Clinton’s Long, Winding Road Drives Driver to Abandon Bus

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. — The Clinton bus campaign pushed hard across the Midwest--perhaps too hard for safety.

A bus driver walked off the job after a day of driving that began shortly before 8 a.m. on Thursday and continued until 2:30 a.m. Friday. It was the second marathon day of the campaign’s three-day Midwest tour.

“I’ve had no sleep. They’ve been pushing us every day, 20 hours a day,” said Dan Carroll, who drove one of the news media buses. “I’m at the breaking point.”

Driving in the motorcade, under Secret Service supervision, is demanding work with tight formations and frequent stops. “They expect us to do this with four hours’ sleep. It can’t be done,” said Carroll, who cited federal rules that limit driving days to 15 hours, with at least eight hours of rest.

The campaign was forced to begin the day Friday a bus short, but after discussions, Carroll later returned.

Dee Dee Myers, Clinton’s press secretary, called the incident “unfortunate” but said everything had been straightened out.