Being a natural cynic, I find this more amusing then angering, particularly since i have long suspected candidates of all stripes of doing this at least on occasion.

But no, I was sagely assured by more experienced political watchers, that these events are carefully screened in order to keep them honest.

Uh huh.  Sorry I never believed that.  Candidates are all about Spin, Appearence and Image and they clearly screen for safe softball questions, if not planting the questions directly.

And in at least this one case, my skepticism bore fruit:

Clinton aides plant student's question

The Iowa caucuses are known for their “living-room chats” where ordinary Iowans can meet candidates face-to-face and talk about what interests voters. When candidates have larger events or make major policy speeches, the crowds are bigger, but there is often still an opportunity for questions. But under the pressures of major media coverage, with polls narrowing in Iowa, campaigns can potentially control questions and coverage by planning questions ahead of time.

While no campaigns admit to this practice, at a recent Hillary Clinton campaign event in Newton, Iowa, some of the questions posed to the New York Senator were planned in advance, planting some audience members in the crowd.

On Tuesday Nov. 6, the Clinton campaign stopped at a biodiesel plant in Newton as part of a weeklong series of events to introduce her new energy plan. The event was clearly intended to be as much about the press as the Iowa voters in attendance, as a large press corps helped fill the small venue. Reporters from many major national news outlets came to the small Iowa town, from such media giants as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, and CNN.

After her speech, Clinton accepted questions. But according to Grinnell College student Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff ’10, some of the questions from the audience were planned in advance. “They were canned,” she said. Before the event began, a Clinton staff member approached Gallo-Chasanoff to ask a specific question after Clinton’s speech. “One of the senior staffers told me what [to ask],” she said.

Clinton called on Gallo-Chasanoff after her speech to ask a question: what Clinton would do to stop the effects of global warming. Clinton began her response by noting that young people often pose this question to her before delving into the benefits of her plan.

But the source of the question was no coincidence—at this event “they wanted a question from a college student,” Gallo-Chasanoff said. She also noted that staffers prompted Clinton to call on her and another who had been approached before the event, although Clinton used her discretion to select questions and called on people who had not been prepped before hand. Some of the questions asked were confusing and clearly off-message.

 The other candidates of course feigned outrage:

“Our campaign does not plant questions,” said Lauren Rose, Communications Director for Governor Bill Richardson’s campaign. When asked what she would think of other campaigns who did plant audience members, Rose said, “I think campaigns should give Iowa caucus-goers the chance to ask the questions they want.”

When asked if the John Edwards campaign employed such practices, Jenni Lee, Edwards’s Iowa Press Secretary said, “No, they ask whatever they want.”

But then again, what does Hillary's campaign say:

But the Clinton campaign also denied the practice of planting. “It’s not a practice of our campaign to ask people to ask specific questions,” said Mark Daley, Clinton’s Iowa Communications Director. Daley said that when an event is focusing on a specific topic, such as health care or Iraq, “people are encouraged to ask questions in these regards,” but denied that they are given specific questions.

Not quite as bad, but still...

But when directly asked if his statements meant that planting does not occur in the Hillary campaign, Daley could only say, “to the best of my knowledge.”

“[Planting] is not something that is encouraged in our campaign,” he said.

A politician's answer.

Here is a nice video report:

Hot Air picked up the story and seems to share my cynicism:

Busted!

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton’s campaign admitted Friday that it planted a global warming question in Newton, Iowa, Tuesday during a town hall meeting to discuss clean energy.

Clinton campaign spokesman Mo Elliethee admitted that the campaign had planted the question and said it would not happen again.

“On this occasion a member of our staff did discuss a possible question about Senator Clinton’s energy plan at a forum,” Elliethee said.

“However, Senator Clinton did not know which questioners she was calling on during the event. This is not standard policy and will not be repeated again.”

Not standard policy. Uh-huh.

But Wait!!  Another one?

Updated and bumped: h/t commenter AndyB - Another accusation emerges. It looks even worse. A Clinton staffer claimed to be talking to him because they were acquainted.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — For the second time in as many days, Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign has had to deal with accusations of planting questions during public appearances.

Mitchell, however, said that he and Hayler did not know each other personally before the event.

"I had no previous relationship with him," said Mitchell. "I knew his name and by name only as some who worked for Sen. Evan Bayh. But we didn't know each other and I had never met him before this event."

Mitchell told Fox the Clinton campaign wanted to contrast Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama who had recently said the president would probably prevail in the Iraq funding battle with Congress.

Mithell said he refused to ask the question.

"I told Chris I had other issues I wanted to raise with Sen. Clinton," Mitchell said.

Asked what those were, Mitchell said, "I wanted to ask her why she voted for the Iraq war and why she didn't consider that a mistake."

Mitchell told FOX News, for that Hayler, the Clinton campaign worker, was unhappy and moved on to others.

"I know he tried to have others ask that question," Mitchell said.

Michelle Malkin chimes in.

Remember when Hillary launched her presidential campaign by touting her folksy bid to start a “conversation–with you, with America?” We knew it was phony baloney, but not this phony baloney: 

Heh.

And Jay at Stop the ACLU has his reactions as well as some Blogosphere pile on:

What I find amusing is that for all the whining of Hillary about people “piling on” on and picking on her…out of all the attacks on her, she does more damage to herself than anyone else could hope for. I’m a bit surprised at just how disastrous her campaign is becoming. I’m sure her campaign are in panic mode from what they thought was going to be a hsu in candidate.

As always with the Clintons, the compromising of integrity doesn’t bother them….until they get caught.

Captain Ed:

Without integrity, politicians and news agencies are absolutely nothing. They are game-show hosts, only less intellectual. If they have to fix games, it means they already know they’re losers. Even the Black Sox had more integrity than that.

Don Surber:

Unable to handle real questions from real reporters, Mrs. Clinton has taken to having gullible college students ask her softball at those townhall meetings she’s holding.

Did I say softball? I meant T-ball.

Dan Riehl:

Hillary may think it takes a village to raise a child, but apparently it only takes one person to have a conversation - as long as you have an aide planting questions. Bill can’t take responsibility for this one. I guess the aide will have to do.

QandO:

It’s only “another blow” to those who ever thought of the New York senator as a trustworthy politician. Given her history, that wouldn’t be me.

Again, I am not surprised her staff did it.  I am however moderately surprised they admitted it....

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