Of the reported 6,000 people at today's McCain rally, 4,000 were bused in, essentially forced

[DS1]

to be there.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/30/1616435.aspx

"A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses."

[blm]

1. Exactly what Bush was doing in 2004. And yet we're supposed to believe that he still won

and 'Fate' was on his side. Sheesh.

I'll believe a McCain win in 2008 as much as I believe Bush won in 2000 and 2004.

[screembloodymurder]

32. What no insane asylums in the area?

I thought McCain was against torture.

[RandySF]

2. "My Fellow Prisoners"

[TexasObserver]

7. Ha!! Good one. Welcome, new guy!!

[guitar man]

18. Haha!!

Good one, welcome to DU!! :hi:

[Duncan Grant]

22. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[april]

3. Who paid for the buses?

[sam sarrha]

15. the GOP should pay for it and McSame should publicly apologize for steal'n taxes and kidnapping

children for political gain.. then be investigated and prosecuted for any violation of the law

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

4. McShame....Prop-agandizing children...... Shame on those school systems too.

It I were their parents, I'd sue the districts.

[AlCzervik]

5. Students bused in, did they have a choice to not attend or was it mandatory?

[Night_Nurse]

9. If that were one of my kids, I'd raise hell...

no way would I allow them to take a forced "propaganda field trip".

[progressoid]

12. I said the same thing on another thread.

And who paid for the busses? It ain't cheap to transport 4000 people.

[NeedleCast]

6. Moblizing the Palin Jugend?

This is the kind of "education" children will get under Palin/McCain.

[amberlight38]

8. ...

:rofl:

[Parche]

10. Was Asher There>?

:woohoo: :rofl: :hi:

[Robbien]

11. Googling McCain and school district

One finds that McCain relies heavily on school district support for his rallies. So much so that in Iowa, in the thousands of entries one finds that citizens were requesting an investigation be made of their school district and of its supplying support for McSame.
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/10/16/news/local/doc48f7fef24d2b5485575184.txt?sPos=1

Bush used public supported military sites for his campaign. McSame uses public supported school systems for his campaign backdrop. Campaigning on taxpayer dollar.

[KamaAina]

28. The difference: Bush** is the pResident (or at least plays him on TV)

For the Commander-in-Thief to use military bases is sleazy, but not necessarily illegal. For McLoser to dragoon public school students, from a state where he isn't even Senator, on the other hand...

[NNN0LHI]

13. That must be why the crowd wasn't clapping and laughing at McCains stale jokes on cue

It wasn't working for McCain today.

Don

[foxfeet]

14. Well, nobody knew what "23 skidoo" or "the bee's knees" mean.

[mikeytherat]

16. Or when McCain hoped someday they would make a car that gets forty rods to the hogshead.

mikey_the_rat

[hootinholler]

30. At speeds of 10000 furlongs per fortight. n/t

[DS1]

17. And warning about Obama stealing their money thy earned scything the fields

[flygal]

23. Montgomery Burns

:rofl:

[lpbk2713]

19. I wouldn't be surprised if Mean Jean Schmidt (R) OHIO was involved in this.

[sam sarrha]

20. were the students parents informed, were the appropriate papers signed to allow them to leave school

http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/10/16/news/local/doc48f7fef24d2b5485575184.txt?sPos=1
"snip...Almanza said, however, that school officials did not require the students to take part in the event. Instead, they were informed of the opportunity to participate and made the decision to perform on their own. Almanza said he has received a number of concerns from members of the community...snip"

were the students parents informed and were the appropriate papers signed to allow them to leave school property under specific stated supervision.. and were those arrangements followed.. was there any child endangerment/neglect allowed. did the parents know their children would be exposed to extremist cult political brainwashing..??

[L. Coyote]

25. and Bush said "We do not torture"

[Ezlivin]

21. Busing in school children in a vain attempt to raise the crowd's average IQ

With children there Palin can have at least one interview in which she appears thoughtful.

[backtoblue]

24. using children is pathetic

Using children to create a crowd in a political appearance is appalling, especially since these McLame rallies have turned out to be so full of hate and bigotry....Not the kind of "adults" I want influencing my kids.

[sam sarrha]

27. need to find out if it's illegal and prosecute.. end this sick campaign

[renate]

31. welcome to DU!

:hi:

And yes, it certainly is pathetic.

I'm guessing, however, that it was with the parents' permission. Our school district doesn't let the kids cross the street during the day without a permission slip. But I bet there was a certain amount of peer pressure involved. :shrug:

:applause: for what you said about the hate and bigotry and how bad it is for the kids.

[sam sarrha]

26. just like W forcing soldiers to attend so they would'nt have to photoshop them into a picture

[malaise]

29. But, but but

Where's Joe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1TT7gt5F0w&eurl&fmt=18

[sam sarrha]

33. joe is Bang'n a Country Western Groopie...

[Arugula Latte]

34. "See, now that's just SAD."

[nichomachus]

35. School kids just LOVE being forced to sit through boring speeches

although they were probably thrilled at getting out of class.

[Javaman]

36. hell just hold his rallies at prisons. guaranteed a captive audience.

LOL :rofl:

[lpbk2713]

37. "And if you kids are real good we'll stop at Chuck E Cheese on the way back."

**Listed as a legitimate campaign expenditure. :eyes:

[MissMarple]

38. They can 'bus in" 4000 kids? Ah huh.

Now who gets to pay the gas bill? Would that be considered a campaign donation or a civics field trip? In most districts I am familiar with, the kids pay at least part if not all of the cost. So, unless they did that for Obama, as well, what would you call that? And if the campaign paid...hmmmmm?

[Robbien]

39. Well the school district certainly couldn't have

They are broke. Budget is completely busted.

[FedUpWithIt All]

40. Today my daughter's high school was handing out McCain rally tickets to the kids.

At the start of the day they had a raffle for the tickets. My daughter's boyfriend put "Go Obama!" on an entry and :rofl: and won a ticket. By the end of the day they were just handing them out.

I was on a field trip with my youngest daughter this morning and during the bus ride several of the other mom's were tearing into Palin. The clothes budget, the parental decisions... It appears she is NOT well liked among the local SAHMs.

Edited to add...McCain wasted money on the printed tickets the kids brought home today. We all had better things to do.