Sen. John McCain, at his alma mater, Episcopal High School, today confronted a student asking, what sort of meeting is this, anyway? AP Photo by J. Scott Applewhite
by Tom Brune
John McCain today brought his presidential campaign's biographical tour to his high school, the private Episcopal High School in the comfortable Washington D.C. suburb of Alexandria, Va. In his talk he reminisced about his rascally behavior and emphasized the importance of the school’s Honor Code: "I will not lie, I will not cheat, I will not steal."
But the warm, reunion-like feeling of the advertised "town hall" hit a cold chunk of truth when a female student rose to ask him the last, and only tough, question of the morning.
"I think judging by the amount of press representatives here, also by the integration of your previous political endorsements in your earlier personal narrative, we can see that … political motivation isn’t completely absent. Yet we are told this isn’t a political event. So what exactly is your purpose in being here? Not that I don’t appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification."
McCain acted as if he had been caught red handed.
"I knew I should have cut this thing off." (Laughter) "This meeting is over." (Laughter)
McCain went on to explain that the town hall was part of a series of visits he was making to highlight his biography and his vision for the future during his presidential campaign. He implicitly conceded the "town hall" was exactly what the student said it was – a political event.
He added more seriously: "I hope that attendance was not compulsory. If it was, I apologize to you for it if you were … unwillingly in attendance here."
The speakers who introduced McCain made a point of saying that the high school was not endorsing him. But another student independently confirmed that administrators had told students that the assembly was not a political event.
Why the school’s administrators told them that is unclear, especially when the students provided a convenient back drop for photos and descriptions in political campaign coverage, but it sounds as though they certainly were not telling the students the truth.
Tom Brune reports for Newsday, which featured this in its political blog, Spin Cycle.
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Comments
The students were a "captive audience" something in which Mc Cain is clearly familiar.
Posted by: the truth | April 1, 2008 4:37 PM
So a guy running for president can not speak to his former high school. Got it. I will keep this is mind for all future Obama events and see if the swaps resident Obama supporter Mark Silva will bring up these things then. How exactly is this news worthy?
Posted by: Vinny | April 1, 2008 4:48 PM
I thought this nutty old man (McCain) attended a one-room school sometime back in the late 1800's?
The Straight-Jacket Express!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_p3I-w7Coo
Posted by: John E | April 1, 2008 4:51 PM
I wish someone would have asked him about all the ignorant statemens he has made about the Middle East. 3 times the man confused Sunni and Shia, Iran and Al Qaeda. Now he is saying that al Sadr asked for the Iraq ceasefire, not Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Malki. That is also dead wrong, and dangrous. Anyone with such pathetic knowledge of national events is not qualified to be president. He should be asked about this ignorance every day.
Posted by: Paul | April 1, 2008 5:01 PM
When I was in HS, the Republican IL candidate for Senate, an alum, came back to give a talk to the students. The whole school didn't get to attend, but all the Srs. and Jrs. did. Since I was a baby freshman @ the time, I didn't get to go. The school wasn't endorsing the candidate in question, but giving the students a chance to listen to a high profile alum and ask him questions. The same with the McCain event... The students @ the event got to hear a prominent alum speak and ask him tough questions. I'm sure that if Obama or Clinton wanted to speak there, the same courtesy would be extended to them.
Posted by: Illinidiva | April 1, 2008 5:05 PM
John McCain - "Honor Code"?
Hey McCain, how about if you quit breaking the campaign finance law THAT YOU WROTE!...you know, the MCCAIN/Feingold law.
Rev. Yearwood & AmericaBLOG's Joe Sudbay deliver 32,000 signatures of Americans who've signed on to an FEC complaint regarding Sen. John McCain's law-breaking activity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYy-F50CCas
Posted by: John E | April 1, 2008 5:50 PM
Vinny:
1) The students were told that this was NOT a political event.
2) When confronted with the evidence by a student at the school, he admitted it WAS a political event.
Therefore, this was not an innocent speech to his former HS. It was a political event to show old man McCain with younger people.
Most of whom will probably vote for Obama anyway.
Posted by: BobHusseininAtlanta | April 1, 2008 6:11 PM
1) The students were told that this was NOT a political event.
2) When confronted with the evidence by a student at the school, he admitted it WAS a political event.
Therefore, this was not an innocent speech to his former HS. It was a political event to show old man McCain with younger people.
Most of whom will probably vote for Obama anyway.
Posted by: BobHusseininAtlanta | April 1, 2008 6:11 PM
Bob Hussein pretty much nailed it. This guy (McCain) will be cannon fodder come November!!!
Posted by: This Old Man | April 1, 2008 10:11 PM
Bomb, bomb, bomb. Bomb, bomb Iran. p.s. Swamp why no more double spacing.
No Country For Old Men.
Posted by: Anton Chigurh | April 2, 2008 3:45 AM