The Republicrat Joe Williams bemoans the fact that his Democrats for Education Reform, a group which has Xeroxed the Republican program for education, proposes solutions that are not catching fire among Democrats.
While he constantly reminds us (oh, I’m sorry. He “discloses.”) that he is an ardent Obama supporter, his blog is a non-stop on-line BS machine for corporate charters and anti-teacher union tirades. DFER is part of the faction of hedge-fund managers, private school investors and wealthy school reform hobbyists who sponsor $5,000 a person mixers. They were convinced that if the Democrats turned Right on public education policy and puppet the Republicans, the 2008 election would be more secure.
Wrong.
Recently Williams noted in reference to a limp Obama ad in New Hampshire:
Considering how depressing it was to see the charts in yesterday’s NY Times about what issues voters in Iowa and New Hampshire listed as the most important (education aint even close) the ad’s launch marks what could (hopefully) turn out to be a better discussion about the future of America as far as schools are concerned.
Translation: Voters are not focusing on vouchers, charters or merit-pay except to reject them as they did recently in Utah.
What are voters focusing on? Here’s what that NY Times poll said:
50 percent of New Hampshire Democrats said they would not be prepared to vote for a candidate who wanted to keep troops in Iraq “longer than you would like,” even if they thought the Democrat had a good chance of victory in November.
Half the Democrats in New Hampshire would rather the Democrats lose the 2008 election if winning means continuing the War.
Williams and DFER never mention the War of course. Apparently they don’t believe the war is an Education Issue. But who can trust someone’s views on education if they’re silent on the most important issue of this election? Even the kids at Morton West High School in suburban Berwyn, Illinois understand the connection between the War and education.
Williams is depressed. I’m elated.
Fred Klonsky 
There are a few things that leave a sour taste about Obama. One is this:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/2007/07/26/2007-07-26_mayor_bam_and_i_agree_on_teach_pay.html
When you read that Mayor Bloomberg is in sync with his notions on teacher pay, it’s enough to make you vomit.
Another is this:
http://nyceducator.com/2006/05/faux-democrats.html
Obama met with Cory Booker, a pro-voucher “Democrat” whose support came from the folks who brought us Wal-Mart, among other equally charming folks.
While I oppose the Iraq war, education issues are very important to me. I don’t think Obama will pull it out, but I’d be sorely tempted to vote for a third party candidate if he did. I like. Edwards and Richardson, but we’ll see if Hillary is really the juggernaut everyone assumes her to be
Forgive me if it appeared that I was saying ed issues aren’t important. I was, perhaps feebly, attempting to make three points. One is that Republicrats like Joe Williams have been attempting to have the Dems adopt the Republican ed agenda. And secondly, his complaint that voters in New Hampshire and Iowa do not list his issues of vouchers, corporate charters and performance pay very high compared to the War is a good thing. And last: One of the disasters associated with this War is the raiding of the public treasury, the retreat of the Federal Government from social responsibilities and the impact on public schools.
Regarding Obama and the rest of the Democratic cast of characters. I heard them all in Philadelphia at the NEA convention. Slim difference on education issues. Why pick on him? He’s backed by Wal-Mart? Who funds all these people? In fact, a recent story in the Times reports that most of the biggest corporate money that had been going to the Republican Party has now moved significantly to the Dems. It’s like Vegas.