Everything connected to the Calderon political family is getting media scrutiny now, since state Sen. Ron Calderon was named in an FBI affidavit, made public by the Al Jazeera America news organization, alleging the Montebello Democrat took bribes from undercover agents. One Sacramento Bee follow-up story looked at allegations that Calderon and his brother Tom Calderon, a lobbyist and former state assemblyman, used a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization to receive money from the Latino Caucus, in exchange for Ron’s support in a leadership dispute.
Several other stories have looked at the Calderon’s willingness to carry water for an array of special interests, including Hollywood, Indian gaming and the payday-loan industry, among others.
But the Sacramento daily press has ignored the connection between Calderon and Sacramento’s own Michelle Rhee.
Rhee, of course, is the wife of Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, and a controversial figure in education policy. Her Sacramento-based StudentsFirst organization has lobbied for a particular flavor of corporate-backed education reform.
As reported in Al Jazeera—which was first to publish the FBI affidavit—StudentsFirst last year plowed nearly $400,000 into the successful Assembly campaign of Ian Calderon, son of former legislator Charles Calderon, eldest brother of Tom and Ron. On February 21, according to the Al Jazeera report, StudentsFirst lobbyists met with lobbyist Tom. The next day, brother Ron introduced legislation to change the way teachers are evaluated, part of the StudentsFirst legislative agenda.
Given Rhee’s status in Sacramento and the city’s prominent place in the education-reform movement, the Al Jazeera story raises all sorts of interesting questions. Like, why are we reading about this in Al Jazeera instead of in the Bee?
Nothing Michelle Rhee or her husband, Kevin Johnson, do ever seems to get serious srcutiny in the "serious" media.
Cheating scandal in D.C.?
Nah, we don't feel like checking into that story.
Letter showing Rhee knew there was widespread cheating going on?
Nah, we don't feel like checking into that story.
Evidence that KJ is a sexual predator?
Nah, we don't feel like checking into that story.
Evidence that Rhee's lobbying group bribed a a state legislator through his brother.
Nah, we don't feel like checking into that story.
It's like she's got Kryptonite around her.
Gates Foundation-funded Kryptonite.
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