February 24, 2004

Secretary Paige Stands by NEA Claim

Education Secretary Rod Paige says he chose poor words in calling the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization,'' but he stands by his claim that the group uses "obstructionist scare tactics'' in its fight over the nation's education law.

Paige used the terrorist reference Monday in a private White House meeting with governors while answering a question about the National Education Association, which has 2.7 million members. His words startled members of his audience, triggered outrage from prominent Democrats and deepened the divide between the country's top education official and its largest union.

Paige told The Associated Press in an interview that he made the comment in jest.

"I was making what I now know was a bad joke; it was a poor choice of words,'' Paige said. "I was referencing the Washington-based organization in general, not teachers.''
[...]
The flap comes as the Bush administration faces increasing state opposition to the No Child Left Behind law, widely considered the most significant federal education act since Congress approved its original version in 1965. The law, approved in bipartisan fashion, requires a range of testing, teaching and school-choice changes to help children succeed.

Paige spoke at length Monday about his agency's efforts to help states and schools understand the complex law, but his feud with the NEA is no secret. The union - a reliable supporter of the Democratic Party - plans to sue the Bush administration over funding of the law and wants changes in how it is enforced.

But Paige's language drew a rush of criticism, giving Democrats election-year fodder.

"Secretary Paige and the Bush administration have resorted to the most vile and disgusting form of hate speech, comparing those who teach America's children to terrorists,'' said Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
["Hate speech," Terry? The Dims can call Bush "Hitler" and John Ashcroft a "Nazi" at your MoveOn.org website, but Sec. Paige must be censured for using the right term about a group of crazies who've taken America's children hostage?--Jen]

A spokeswoman for presidential contender John Kerry called Paige's remarks "inappropriate, particularly at a time when our nation has experienced the devastation caused by terrorism.'' Kerry's chief competitor, John Edwards, called Paige's words "grossly offensive.''
[Don't look now, but I think this is the first time the Democrats have noticed that 9/11 even occurred!--J.T.]
[...]

Included in 100-word statement that his staff characterized as an apology was Paige's assertion that "the NEA's high-priced Washington lobbyists have made no secret that they will fight against bringing real, rock-solid improvements in the way we educate our children regardless of skin color, accent or where they live.''

In the AP interview, Paige said opposition to the law has been stirred by at least three groups that are "hard nosed, highly financed and well organized.''
[Yep. Sounds like the Liberal Left Dims, alright.]

Since 1976, when it shifted into an active role in national politics, the NEA has given every presidential endorsement to a Democrat. It is a big political donor, mostly to Democrats.

In the last presidential election cycle, the NEA and its political action committee donated $3.1 million to federal candidates and national party committees, with about $9 of every $10 going to Democrats, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. At that time, national party committees were allowed to raise union donations, part of the "soft money'' they are now barred from accepting.

I'm sure the NEA will think of some way to sneak that money over to the DNC...Hillary, Bill and Terry will have lots of great ideas about that!
I'm proud of Mr. Paige--he said the right thing and I wish he hadn't been so apologetic.
This is what the Left does, though, to black people who are Conservatives and Republicans and who speak the truth and don't have their hand out for federal monies or their "cut."
Colin Powell and Clarence Thomas get pegged as "Uncle Toms" and Dr. Condi Rice is branded a "house servant."
Obviously, the Libs were just waiting for Rod Paige to "step out of line," because in their minds, he's already way off the Dim plantation by being in the Bush Administration.
The NEA is like a cancer on our country's schools, glomming on to half of the budgets for their "administrators," their PC touchy-feely "programs" and their union benefits.
(How do you fire a union teacher, no matter how incompetent he or she may be, for instance?)
Now that Education Secretary Paige is expecting them to get some results (as measured by the proficiency tests in math and reading required by the NCLB Act) and earn all the money we're throwing at public schools, they're b*tching and whining.
This isn't over, but I get the strong feeling that Paige is going to win this fight.
But the real winners, I hope, will be the school children.