McCain and that North Hollywood middle school**

Forget the speech. Folks are wondering about the picture on the huge screen behind John McCain Thursday night at the GOP convention. Bloggers have  been doing some detective work. And that brought them to ... North Hollywood. This from Talking Points Memo:

A lot of people were asking tonight: what the hell was that mansion up behind John McCain tonight during the first part of the speech? As I noted below, the TV close-ups only showed McCain's head against the grass in the picture, which made it look like he was reprising his famed green screen performance. And when they panned out, it looked like McCain was showing off one of his mansions. Well, several readers have written in to tell me that the building is actually the main building on the campus of the Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, California. And sure enough, this page on the school's website makes it pretty clear that they're correct.

ABC News wonders if our local middle school was chosen by mistake:

A little Googling reveals that the photo appears to be the exterior of Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, California. Was this a school McCain attended or is otherwise significant to the campaign? Symbolic of his message, perhaps? The campaign isn't saying. But there is speculation on the Web, asking, could it simply have been an error and Walter Reed Medical Center was the intended image?

*Update: Reed principal Donna Tobin released this statement: "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.  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.”

**Update 2: The Times' Brady MacDonald points out that Talking Points Memo found out that Walter Reed Middle School was also the backdrop to the fiction presidential bid announcement by "Matt Santos" on "The West Wing." TPM has video too.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[Peter]

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[Wendy]

How out of touch is John McCain with our wounded veterans that he claims to empathize with if he doesn't even realize that this is not Walter Reed Hospital?

[Mark]

that's just funny. I drive by that school every day.

[Michael]

Sarah Palin used a photo of a sunset over the Santa Monica Pier several times during her speech. I suspect the imagery is supposed to subtly suggest the twilight of the liberal coasts. All that fun and plurality 20 feet above the waves... it's un-American!

[Pat G.]

I am seriously amazed at this.

It was shocking enough to see all those protesters get past security to disrupt Sen. McCain's speech, but for his own campaign not to know the difference between the Walter Reed Medical Center and a middle school in North Hollywood? And I'm supposed to trust these people to protect me and my family?

[ferplexion]

John McCain and the whole Republican party are totally incompetent. This is just another fine example. Would you really trust these people to run the country?

[Roger]

It's funny that the blogs have pinned the situation down before the McCain camp even recognized there was a problem. First of all, why would they bring up the Walter Reed hospital anyway? To remind everyone how the chickenhawks sent kids off to war and then cut funding for them when they come home. Sheesh.

McCain's vp selection process: http://tinyurl.com/5zr47h

[yourkillingmelarry]

I'm sorry, this is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Could you imagine somebody in the McCain campaign last night asking one of the staffers what that building is? "um, I don't know....I think its Walter Reed". I wonder what kind of feeling the campaign manager had in their stomach once they realized they put up a picture of a middle school in North Hollywood as the backdrop of the most important speech the GOP will make of this campaign. Somebody has been let go today.

People understand pictures, this is not a small mishap for the McCain campaign. McCain standing in front of this huge error screams.....Incompetence! It's unfortunate, in many ways I like McCain, this is a slap in the face of his service to this country.

[rustyaustin]

It boggles the mind that there is still anyone out there that would vote for these idiots. If I did something like that I would be fired before the end of the speech.

[Jon]

At first, I thought perhaps that was one of McCain's houses that was accidentially put on the screen.

[Vicky]

I went to Walter Reed Middle School back in the days when it was referred to as a Junior High. Some of my more painful adolescent memories emanated from those halls. It is ironic for me that that looming image sat squarely in the background of this speech of historical importance. With my middle aged perspective I find it kind of scary and hysterically funny at the same time. Clearly someone on staff messed up but for no one in charge, especially our potential commander in chief, not to notice...yikes!

[David Done]

They can’t even do a Google search correctly. Do they even care about running a competent, efficient government, or is it all about power and money?

Sorry, I already know the answer.

[Rick]

Doh!!!

What a boob McCain is. He can't even throw a good party for himself.

I loved the "runway" stage last night. It forced him to strut his old man shuffle little longer so we could all see just how crappy he looks.

And he picked a perky VP to help us see how slow, hunched up and old he is.

He's an old guy with old ideas - he thinks he's about change but he can't describe the chages he's about. Seems like his mind isn't so agile any longer either.

This election is over - can we just make it formal and get the jerk in the White House out of there now?

peace, Rick

[Andi]

Walter Reed Middle School, built in 1939 under the WPA program, is a gorgeous building and a wonderful school. It's often used by film crews. I wonder if the GOP will be sending the school a user's fee. They could use the funds for smaller classrooms, improved technology or books for the library!

[Ron Klemp]

By including a school I thought he was taking a hit at No Candidate Left Behind? At least they got the first part right right....the name....it could have Been Walter Raleigh!

[Rick]

The gang that can't shoot, or talk, straight.

[Dodge Ball]

What a laughable blunder -- at least I thought it was funny until I realized that these are the people who could be running the whole show should McCain win in November.

Now we all know why injured soldiers convalescing at the REAL Walter Reed are so anxious for recess.

[Louise]

Like others who have responded, I also graduated from this school. My hunch is that it was not an accident that this school was chosen. Not only is it attractive, frequently used in TV and feature films, but it does bear the name Walter Reed. Republican or Democrat, I'm cynical enough to believe that few things in these campaigns are left to chance.

[Josh G]

And the whole theme between Palin's speech and McCain were about how great and powerful small-town America is...al the while in front of pictures from the land of the "Hollywood elite"! The continued incompetence of the resmuglicons gives me some solace.

[PalinShmalin]

My son is a student at Reed, and while the novelty and humor of this doesn't escape me, and my husband is the one who reported it to the Huffington Post, I hate to see that the school is being deluged with media requests.

My son is in the Technology Academy with woefully outdated computers and software, the school is actually still overcrowded - whereas last year we had 1900 students on a 3 track system, meaning 1200 students at a given time - we now have a (not) "reduced" population of 1600 students.

I believe Reed is still a Title 1 school (where at least 40 percent of the children in the school attendance area are from low-income families or at least 40 percent of the student enrollment are from low-income families are eligible to receive federal Title I funds.)

If someone wants to send a news crew to Reed to see how a diverse, overcrowded, aging Middle School in a suburban area with a population of kids from wildly disparate economic circumstances functions, and talk about what could be done to help our schools in a concrete, let's-dump-No Child-Left-Behind way, I'm all for it. Otherwise the second year Principal with a revolving door of counselors and staff needs to get back to work.

I can assure you that not a dime has gone to Walter Reed Middle School that should have gone to the hospital. Do we even have a nurse?

[Ray Waldin]

I'm just glad it was only a photo for a campaign speech this time. Put these jokers in office and next time they'll drop a bomb on a school instead of some nuclear plant in Iran.

[big yellow taxi]

At least the photographer or agency who supplied the picture should have been paid (I think the school should have got a fee) so they should be able to explain why the picture was chosen.

I think it was pretty obviously a mistake though.

They just asked for a file photograph of Walter Reed.

[Bob]

Even if you use teh Google, the top results in an image search all show Walter Reed Medical Center, including two different exterior shots.

I really don't know how one can be so incompetent as to mistake a high school on the other side of the country for a prominent military hospital.

[Mike]

Why is everyone acting like the the person who made the mistake (assuming it was a mistake) is in any way part of what would be the McCain administration. Do you really believe that John McCain was in charge of getting the pictures prepared for his speech. Come on people, lets be a little realistic.

[shoo]

Typical of people who are in such a hurry to discredit anything done by someone other than Obama. The article states that ABC News WONDERS IF maybe they meant it to be Walter Reed Army Hospital. And that there is SPECULATION on the WEB that maybe that's what it was supposed to be. But as is typical, people don't read everything, and jump to conclusions that suit their beliefs. That's why Obama is getting so much support. There is nothing there but good speech making. I NEVER see anyone list ANY accomplishments. Only talk about his "change". Well the first time he passes a bill or helps write a piece of legislation will really be a "change". He has spent more time on the campaign trail than in the Senate. And he passed NOTHING in his time in the Senate in Illinois. An empty suit!!!