What's McCain doing in front of my junior high?

(Credit: Walter Reed Middle School)

I was happy to refrain from commenting about John McCain's acceptance speech last night. There are enough political spin doctors out there already and Microsoft is keeping me plenty busy.

But now that my junior high school has taken on the starring role, I can't leave it alone.

It turns out a photo displayed on a screen during the first part of McCain's speech, which some thought was one of McCain's many mansions, was in fact the front of Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, Calif., where yours truly spent three awkward, hormone-filled years. (TV viewers may not have noticed, because the close-ups only showed McCain's head against the green grass in the picture.)

The predominant assumption in the blogosphere is that one of the AV geeks tasked with backdrops for the evening's speech was told to get a photo of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but got my middle school instead. Weird thing is, as pointed out by Talking Points Memo, the lead blog on the still-developing story, Walter Reed Middle School was also the backdrop for Matt Santos' announcement of his presidential candidacy on The West Wing. (Another Hollywood factoid: the show Head of the Class was also loosely based on Walter Reed Middle School's Individualized Honors Program.)

In the latest wrinkle, Walter Reed's principal has now put out a statement saying the school did not approve McCain's use of the school.

"It has been brought to the school's attention that a picture of the front of our school, Walter Reed Middle School, was used as a backdrop at the Republican National Convention," Principal Donna Tobin said in a statement. "Permission to use the front of our school for the Republican National Convention was not given by our school nor is the use of our school's picture an endorsement of any political party or view."

And, just a memo to the McCain campaign, forcing me to relive my junior high years is not generally a good way to get my vote.

CNET News' Michelle Meyers contributed to this report.

[Moped_Wrecker]

Don't need your permission. Its a public building.

[M C]

Based on the past 8 years, I don't think the Reps look for permission to do much anyway. :)

[ikramerica--2008]

No fooling. This school principal is full of himself to think that he has control of the use of the image of the building. Now, the photographer may have a right, but the principal has none.

[Moped_Wrecker]

Public building, taken from a public place. No permission required.

[Moozle]

I would also like to know to whom McCain was referring to when he mentioned "... the boy whose descendants came over on the 'Mayflower' ..."

Now my wife and sons' ANCESTORS came over on the 'Mayflower' but I don?t know nuthin' about any BOY.

[pjhenry1216]

I think the main point the school's principle was trying to make is that they didn't want to seem to be endorsing any candidate. He says there was no permission involved because if there was, it would seem like a public entity was biased towards a certain political party, which is outright wrong. Same with the last part of his statement saying that they don't endorse ANY political party or views. Lets all relax a little and realize the principle was covering his ass NOT being full of himself.

[sanenazok]

In other words, the principal says he does not approve although admittedly he has no right to disapprove. Wow, not biased at all. Haha a UNION school official in California who doesn't like McCain. What a giant surprise! It's a nice looking building in any event. The principal is drawing attention to himself, though!

[ofmyony]

Ina refrained by saying things which is her option, I personally appreciate all opinions and those of others. I welcome Ina's opinion and I appreciate this article. About the middle school I don't know if it's a mistake that is a crime in some way. I do know it reflects on the competence of the person who took the wrong photo or the person responsible and in their position in the party.

In a side note. I feel that every American deserves the right to the best health care America can provide. It should be a right just like education and the right to vote! I am not sure every American will have that right after listening to Senator John Mccain's speech at the RNC.

[ncgmcpherson]

I don't know, I've known a few public school principles, and I'm going with the full of himself opinion. Does anyone really care if a middle school would endorse someone. To the articles point, I can't think of too many people who would say, "Hey, I'm an alumni of that middle school. Those were the best times of my life. I think I'll vote for McCain because he used their photo."

[sanenazok]

Hey Ina it's not "your" junior high. It's not even the principal's. This may have been a mistake, but don't see how it matters, it was a nice looking building after all. People move on, nothing to see here. Also CNN in covering the RNC convention had a graphic up that showed that McCain had won the "Democratic" party nomination!. Now that's a mistake and it's also not worth talking about.

Regarding the comments above, ofmyony probably meant "entitlement" as opposed to "right." Everyone has a right to health care, education, vote, travel and so forth. That doesn't mean the government must provide it to you, it means the government shouldn't interfere with those things. Entitlements to social programs are a different thing altogether.

[M C]

Are you THAT partisan-driven? Step back, for God's sake!

[obesity105]

fyi, a "factoid" is something that many people believe to be true, but is actually false. For example, the idea that a factoid is a "neat little fact" is a factoid.

[meyersm]

Thanks for your comment. You're right, but there's more to it. Note Merriam-Webster's second definition-- "1 : an invented fact believed to be true because of its appearance in print 2 : a briefly stated and usually trivial fact "

[GotAMD]

I really don't see anything wrong with it, and I definitely am not a McCain fan. Every time I've seen some place from my life in the news, my reaction is "hey, cool!". As others have said, it's a public building, etc., etc. It's hard to take photos of anything outside a studio without having something or someone in it who didn't specifically consent.

[mikeburek]

I get tired of all this "endorsement" talk. If I can only pick a candidate by who the best looking actor "endorses," then I don't deserve to vote. Based on this, I support an electoral college very much because I think it is a good backup system.

If I really care enough about some organization to vote based on who they want as regardless of what I want, then I should still vote the way I decide to vote myself and I can donate time / help / money to that organization throughout the year.

[chazzsubscribe]

NOT A MISTAKE

CNN's Wolf Blitzer reported that McCain's campaign said the picture was part of a plethora of "American" pictures behind McCain. Was NOT supposed to be a hospital. Was supposed to be a generic school.

[ferretboy88]

I thing we should just stick to talking about tech instead of politics. It could get heated.

[jerry_track3]

The photographer or the owner of the photograph hold the copyright of the image depicted. You do need permission to use a copyrighted like that. For example you cannot download a picture from some random web page and use it on your web page. Another example is that the campaigns cannot use music recordings without permission from the copyright holder.

[andywarhol1997]

Shout out to Walter Reed hip hop drill team :-)
Heres a song for you
Alicia Keys - No One

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktUSIJEiOug

Now thoughts on Mr Schmidt and Mr Rove dissing Plywood!

Obama's stage was made out of plywood
Mr Schmidt and Mr Rove have no respect for plywood.
So they are dissing carpenters and ...

Madonna - Material Girl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZ0Tm8mo2o

Which means Mr Schmidt and Mr Rove have attacked ...

Marilyn Monroe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0FDGnAIWpk

[HlLLARY CLITON]

this is probably Google's fault and McCain should sue them

[TrooperVA8]

It wouldn't be unreasonable, had folks at the RNC (or anyone else) realized it was actually the Walter Reed Middle School, to make sure they had permission to use an image of the school in such a forum (that is, in a way in which the school might be seen as being sure for commercial or partisan political purposes). The principal is simply making it clear that no permission was granted as a way to make crystal clear that it took no steps to endorse a "product," commercial or political, not that permission might have been needed by the RNC, as if she herself were issuing a legal opinion. Sometimes are "required by law," some things are just good ideas.

[vonnegut_lives]

McCain is a great man. Your high School is Squat. But if you would like something negative about McCain you can sink your teeth into, here you go.

http://myrealitytelevision.com/2008/09/john-mccain-rnc-speech-shows-no-real-direction/

but you people are suck suckers. Shoot, anything to find a reason to bash McCain and promote Obama Bin Laden. LOL.

[meh130]

A: It's public property.
B: Grow up.

[dishsoap1]

Don't Worry Little I was picked on in Junior High Liberal, it was a mistake. I'm sure McCain will never let it happen again.