Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, on Friday rebuffed reports suggesting that she was not Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s first choice to be schools chancellor, saying the mayor told her personally that he had not offered the job to anyone else.
The New York Times reported on Friday that Mr. Bloomberg had originally tried but failed to persuade Geoffrey Canada, the Harlem education leader, to take the job.
Ms. Black suggested the report did not jibe with what Mr. Bloomberg had told her in October, when he invited Ms. Black to the offices of his foundation to offer her the chancellor’s position.
“What he said to me is, ‘You’re the first person I’ve offered this job to,’ ” Ms. Black said on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York.”
Intriguing.
So who leaked the Canada/Rhee story yesterday?
It sounded like it came from Canada or someone close to Canada.
And it sounded like Bloomberg wanted the story out there so he could make it seem like he didn't pull this choice of Black out of his rich arrogant ass.
But if that's the strategy on the one hand, he's undercutting Black on the other by making her look bad.
Not that making her look bad is hard thing to do.
Every time she opens her mouth and says something about NYC schools, she looks bad.
See here for that.
Still, this story/legend/tall tale about Geoffrey Canada and perhaps Michelle Rhee asked to be schools chancellor before Black weakens an already severely weakened woman.
Maybe Cathie Black can add herself to the layoff list?
My guess is that this bogus story about offering Canada the position was "leaked" by the DOEs Communication Director Natalie Ratitz or someone on her staff. King Bloomberg must be pretty unhappy with how this is turning out now... he's probably wishing he would have kept his gag order on Black for a few more weeks.
ReplyDeleteI just watched Black's interview on Fox News. Boy is she arrogant! (and misguided) :(
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