McCain's tour, Day 2

Posted: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:33 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- In the second edition of McCain's life-in-speech, the presumptive GOP nominee visited his alma mater, Episcopal High School, and gave a speech here about the importance of education in the formation of character.

Before the entire 400-plus EHS student body and additional members of the faculty assembled in the Flippin Field House, McCain repeatedly emphasized the importance of honor, the honor code, and the values that are imparted at school. Today, McCain also ventured into some educational policy areas –- albeit relatively safe territory for a conservative candidate -– calling for merit pay for teachers and school choice.

"We should reward the best [teachers] with merit pay, and encourage teachers who have lost their focus on the children they teach to find another line of work," McCain said. He then added that the country should encourage "military veterans to enter the teaching profession," because the honor they learn in the armed services are also important for children.

After his prepared remarks, McCain fielded a few questions from the crowd, mostly focusing on the importance of the lessons he learned at Episcopal, what values he took from Episcopal, his greatest academic achievement at the school, and who will win the NCAA championship.

The boldest question came from junior Katelyn Halldorson who asked what exactly the senator was doing at her school: "I think judging by the amount of press representatives here and also by the integration of your previous political endorsements in your earlier personal narrative, we can see that this isn't completely absent -- er political motivation isn't completely absent. Yet we were told that this isn't a political event. So what exactly is your purpose in being here –- not that I don't appreciate the opportunity, but I'd just like some clarification."

"I knew I should have cut this thing off. This meeting is over," McCain joked, before going into a long description of his biography tour and it's emphasis on "the values and principles that guided me and I think a lot of this country in the past," in addition to providing "a vision of how I think we need to address the challenges of the future."

McCain concluded the visit to his alma mater by saying, "I hope that attendance here was not compulsory… I apologize if you were unwillingly in attendance here."

According to one EHS staff member, attendance was compulsory, although it was unclear what the punishment would have been if a student had refused to attend.

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Comments

I just love how McCain is about to embark upon his "Biography Tour"..... Instead of talking about the issues, he is just going to talk about himself and what his life has been like..I have to wonder,is he doing this for us,or is he doing this to remember who he is?

More likely his life is the only subject he can truly address without fear of displaying his complete ignorance of current events.

McCain is probably the only person in America who is waxing nostalgic for Vietnam...

John (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:46 PM)

what a riot. They MADE students attend this baffoon's speech?

This years general election will be won because of one word.... economy.

Obama 08

ya know (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:46 PM)

McCains says we should "encourage teachers who have lost their focus on the children they teach to find another line of work"

???????????

Great. We'll have an even bigger teacher shortage.

There's nothing wrong with this way of thinking if you're addressing the employment of a specific teacher with your school's principal.

....But on an national policy level?????
That just doesn't make sense, unfortunately. I wish it did. I wish we had enough teachers that would only keep the elite best and say 'see ya' to everyone else.

Wake up, John. We're in the year 2008. Teachers have sucky jobs. And in some areas, math/science, they can make a lot more money somewhere else...That makes it hard to attract the 'best' to become teachers in the first place.

Jmp, Northern Mn (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:49 PM)

Way to go, Katelin. Maybe we should have high schoolers conducting ALL the interviews with the presidential candidates this year.

But as for the idea of military servicemen and women being pushed to become teachers... that sounds like kind of a bad idea. The aggression and trauma of the Iraq vets that I know personally would not exactly make them meld well into a scenario where they interact with children.

Doug, Kansas City, MO (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:52 PM)

I heard part of this speech in the background while I was on the computer.

I specifically paid attention when he was praising No Child Left Behind (NCLB). He voiced praises for the bill (saying that standards should be high for all children) without voicing any understanding key aspects of the bill which have been really harmful to the children that I've seen. NCLB has severely affected the schools in my town in so many ways. I guess I won't go into all the ways here but suffice it to say I wonder if any of the candidates will really speak out on this issue with true understanding.

I am for school choice, both of my children attend magnet schools. But because of NCLB our most vulnerable children are in schools that have no stability as NCLB mandates restructuring even if a school (with a difficult population to educate) is on a major upswing. That is truly unfortunate.

And that's my soapbox. I have a lot more to say on this but I will refrain...

Lisa, New Britain, CT CT for Obama (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:52 PM)

I bet he REALLY rallied those young Americans at the high school, eh? As I said yesterday, he can't excite a town meeting, let alone a nation; and now I can add nor high school kids.

Diane from Illinois (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:53 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Did he forget to mention the importance of divorcing your first wife and marrying into a spectacularly wealthy family?

twocanpete (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:55 PM)

If no Hillary McCain is second best choice!!!!

Democrats for Hillary for McCain 08

kevin (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:56 PM)

Actually, I have two elementary school aged children in two different schools (one in my town and one in Hartford, CT at an interdistrict magnet). In both of my children's classrooms, you would never even know the primaries are occuring. I think that's unfortunate.

Of course my children on Super Tuesday (and occasionally since then) went in with their Obama stickers and water bottles. And my daughter (the older one in Hartford) especially did find out that a few of the children were partisans :) I'm proud that she at least started a dialog with her classmates.

BTW, both of my children attend schools that are disproportionately Hispanic and I suspect they are a little more strongly for Clinton than Obama but its close and they are clearly democratic.

Obama 08

Lisa, New Britain, CT CT for Obama (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 1:57 PM)

John does not need to know anything to be elected by the repukes.

Just look at who we are glad to be rid of not soon enough.

Lame brains and senility are the repuke requirements to "lead" the country and the party as far into the ground as it can! You are so busy trying to figure out what they are saying they go about their criminal activities undetected.

HP Boston (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:00 PM)

But but but...I'll bet John McSame didn't convince any of those students to join him on his 100 years crusade in the ME...

Rick, NC (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:04 PM)

[[McCain repeatedly emphasized the importance of honor, the honor code, and the values that are imparted at school. ]]

Wasn't it kind of dishonorable for McCain to flip-flop from anti-torture to pro-torture with his vote in the Senate against a bill that would have banned Bush's water-torture interrogations?

Houston (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:05 PM)

Teachers of America, (Repub or otherwise),

John McCain has just declared war.....on you. As Commander In Chief, he will lead the charge, on our schools. His target... you. Soon there will be tanks, grenades, and tear gas headed your way; maybe even a 'smart bomb', because you're not smart enough. You're not committed. You don't care about education.

In a McCain school, your children, (had better), learn to march, and all manner of other tactical warfare...or else.

His classrooms will be filled with HIS brand of dedicated teachers, ie., bataan weilding drill sergeants. His hallways, with his MPs on constant alert, will patrol, and detain, any kid, (er, soldier)....without an officially issued sidearm.

I have changed my mind. If Hillary by some unforeseen miracle, should happen to pull off a Douglas/Tyson type victory, could win the GE if she'll just shut down her campaign, and her mouth.

Oh, please keep talkin Senator McCain!

Pulling for Obama '08

donna, pgh., pa. (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:15 PM)

All McCain's tiresome rhetoric will only appeal to the old people....real old. McCain got traped in the fifties, where he was before Vietman. He's still living there. Does he have anythihg to say that addresses the reality of today's world? He seems kind of like a cartoon character to me, maybe some old fighting relic on the Simpsons.

Bonnie (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:17 PM)

Wow, McCain lecturing at a self selecting private school with fees of 40,000 - 50,000 a year.

Bet they don't have to deal with disadvantaged or handicapped students. How about English as a second language students?

Must be nice to have the cash to avoid mixing with the "common herd". Private schools have all the advantages while public schools deal with the reality of our country.

Spare me the spew about honor and duty John public schools are too busy just keeping kids safe.

But while he's talking about honor and duty maybe he should remember what my father, a World War 2 Bombadier who flew 45 missions, told me:

"It'll be a great day when schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to raise funds for a new bomber."

bc Indiana (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:22 PM)

Episcopal High School is a special place of community and learning. Always gracious, of course it welcomes home its alumni/ae, including parents of alums--such as Nancy Pelosi who spoke several years ago to e entire student body.

By the way, too, Episcopal High School is available to all students who qualify academically. A high percentage of students are supported by financial aid.

I support Barack Obama, but I was proud to see that John McCain chose to return to EHS--and that he was welcomed by his alma mater.

A parent of two graduates of Episcopal High School

SBW, North Carolina (Sent Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:23 PM)

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