When I visit the ‘Barack TV‘ portion of the Obama campaign website, the Obama ad which automatically loads centers on a school in the Bronx, New York. But according to the New York City Education Department, the video — which was also featured in an Obama fundraising appeal — was shot in violation of city rule:
Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign violated New York City Education Department regulations by making a video in a Bronx classroom starring high school kids inspired by the presidential candidate’s speeches. The video was attached to a mass e-mailing Friday that included a pitch for donations. Filming in school buildings for political or promotional purposes is “a violation of the chancellor’s regulations,” said Margie Feinberg, a department spokeswoman, after viewing the video and e-mail. “We’re considering disciplinary action against the school administration,” she added… Shafer, who has taught at the school for three years, said he was unaware that the campaign distributed the video alongside a donation pitch. “This was not about helping them fill their coffers,” he said.
Did it really not occur to the teacher or the Obama campaign that there just might be a rule against using taxpayer property to boost a political campaign? And is it really too much to expect that the campaign might have actually taken the video down in the week since they were informed of the impropriety.
