Bennet's campaign apologizes for electioneering in schools

Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-Colo.) campaign has been forced to apologize for political meddling in the Denver public school system.

Bennet served as superintendent there before being appointed to the Senate early this year, and his campaign has reportedly tapped those connections in an inappropriate way.

From the Denver Post:

Electioneering missteps in Denver Public Schools in the race for the U.S. Senate sent one principal to the woodshed and have Sen. Michael Bennet's campaign offering up a mea culpa.

Bennet's campaign recently sent mailings to at least one school seeking the principal's support. And a flier for a Bennet fundraiser was handed out by one principal to others at a district workshop — both inappropriate campaign actions, Bennet's campaign acknowledges.

"If anything happened at work, it's a mistake and we would do anything possible to prevent that from happening again, and it shouldn't have happened in the first place," said Bennet's campaign manager, Craig Hughes.

School-board member Jeannie Kap lan, a supporter of Bennet's Democratic rival in the primary, Andrew Romanoff, said the actions are causing unease among some principals.

"They feel afraid," said Kaplan, who is running unopposed to retain her school-board seat. "I don't want our principals to be under that pressure — to support a particular political agenda."

Bennet was Denver's superintendent for more than three years, resigning in January after Gov. Bill Ritter picked him for the U.S. Senate.