Just when you thought politics could not get weirder, we learn that a public relations guy is running a campaign against President Obama’s pick for Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel.
Turns out the campaign is run by Bradley Tusk, who has the following connections: Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst, and Eva Moskowitz’s Success Academy. He also ran the NY campaign to lift the cap on charters, paid for by the Wall Street crowd and Mayor Bloomberg.
This is one of the strangest set of links in politics today.
Remember when decisions about schools were made by the superintendent and the principals? And when teachers closed their door and their classroom was their domain? That was long, long ago.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
NEVER give up your power. The Constitution limits the GOVT. not the people. Abolish the US DOE!!
LikeLike
I just had to turn on the AC in January. Some folks might think that strange, but I’ll tell you, I had to reread this post to absorb its weirdness.
LikeLike
Yes, this does sound interesting.
However, I do remember when “decisions about schools were made under local control by the supt and the principals.” When I grew up in Kansas, this meant – black kids were confined to a few inferior schools, there were virtually no athletic teams for young women, and virtually no provisions for students with special needs.
And I know of some districts that hire detectives to prevent low income families who don’t live in their district from attending schools – and then take such families to court. That’s local control too. Is that what you want?
LikeLike
“When I grew up in Kansas,…”. Let’s see, “married for 36 years” Joe, that would be at least 40 years ago, yes? Want to go back even farther than that to prove your point?
LikeLike
Mathcs, you are correct about what local control meant more than 40 years ago. However, for many people of color, “local control” remains code for “keeping people down that white folks don’t like.”
I had a conversation yesterday with the first African American elected to the St Paul, Mn City Council. He made this point.
LikeLike
I can tell you that in my state it is mostly happening locally. Bobby Jindal and his cronies are rewriting laws and writing new laws so they can privatize the whole state whitch I am sure he is getting his fair share. So maybe here in Louisiana we should abolish the LDOE. I agree that Arne Duncan is an idiot and is allowing it to happen but believe me the local governments are running with it.
LikeLike
“Just when you thought politics could not get weirder, . . . .”
We really don’t have politics (in any real democratic sense) any more. Political power in America has become almost entirely concentrated among a small group of elites based on money and access to power who seek to manipulate the public to either ratify their agenda or passivate resistance. Nearly 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Western “democracies” have been reduced to their own form of what used to be called “Kremlin watching”, with the public trying to decipher who among the elites is dominant at any given moment. In a real democracy, clowns like Tusk would have a job that really suited their personalities, like cleaning porta-potties.
LikeLike
David, while I agree there is reason to be frustrated, aren’t you encouraged by the re-election of President Obama? Can you imagine Mr. Romney taking office on a day we celebrate the work of Dr. King? I agree that big money has too much influence. But I’m one of millions who are thrilled that the President was re-elected, despite huge efforts by very conservative, wealthy people to defeat him.
LikeLike
Joe,
No, I wasn’t much encouraged at all. Obama is “Romney Light”, or as I often say, “Obama will do what Romney would do, only with some Vaseline.”
Real reform requires a party that is committed to good governance, like the Greens or Rocky Anderson’s American Justice Party. The very rich will get nearly everything they want from Obama; never underestimate the power of political kabuki. Case in point, Obama has prosecuted fewer financial wrongdoers than George W. Bush.
What’s there to get encouraged about? Would MLK tolerate Guantanamo Bay? Afghanistan? Drone strikes? The worst poverty since the 1960s? Would he find all that encouraging? I doubt it.
LikeLike
Rachel called them out on Monday.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/01/28/16736738-bullpucky-alert-proves-effective?lite
LikeLike
Rachel is a huge fan of President Obama, and regularly cites his accomplishments. She doesn’t agree with everything he does, but I think she would be much amused (and vigorously disagree) with David L’s description of the President as “Romney light.”
LikeLike