and phone number. You're asked to provide any other names you have had, whether by marriage or a legal name change.

You are asked to provide information on your parents, including their names, birth date and place of birth. Other information includes height, hair color, eye color and occupation. Emergency contact information is required as well as the name and date of birth of your spouse. You're asked if you've ever been issued a passport and, if so, what happened to it. And, you're asked about your current travel plans.

Is that all? Not according to this report from, of all places Computer World: "In addition to passport applications and the related material, the system stores investigative reports that might have been compiled in connection with granting or denying a passport, or in connection with any violation of passport criminal statutes. It also stores court documents and administrative determinations related to passports and citizenship, as well as copies of birth and baptismal certificates, medical, personal and financial reports and details on arrest warrants of the person applying for, extending or renewing a passport and a person's Social Security number."

Even in this marathon campaign (let's not forget that these presidential candidates have now been running full-time for well over a year now), the punches have for the most part stayed above the belt-line. That's not a small achievement for a political culture which has defined, and at times celebrated, terms like "dirty tricks."

It was supposed to be the "big" campaign, devoid of petty arguments about boxers and briefs, sexual witch hunts and whether or not the candidates inhaled. Through the course of 20-plus debates and all but ten primary and caucus contests, the campaigns on both sides have been fought out over issues, things like the war, the economy, trade, immigration, health care, taxes and. Even the forays into race and gender issues, while emotional and potentially divisive, have been important discussions. Barack Obama's well-received speech this week proved that. And voters have been engaged in the process like never before.

The hope that such discourse will continue is rapidly slipping away however, despite pledges and assurances from the remaining candidates themselves to keep their campaigns on the high ground. But the road to the gutter is paved with good intentions.

Plenty of questions remain but news that two State Department employees have been fired (and one disciplined) for apparently rummaging around in Obama's passport files should serve as a wake-up call for anyone thinking that the era of petty politics is over. So far, all we know is that these three people accessed Obama's files.

We don’t know what they were looking for, who they are or what their motivation was but it brings up memories of the search for dirt on Bill Clinton that led to a government investigation. We don’t know if they are sympathetic to the Republican Party or to Hillary Clinton or whether they were just mischievous or curious. But it's not comforting for the hopes this campaign was supposed to embody.

The news came on the same day that the McCain campaign suspended an aide for circulating a Web video with racial overtones that portrayed Obama as unpatriotic. The video was produced by the producer of a conservative talk-radio show, an industry which has found itself revived in this campaign. Many Democrats are up in arms over Rush Limbaugh's suggestions in recent primaries that GOP voters cross over to vote for Hillary Clinton in the hopes of continuing a divisive primary fight. Dirty tricks or savvy tactics?

Of course we saw some of this activity earlier. Anonymous e-mails spreading false information about Mitt Romney's religion and those insisting that Obama is a Muslim who was sworn in on the Koran instead of the Bible popped up early and often. But an e-mail campaign is small potatoes compared to what we’re likely to see when the 527 organizations kick in. Can the candidates control it even if they want to?

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