(Columbia) March 29, 2006 - After revelations about
the Lt. Governor's driving record came to light, critics
have pointed to another aspect of the Lt. Governor and
his office that they say should be examined.
It's a controversial website aimed at teens. The Lt.
Governor says his office is using it to network with
potential voters.
With just a couple of clicks anyone with access to a
computer can see Lt. Governor Andre Bauer in his Senate
robe with President Bush on the website MySpace.com.
It's a popular site for teens and 20-somethings.
"It's mainly like college-age I guess," says Ashley
Akin about the MySpace audience. Akin is an intern in
the Lt. Governor's Office. WIS caught up with her on the
job, and she also has a site on MySpace.
Everyone has a site on MySpace, according to Ashley,
"I mean, everyone. The Lt. Gov. has one and several
interns have one so we look at it every now and then."
MySpace is free. Through the site members create web
pages with short bios, photos and messages.
WIS asked Bauer about his site as he walked through
West Columbia to file for re-election, "I've let anybody
that wanted to sign up and learn about me. I want them
to learn about it."
On Bauer's page 160 people are listed as friends.
They're people who can write him messages. To become a
friend, Bauer has to say it's okay.
Ashley told us Bauer asked to be on her site. Bauer
told us it's actually one of his staff members, John
McGill, who runs the site for him, "My staff is
instructed to be very cautious to anyone who writes in."
Listed as Bauer's friends, a few women with links to
pictures too provocative to show you and some young
people under the age of 18.
All of those people claim to be on the Lieutenant
Governor's staff. Most are interns, like Ashley, who
told us that she checks the site at work once in a
while.
But according to Lt. Gov. Bauer, that's not how the
work computers are to be used, "I don't know anybody
that says they've done it at work. But if they are, they
aren't supposed to be."
Bauer says his site in a non-issue, and encourages
everyone to check it out.
Reported by Kara
Gormley
Posted 7:05pm by Chantelle
Janelle
