Several city officials are furious over Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic National Committee chairman managed to upset city officials during a visit to Portsmouth High School. In his normal inflammatory style, McAuliffe turned a social studies lesson into a one-sided bashing of President Bush.
According to this article, McAuliffe told students that due to Bush's mismanagement of the country, 70 percent of college graduates will not be able to find a job upon graduation. He also told students that if the war in Iraq continues as it has, there could be a reinstatement of the draft.
City Councilor Bill St. Laurent is quoted:
At what point does he stop his politicking to the point of scare tactics? Saying that the draft may come back, and kids cant find jobs, those are scare tactics. He is out trying to get votes. This is taxpayers money, excuse me, but this is my tax dollar and I don't want to use my tax dollar for his pulpit.
Superintendent Lyonel Tracy said McAuliffe was allowed to speak as a civic lesson:
If other representatives contacted us, we would act similarly. To deprive our kids of the opportunity of seeing democracy in action would be a disservice to them. The trick is that we don't exploit these kids for their own partisan agendas.
Aiming to ease tensions, School Board member Raimond Bowles has asked New Hampshire Republican state chairman to speak to the social studies classes.
Did school officials expect that McAuliffe could be fair and balanced? It was inappropriate to have McAuliffe speak without a counterbalance. Having the state Republican chairman speak is not the same as the national leader of the Democratic party. They should invite president Bush to defend himself.
Thanks to the Drudgereport for the tip.
UPDATE: Darren Kaplan effectively refutes McAuliffe's nonfactual lies in a post entitled Terry McAuliffe Frightens School Children. Well done!
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