Oct 8, 2012
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Florida Republicans are outraged after a school district allowed a pro-Obama organization to conduct student voter registration drives and deliver speeches to classes – but denied the Romney campaign similar opportunities.
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Pasco County Schools confirmed to Fox News that volunteers from Organizing For America were given access to as many as a half dozen high school and middle school campuses.
“They did register students to vote,” spokesman John Mann told Fox News. “We don’t know how many children were registered – (but) we have an ongoing investigation.”
According to email correspondence obtained by Fox News, volunteers tried to infiltrate at least three other school campuses – but on-campus officials rebuffed those efforts.
In addition to voter registration, a former teacher was allowed to deliver Obama speeches to a number of senior high school students.
“She got into six classrooms and gave pro-Obama speeches – like way off to the left,” said James Mathieu, general counsel for the Pasco County Republican Party. “That got out to parents and parents complained.”
Matthieu told Fox News he has filed a complained with the Florida Division of Elections and also contacted the Florida Attorney General’s office.
“We have a liberal culture in our school system and we know that,” he told Fox News. “The problem is someone has used false credentials, false pretenses and there is a security issue.”
Mathieu said that some of the Organizing for America volunteers identified themselves to school officials as being with the local elections office.
“These people have used false pretense to get into the high schools and all they’re giving us is whitewash and lip service,” he said.
But Mann told Fox News that to his knowledge none of the volunteers misrepresented themselves.
“They identified themselves as being with Organizing For America,” he said.
However, according to an email obtained by Fox News – school officials acknowledged there may have been some deceit.
“In at least one case, those individuals said they were from the Pasco Supervisor of Elections Office,” wrote staff member Paula Lesko. “Unfortunately the SOE said that is not the case.”
So why did school officials allow a partisan organization to mingle with students?
“That will come out in our final investigation,” Mann said.
Another significant issue was the former teacher’s pro-Obama address. Local Republicans asked for equal access. At first, school officials agreed – but later reversed their decision.
“There was definitely discussion of having a Republican come in for equal access,” Mann told Fox News. “We’re not going in that direction because that would indeed be an additional violation of board policy.
Organizing For America apologized to the school district, the Tampa Bay Times reported. And the volunteer who delivered the pro-Obama speeches has been dismissed.
A similar incident occurred in Pinellas County when a high school principal invited students to volunteer for the Obama campaign.
Reuben Hepburn, the principal at Dunedin High School, made an announcement over the public address system about volunteer opportunities with the Obama campaign and Organizing for America, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
A school spokesperson said the incident came to light after a parent complained.
“The mistake there was that (Hepburn) promoted one specific organization that supports one specific candidate,” spokesperson Melanie Marquez told the newspaper. “It’s okay to say, ‘Hey, you can volunteer for political campaigns.’ But it’s not a good idea to focus on one organization.”
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I can't say it enough, we must start to take back our education system! 90% of the professors at universitys are liberal, that in itself is not a crime. BUT when they spew their left wing rhetoric and twist history the way they do, it should be a crime. These professors teach the future teachers of our children and cannot be allowed to push a political agenda the way we have seen in the last few years! We are loosing the battle because of this "Indoctrination" going on right under our nose's! Promoting a political idealology in a classroom should be an automatic dissmissal, Period! Unless we get this tough and fast, we will not be able to stop the influx of brainwashed "Liberal Zombies" from taking control of our Nation!
Well why is anyone surprised? Florida is about as far left and as crooked as Obama's home state of Illinois. I am so sick of this administration that I could scream.
Wishing Chicago could be its OWN State! Not that much of a contribution to the REST OF US!
"Not a good idea"? It's just plain dirty politics and school propaganda. They let the Democrats do something, then block the Republicans, admit they shouldn't have let the Democrats do it, but present a fait accompli. No offset is permitted.
I don't know Florida law, but I think that in California anyone registering voters for a particular political party is required to register voters for any other party and people who decline to state a party.
Ken, you know that the education system is no longer bi-partisan.
get the votes the best way you can–lie, cheat, steal, buy–register the dead to vote, and vote, and vote again.
Why are you conservatives so hateful? Where were you when Bush was raping the Constitution?
Why are you conservatives so hateful? Where were you when Bush was raping the Constitution?
Wait a minute…Don't you have to be 18 to vote? Why in the world would you be registering under age minors in middle school? I know that Florida doesn't lead the nation in education but how many 18 year old seventh graders could there be in Florida?
Jfk, Martin Luther King Jr and mayor Daley all end up on an island together. The 3 of them hold an election as sole occupants of said island. Who wins election and by how many votes?
ever seen the U of Miami football team
ever seen the U of Miami football team
Wait a minute…Don't you have to be 18 to vote? Why in the world would you be registering under age minors in middle school? I know that Florida doesn't lead the nation in education but how many 18 year old seventh graders could there be in Florida?
WHY PEOPLE LOVE TALK ABOUT OBAMA HE IS A GOOD PRESIDENT!
Jealous! !!!!!!
Jealous! !!!!!!
WHY PEOPLE LOVE TALK ABOUT OBAMA HE IS A GOOD PRESIDENT!
Wow
Wow
Ohhhh, well just like Acorn the people involved have been fired…lol….these people are totally unscrupulous…they will do absolutely anything to retain power….how is this inept party even close in the polls? For God's sake America WAKE UP!
Ohhhh, well just like Acorn the people involved have been fired…lol….these people are totally unscrupulous…they will do absolutely anything to retain power….how is this inept party even close in the polls? For God's sake America WAKE UP!
Wow Gulf High School, the school that I went to, really! Come on, no wonder we called it Goof High School!
I could have guessed this article was written by fox. They follow in the footsteps of their leader mitt. Keep up the lies and soon they will be believable. Funny
First of all, since when were Middle School and High School kids able to vote! I thought you had to be 18! Secondly so these so called parents are ok with allowing kids to vote DEM but, if you vote GOP that's forbidden! Wow this world is going to hell in a basket full of shit…..It sickens me more and more every time I come across crap like this. I don't even know this world anymore
We certainly don't live in a free country anymore were all just their puppets on a string while being forced fed "Go to work. Get married. Have some kids. Pay your taxes. Pay your bills. Watch your T.V. Follow fashion. Act normal. Obey the law. And repeat after me: I AM FREE."
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100521181149AAv19sw
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100521181149AAv19sw
It's sad isn't it. One would think all news factual. One really has to use their common sense outside of bias media. Not that I am saying without a doubt your post is not factual but the news is making a shitl load on all politics. A close race is just what they were dreaming of. $$$
It's sad isn't it. One would think all news factual. One really has to use their common sense outside of bias media. Not that I am saying without a doubt your post is not factual but the news is making a shitl load on all politics. A close race is just what they were dreaming of. $$$
This is right from Pasco Fl local news paper http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/pasco-schools-draw-fire-over-voter-registration-controversy/1255779
This is right from Pasco Fl local news paper http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/pasco-schools-draw-fire-over-voter-registration-controversy/1255779
Believe me I do lots and lots of fact checking
Believe me I do lots and lots of fact checking
Oh yeah I hear ya there are alot out there…My point on that is that s wrong each individual should be aloud to vote for whom ever regardless of dem or rep. Listening to this its like they are shoving their choice down all these students throat. Let them make the choice I would be so pissed if I was a parent and the my kid told me well at school today we were only aloud to vote even though there is two candidates we can only vote for the one the school wants us to vote for…
Factcheck.org is a reliable source
This has got to be the nastiest campaign I have ever seen so much hatred is going on between both partys! Its disgusting!
This has been the nastiest campaign full of hatred from both sides of the party's that I have ever seen…It's disgusting
Tampa Bay times has their bias, as well. Its a head turner, blood boiler etc. and the investigation has yet to be performed in its entirety. It may be that someone made a poor decision, schools and public higher ed. have strict policies on politics. I work in such an environment first hand, as professionals we don't even speak a word about politics. I don't know what the laws are in Florida and I can't quote Oregon law but I know they exist.
Well I know its under investigation but the thought that it could be true is what boils me. Yeah I am not sure what the WA law is for that either..
And as I look at the following posts. There is a whole lot of hate going on that I don't understand. I am proud to be an Obama lover, proud to be a wife of a union member, and I pray every young man never experiences war!!!! Especially my soon to be 18 year old son. I believe in a balanced budget and taking care of the elderly and vets. I am on the Nun Bus when it comes to the less fortunate. Proud to be a liberal and not ashamed to say it.
Well I am not yes I did vote for him not this time around I don't trust him…This country will go to shit you wait and see if he gets in again. I understand that no matter what pres gets in they have a hand full to deal with and Obama keeps spending…Sorry I don't support that I don't support my health care premiums going yes thank you obama…I like how he is more entertained with this whole big bird shit when mean while our country is going down the tubes further and further
Anybody got the email address for this school board, obviously firmly in the clutches of liberal union teachers who care more about indoctrinating children than actually teaching them? Maybe we should all make their email in-boxes explode with complaints.
The tax paying citizens of Pasco County need to file a lawsuit against the school board and local govt for allowing this to take place. The principal of this school should be standing in the unemployment line since it appears they want to back Obama, get an up close and personal look at what he can do for the economy.
Sounds to me like another opportunity for deception in voting. They registerd kids to vote knowning many probably won't go to the voting booth so someone else will vote in their name. Schools and teachers are becoming Obama's little soldiers who have access to our childrens minds and they are corrupting them. They are brainwashing our Kids! This has to stop.
Obama is on a full-court press, because he thinks the time is right for establishing an American government owned by the Democrat party. He is after every vote possible, legal or otherwise, and everything else is secondary. That's why he has no time to act as President. It's not just about Obama, it's about getting the left permanently in power. In a perverted way, he thinks he WILL be the Messiah, if he and his crew can pull it off. We are at the tipping point and this election is critical. That is also why the MSM are so blatently leftist in everything they do. They know that it's time! There Tag is coming and they do NOT want to blow this chance for permanent power.
That should say "Der Tag", German for "The Day". If you need more evidence, a Q:
When in our history were our Presidential election votes to be counted by a company (SOE) owned by a foreign entity (SCYTL), a Spanish firm owned/controlled by a Left wing billionaire (George Soros) , and which cannot be audited for proper vote count? Uh-huh! Stalin said it: The votes are not important. It's WHO counts the votes that's important. If Obama can win honestly (!), that's great, but it's always nice to have a plan B, which is SOE/SCYTL.
How the hell does this happen? democrats are the pond scum on this country.
This is totally unfair! It shows how Obama "fans" treat the others…..
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
All this time the Republican's have been trying to tip the scale in Florida any way they could and now the the Democrats got one up on them the are calling foul. Figures.
Republicans always lying and crying about something next their gonna say obama is gonna be in the iran army with being the one launching the nuke to destroy america lmao
This is dog eat dog world just like companys making threats to their employees to vote for romney or loose your job cause they dont want to pay their taxes so no more company so is this fair to you people are really moronic
Mitt romney called you morons weak yet you still back him up doed romney have mind control over you dummies lol
Oops ment did