Rotherham tries to run away from himself.

Eduwonk’s Andy Rotherham wrote a column on Monday in the NY Times attacking union contracts.

On Tuesday, “Bag-O-Glass” sleaze-ball Rich Berman runs a full page ad in the NY Times attacking teacher unions.

But ed bloggers have blown Berman’s cover. It turns out he’s been a front man for the tobacco industry, run PR attacks on Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Americans with Disabilities Act among others.

Too wacky even for Rotherham. But Rotherham tries to run away from himself.

In Mondays op-ed piece he says,

While laws like No Child Left Behind take the rhetorical punches for being a straitjacket on schools, it is actually union contracts that have the greatest effect over what teachers can and cannot do.

But in his blog today he ratchets back from that outlandish statement:

There are obviously some challenges around teachers’ contracts and dealing with persistent low-performers…

From “greatest effect,” to “some challenges.” In just two days.