Perspective redux: Dems ordered GAO to investigate George H.W. Bush school speech
September 8th, 2009 . by Tony
President Obama stepped into quite a furor over the speech he is giving to the nation’s schoolchildren today and we have documented that previously. While the speech itself would have been fine, it was the original suggested lesson plans that were the crux of the problem and what led to objections by parents across the nation. They very much read like a “Dear Leader” message with calls to serve the president directly.
Democrats initially made fun of the objections raised but quieted down quite a bit when it was pointed out that they had objected strenuously to a similar 1991 speech given by then President George H.W. Bush. A bit more research shows that not only did Democrats object to President Bush’s speech, they actually held hearings and ordered the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate the speech!
The Washington Examiner reports today that the Democratic majority summoned White House officials to the Hill to answer questions about the speech and ordered the investigation.
Democrats did not stop with words. Rep. William Ford, then chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, ordered the General Accounting Office to investigate the cost and legality of Bush’s appearance. On October 17, 1991, Ford summoned then-Education Secretary Lamar Alexander and other top Bush administration officials to testify at a hearing devoted to the speech. “The hearing this morning is to really examine the expenditure of $26,750 of the Department of Education funds to produce and televise an appearance by President Bush at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, DC,” Ford began. “As the chairman of the committee charged with the authorization and implementation of education programs, I am very much interested in the justification, rationale for giving the White House scarce education funds to produce a media event.”
Unfortunately for Ford, the General Accounting Office concluded that the Bush administration had not acted improperly. “The speech itself and the use of the department’s funds to support it, including the cost of the production contract, appear to be legal,” the GAO wrote in a letter to Chairman Ford. “The speech also does not appear to have violated the restrictions on the use of appropriations for publicity and propaganda.”
That didn’t stop Democratic allies from taking their own shots at Bush. The National Education Association denounced the speech, saying it “cannot endorse a president who spends $26,000 of taxpayers’ money on a staged media event at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, D.C. — while cutting school lunch funds for our neediest youngsters.”
This of course goes well beyond the current furor and simply is another case of “pot calling the kettle black” politics. Will the Democrats call for a similar investigation into President Obama’s speech today? Has the NEA publicly objected to the use of taxpayers’ money for this president’s speech?
Related:
When I brought this up at work the other day, I got slammed by several because I opposed BO’s speech in schools, particularly the school where my kids go. I said I would remove my kids for that day the school was going to broadcast it.
The libs retaliation here was exactly these words “well nobody said anything when Bush or Reagan spoke in schools”. I wish I had this article to shove in their faces at the time of that conversation.
As always Tony – Thanks.
you should know there was no outcry until after the Bush speech because a couple of democrats considered such a speech on the eve of the reelection campaign a political event so they had a very political response – not very nice but no comparison to the widespread bigoted response before obama’s student speech.
If anyone thinks this speech was originally intended to be anything but a political ploy, you need to stop being spoonfed by CNN and other “news” organizations. The original lesson plans were pulled because they were called out on the obvious political nature of them. It’s only through the outcry of conservatives that we do not get his agenda shoved down our children’s throats!
Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask; what can I do for my PRESIDENT!
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