Student given question to ask Clinton: I wasn't only one
Watch Student Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff's interview with CNN.
GRINNELL, Iowa (CNN) - The college student who says she was told what question to ask at one of Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign events told CNN Monday that she wasn't the only one at the event who was a plant and said "voters have the right to know what really happened."
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff, a 19-year-old sophomore at Grinnell College in Iowa - whose story in her campus newspaper has now been widely circulated - said that giving anyone specific questions to ask is "dishonest," and the whole incident has given her a negative outlook on politics.
Gallo-Chasanoff, an undecided voter, said what happened was really pretty simple: she says a senior Clinton staffer asked if she'd like to ask the senator a question after an energy speech she gave in Newton, Iowa, on November 6. (Watch Gallo-Chasanoff ask Clinton the question)
"I sort of thought about it, and I said 'Yeah, can I ask how her energy plan compares to the other candidates' energy plans?'" Gallo-Chasanoff said.
"'I don't think that's a good idea," the staffer said, according to Gallo-Chasanoff, "because I don't know how familiar she is with their plans."
He then opened a binder to a page that, according to Gallo-Chasanoff, had about eight questions on it.
"The top one was planned specifically for a college student," she added. " It said 'college student' in brackets and then the question."
-CNN's Chris Welch and David Schechter
Honestly people why are we so surprised about this. This is a part of the political no matter planned or casual it was. It's situations like this that other countries can can use in proving how naive we truly are. Mrs.Clinton is a politician and has a staff of people to make sure she wins this election. Here's the main difference between Republicans and Democrats is Democrats get caught doing this kind of thing, Republicans don't. Name the issue Democrats get caught and then later on in someone's book a retired Republican tells his life story and everything is presented out for the world to see. We need to get in our collective heads, we are in control of where this country goes in the present and future. It is our responsibility to not be swayed by popular opinion.
Maybe we could coax Ken Star out of retirement to investigate. He did such a bang-up job the last time. Seriously though, is this such a big deal? At least Hillary has to memorize the answers, since she is not wired like Bush.
All canidates do this. Even our on President does this and got caught
Posted By No Name, Alexandria, VA : November 13, 2007 8:56 am
Come on, That doesn't make it right!
To the person who asks above "what about Bush's and FEMA's fake news conferences and q and a sessions...
uh... I think that's the point. Hillary is exactly of the same ilk as Bush is. She's really, really good at manipulating voters and the media.
Haven't we had enough of this b.s. yet?
Obama/Edwards 08!
I can't wait. Stop the Hate. Change our fate. Don't be late.
With all the issues at hand that affect our everyday lives–health care, the war, the justice dept.–and this girl complains about a planted question??!!!! Get over it!! This doesn't matter a hill of beans to ANYONE!!! Enough with the conspiracy theory. This is the problem with politics–the media covers bogus issues like Howard Dean's yell–and the attention is drawn away from people who are doing REAL harm to our nation like those who expose CIA agent's names or partake in other forms of government corruption. Stick to IMPORTANT issues!!!! PLEASE!!!
THe day Hilary becomes president is the day we will turn into the USSR, but without the mass murders.
Ironically people hate Bush's patriot act, but it will be ten times worse and we will lose our rights slowly...
but if voters want it... vote away like clowns
Wow, over 300 hundred responses. You do know what this means DON'T YOU? When you talk about Hillary, it is news. If this would have been Edwards or Bama, dead in the water. This chick is in bad need for attention... "see me, hear me, somebody notice me." If this really had any merit to it and I was the one approached to ask the question, I would have agreed and then when John called on me, I would have said,"I was just approached by one of you campain staff to ask you this question. Do you think you will be able to answer it is less than 5 paragraphs?" HAHAHAHAHA
Perhaps the next Billary Administration can give Ms. Gallo-Chasanoff an intership and restore her positive outlook on politics..
This is much to do about nothing. It was a darn good question and I think the girl is just lookin for headlines. The media needs to get some where and have a seat! Ok we all know you media people hate Hillary and Bill. We all know its sweeps week and ya need a headline, but COME ON! GO Hillary! I'm still voting for Biden (Big Smile)
By the way can anyone name me a 100% HONEST politican?
Posted By Salita, SC : November 13, 2007 8:45 am
I can name a 100% DISHONEST candidate...Hillary Clinton
And does anyone proof of any other democratic campaign doing this, or is it all hearsay?
Does anyone on this post realize that maybe she isn't the only politician who has planted people in the audience? Um yea, like its never happened before....we just didn't hear about it.
Why is this even a story? You have to have a ticket and sware you are a republican to get in to hear the moron president try to read a speech and you think the questions aren't soft?
She was doing a good job fooling americans.To bad she's not as slick as her husband.
This is getting good.....Hillary is no mental powerhouse. I expect to see more of this...can't wait.
It is very scary that anyone would vote for her.Looks like CNN has taken away free speech .I see my comment will be reviewed.
I cannot believe all the people making excuses for HRC planting a question in the audience!! I can't believe the excuses about "it's a way of getting your message out there"..... People...WAKE UP!! It's not a matter of "planting the question"...it's the principle behind the act.....A town hall meeting is supposed to be a forum where the candidate responds to HONEST QUESTIONS FROM EVERYDAY PEOPLE. If HRC wants to make sure a question is asked.... why not just take a moment out of the questioning and say honestly "Let me ask you all a question"....or "Here something I want to make sure gets mentioned"...... Why make it seem as though someone just "happens" to ask the canned question off-the-cuff....THAT'S what's dishonest about it....
Obama '08
Post Script.....
and if you believe that HRC "didn't know" the question was planted.......I'VE GOT A BRIDGE TO SELL YOU IN BROOKLYN, NYC!!
This isn't new. When I was in college I interned with ABC News at the Republican Conference in Philly. They were pulling people off the streets, handing them signs and paying them to cheer and wave their signs when their candidate came on stage. It is all for the cameras. I am sure that all the candidates have 'people' to do that for them.
#1- if she didn't think it was moral why did she agree voluntarily to ask the question- or is she a plant by the Republicans- please note she said one of the staffers not Hilary did this-
so who is dishonest- this woman asked a question on her own why didn't she just change it to what she wanted to ask in spite of the staffer at that point there would be little they could have done about it
GO HILLARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Military Wife in FL, Republicans in 2008? Sure.. if you just want to keep watching our soldiers die in Iraq, go ahead and vote republican.
Don't let the media and money dictate your choices. Give Biden a look!
Ok. So she was clearly a double agent, working for one of the other campaigns. Probably Obama's.
Whatever.
Please Lord , we are in deep doo doo here , give the USA a break , any one of the Democrats but Clinton ! LOL
Ron Paul 2008.
Bush and the Republican party have been doing this for years and years. In fact, one could say that Bush has not been asked publicly an original question, by the public or the press, since he has been president. That this is framed as news is an indictment of the complicity of the press in perpetuating this charade. This is obviously a would-be political hit piece. I question the intelligence, nay, the *sentience* of anyone who would read this article as anything else.
It is Bush's fault that Hillary had to plant questions. It is Bush's fault that she can't give a straight answers on important questions. It is Bush's fault that the young woman must be attacked by Clinton, Inc. It is Bush's fault that Mrs. Clinton has to raise funny money from the Chinese. Man, I hate Bush.