WOULD-BE “STUDENTS FOR BARACK OBAMA” TOLD ATTENDING HILLARY PRESS CONFERENCE WAS “PART OF CLASS”

[proud2BlibKansan]

WOULD-BE “STUDENTS FOR BARACK OBAMA” TOLD ATTENDING HILLARY PRESS CONFERENCE WAS “PART OF CLASS”

FITSNews - October 18, 2007 - Students at Claflin University, a historically black college in Orangeburg, S.C., are accusing the school’s administration of prohibiting them from forming a “Students for Barack Obama” chapter, yet simultaneously compelling them to attend a press conference supporting his chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

In fact, several students who serve as volunteers on Obama’s presidential campaign tell FITSNews that they were coerced into holding Clinton signs and standing behind State Sen. John Matthews, who unveiled Clinton’s higher education plan at a press conference held at the school last week.

Which would probably explain some of the unenthusiastic expressions visible in this photograph.

Here’s what we’ve been told … http://fitsnews.com/2007/10/18/fitsnews-exclusive-clintons-claflin-crackdown/

[MethuenProgressive]

1. Someone has already called Bull Shit on this one.

From the comments at your link:

To play devil’s advocate: How do we know this is true?

Obama spoke at the school in February and there’s a Claflin University Students for Obama page on my.barackobama.com

Do you have more proof?

:popcorn:

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. There are 18 other comments, none critical.

So you have one for 19.

Here's another comment:

http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2007/10/20/news/12789925.txt

Clinton press event at college becomes political hot potato
By LEE TANT, T&D Staff Writer

Some Claflin University students who support presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama say they felt compelled to participate in a press conference this past week in support of Sen. Hillary Clinton.

The students claim they participated in the event because they were asked to do so by their professor as a part of a class activity.

Claflin’s Assistant Vice President of Communications and Marketing Vivian Glover said in a statement that no student was coerced into attending the event or holding signs in support of Clinton. The press conference was conducted by state Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman, to outline Clinton’s plan to make higher education more affordable to students.

Three students, who are also Obama supporters, gave varying accounts as to whether their participation in the event was a mandatory class activity. They all spoke under the condition of anonymity.

[Dawgs]

5. I'm not sure you understand what "calling bullshit" means.

To me, it looks like another example of what we always see from Hillary supporters.

[MethuenProgressive]

9. Wow, are you confused...

There *is* a students for Obama group, but the story claimed they were told they couldn't form one.
And the allegedly Clinton-only campus has actually hosted Sen Obama.
So the two major story points, no Obama groub allowed, and Clinton-only, are false.
And you claim the person pointing that out is a Hillary supporter?
Proof?

[Dawgs]

13. No, I'm claiming that the professor is a Hillary supporter.

I'm also trusting the students.

How about you explain why they should have a reason to lie. Are you saying that they posed as Hillary supporters to later claim that they were forced to do it?

[MethuenProgressive]

15. No comment at all on their school page at Obama.com?

I'm not saying their lying (they meaning the anonymous 2-3 the story cites), I'm saying the story itself sounds false. The author has passed along fiction, as you can see from the facts that contrary to the author's claims, the campus isn't Clinton-only, and there is a campus Obama group.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

25. Anyone can create a group called "Students for Obama" and set up a page on his site

That doesn't mean they've been authorized to create an official campus group.

[AtomicKitten]

3. It's all a dog and pony show to some.

I'm glad the students spoke up.

[robinlynne]

4. How do you get coerced into holding a sign you don't want to hold?

[Dawgs]

6. How bout, to prevent from getting a failing grade?

[msongs]

7. how bout a link verifying that happened? nt

[Dawgs]

10. You're kidding right?

If you don't trust these students then that is your problem.

[MethuenProgressive]

12. There's no mention of it on their page at Obama.com

Don't you think that's odd?
And Dawgs, read the story - only a few students are confirming this story.

[MethuenProgressive]

11. Link to the Claflin Students for Obama page:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/ClaflinUniversityStudentsforBarackObama

[Dawgs]

14. LOL!!! A Claflin University page on Obama's site is not a chapter.

You realize that anyone can create a page like that on Obama's site, right?

[MethuenProgressive]

16. And 14 students have joined the chapter. Yet none of them have mentioned this...

"Not a chapter"?
From their chapter's page: "This group is the official Students for Barack Obama chapter at Claflin University."


Maybe Hillary's Black Helicopters swooped down and zapped their laptops with gamma rays!!!
:eyes:

edit: changed "several" to 14, because I love facts.

[Dawgs]

26. Why did you ignore my post if you're going to respond to it?

An Obama group is not a "school chapter".

"About three weeks ago, an honors student at Claflin University says she approached the administration about establishing a Students for Barack Obama chapter at the school. The student was told that she and fellow students could not form such a group on campus, but no reason was given for the school’s decision."

Since you're so interested in using facts I figured you would like to actually see some.

[robinlynne]

8. If that happened, then somebody needs to file a lawuit fast. My mother

would be down at the schoolboard so fast if she were there. You cannot tell your students to hold a sign for a candidate. That breaks several laws at once.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. Um read the headline

WOULD-BE “STUDENTS FOR BARACK OBAMA” TOLD ATTENDING HILLARY PRESS CONFERENCE WAS “PART OF CLASS”

[ElizabethDC]

17. For the record, many schools don't allow candidate groups to officially register

I'm not allowed to register my Students for Hillary group at my university, because for some reason the school has a policy against registering groups in support of specific candidates. It's a bit inconvenient, because it means that I'm not able to reserve rooms for events, etc. I noticed that this article doesn't say whether or not there is an official Students for Hillary (or anybody else) group on campus.

[MethuenProgressive]

18. The Students for Obama section looks pretty good

A quick scan showed over 100 chapters: Good for them!
But the very active home page has no mention, no comment, no nothin'
regarding this "controversy"...
http://students.barackobama.com/page/content/sfbohome

[ElizabethDC]

19. Well, anyone can register on the Obama website

for example, my group is officially regitered with the Clinton campaign, but not with the university.

[MethuenProgressive]

20. Yep. But none of the members have mentioned this "controversy" at all.

So, the campus isn't Clinton-only, there is an Obama group on campus, and no member of that group has posted anything about this onto thier page.
I think that person making the comment at the link in the OP was right to call Bull Shit on this one.

[ElizabethDC]

22. Yes, I agree that that is notable.

It's not like this story has been reported more than one place - just at the blog in the OP.

[madrchsod]

23. there`s so many things wrong with this story

another "he said -she said"....

[rocktivity]

24. My mother's alma mater!

She grew up in Orangeburg, paid her way by working in a laundry, and commuted by hopping over a fence.


rocknation

[Egnever]

27. Maybe but I doubt hillary had anything to do with it.

And I am certainly no hillary fan.

Shame on the principle or whatever if this happened but I wouldn't hold it against Hillary.