There may be no stranger bedfellows than Representative Paul D. Ryan and Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, the former White House chief of staff, but on Monday Mr. Ryan declared his support of Mr. Emanuel in the Chicago teachers’ strike.
“We know that Rahm is not going to support our campaign, but on this issue and this day we stand with Mayor Rahm Emanuel,’’ Mr. Ryan said.
Mr. Emanuel and the teachers’ union are at loggerheads primarily over a new evaluation system tied to student test scores and whether laid-off teachers should have priority to fill future job openings.
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“This does not have to divide the two parties,’’ Mr. Ryan said at a fund-raising event in Portland, Ore., according to a pool report. “And so we were going to ask, where does President Obama stand? Does he stand with his former chief of staff, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, with the children and the parents, or does he stand with the union?’’
Mitt Romney also issued a statement condemning the Chicago Teachers Union and accusing the Obama administration of being beholden to unions at the expense of children.
It's nonsense that the Obama administration has been beholden to unions.
This is just another lie from a man who has made a living out of deception and double dealing.
In point of fact, Barack Obama has been as anti-union as many a good Republican, though perhaps not as virulent about it as, say, Scott Walker or Rick Scott.
Just ask the people at the UAW given a 50% pay cut.
Or the teachers Barack had whacked at Central Falls.
Nonetheless Paul Ryan does bring up a good point.
Where does Obama stand in this fight publicly?
Now you know and I know that behind the scenes, he sides with Rahm.
After all, the corporate education reform agenda that Rahm is trying to finish imposing on Chicago students and teachers is Barack Obama's official education policy - school closings, teacher firings, high stakes standardized tests all throughout the year and teacher evaluations tied to those scores.
Indeed, that was the agenda of Arne Duncan, Barack Obama's current Secretary of Education, when he ran Chicago schools back in the mid-2000's and it continues to be Duncan's agenda today.
Obama hired Duncan at USDOE and gave him wide powers to promote corporate education reform because that's the policy he wants promoted.
So it's no real secret where Obama stands on this.
But Obama can't come out and say that's where he stands on this because he needs the unions - particular the teachers unions - for November's GOTV effort as well as fundraising.
So instead the White House and the Obama campaign inhabit some jive ass middle ground that doesn't really exist.
Like Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, Barack Obama and Joe Biden stand with Rahm Emanuel against Chicago teachers and union members.
Is that a good enough reason to not vote for any of these people if you're a teacher?
I know it is for me.
Why help out in a campaign or vote for a guy who's just looking to use you until November, then do to you what his buddy Rahmbo wants to do now?
So Obama can remain mum on this strike all he wants - we know where he stands and it sure as hell ain't with the students, teachers and parents of the CPS.
Obama sides with Penny Pritzker, Bill Gates and
ReplyDeletewherever the money comes from. Obama's actions are disconnected from truth, fairness and social justice. Obama's silence is the pragmatic silence of agreement with the anti-union factions. This is really all about the influence of money to pervert the outcome of democratic elections and to ultimately bring wealth into the coffers of politicians during and after their terms in office. Profits for corporations are the key driving factor in deciding how they milk taxpayer money for the uber rich.
No one should be surprised at this any more. After Wisconsin,the president obviously does not own that pair of comfortable shoes he said he did during the campaign. I bet if this was a strike in Ohio or Florida where the election hung in the balance, he would have already been there or used is influence to get a fair deal done.
ReplyDeleteI am with you CTU, it does not feel like much just being able to wear red shirts, but at the moment it is the best I can do.