Bush campaign defends visit to elementary school

The stop at Wimauma Elementary was during a Tampa campaign trip, but Bush says he was acting as governor.

©Associated Press
May 16, 2002

Gov. Jeb Bush defended Wednesday a campaign swing stop at a Hillsborough County school, saying it was a brief return to his gubernatorial role and therefore not a violation of a local rule against politics in schools.

Bush's campaign spokesman meanwhile charged that complaints by the Hillsborough school system about the governor's visit to Wimauma Elementary School during a campaign trip were motivated by the teachers union's opposition to Bush.

Bush spent Tuesday in campaign mode, stumping for re-election. His campaign -- not taxpayers -- paid for a trip that included stops in the Tampa and Orlando areas. Campaign staffers, not state workers, organized the trip.

The Hillsborough County school district complained that Bush shouldn't have been visiting its school during a campaign stop.

District spokesman Mark Hart told reporters "you don't do campaign-related press events at our schools," citing a district policy.

After a bill signing ceremony Wednesday morning, Bush said he was acting as Gov. Bush when he visited the school, not candidate Bush.

"I didn't campaign," Bush said.

He said there wasn't "one statement about the election, I didn't ask for anybody's vote, didn't talk about the campaign. I answered questions from the students, which I do regularly."

Asked why the visit was listed as part of the campaign's schedule, and not the governor's official schedule, Bush replied that "the rest of the day was political in nature."

Bush campaign spokesman Todd Harris said school district officials had talked to the campaign office and said after-the-fact complaining was motivated by the state teachers union's opposition to Bush.

Meanwhile, Harris pointed out that Democratic candidate Janet Reno has appeared in schools in districts with similar rules against political activities.

Reno visited schools in Polk and Sarasota counties recently during a campaign tour. Those districts both have published rules against political activity in school facilities.

Reno spokeswoman Nicole Harburger said the campaign had discussed ground rules with schools the candidate visited.

"She doesn't ask for votes; she listens and learns," Harburger said. "We respect that boundary. Whatever guidelines the school shares with us we adhere to."

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