Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Secretary Spellings

I happened to watch some of the National School Boards Association's conference on reauthorizing No Child Left Behind on C-SPAN and boy, you just have to love the Education Secretary, she seemed to be having such a nice time. Okay, maybe not.

The show was very illuminating, watching Bush’s Education Secretary lie through her teeth to a roomful of educators. Illuminating because, of course, we all know that a big crowd of educators will fall for most anything they hear from their “Principal.” Right. Right? Hey, put that paper down! Put the chair back where you found it!

Here's a couple more links to the event. Spellings kept telling the educators that the Bush Education Ministry wasn't trying to privatize education, but I don't think they really bought it. And that was about the closest thing to an actual answer she gave during her ordeal, er, Q&A. Oh, and admitting she hadn't read Rep Young's Improvements Act to NCLB. Which was introduced in Congress in, get this, ready, it's a doozy, June 30, 2006.

I haven't read it either, but then again, I'm not in charge of the Education Department.

Spellings is set on accomplishing two goals, it seems, privatizing education, and proving the unworthyness of the Education Department. And that's part and parcel for every member of the Bush Administration, as far as I can see. And rather than play that game, we need to throw it back in their faces, hit them where it hurts.

The Democrats need to throw more money at the Federal Government, by the bucketful. Not for contractors no bid contracts or corporations tax breaks, but for improvements and expansion to better serve the population. And demonstrate why. Not because government has failed the people, but because the Republicans have failed the people, through their greed, through their indifference, ignorance, and incompetence, and through their allegiance to corporations over the voters of this country.

Katrina is one of those failures. NCLB is another. John Edwards talks of two America's, Senator Webb of two different countries and it's that divide that exposes the GOP, prattling hacks like Margaret Spellings and dangerous hacks like Eliot Abrams et al for the corrupt and out of touch heartless automotons that they are.

So beat them over the heads with it, people. Write those letters, contribute to Henry Waxman, walk to work one day, buy stock in some solar cell company, or Whole Foods Market, volunteer at a homeless shelter, write and call your representatives, talk to people about the divide, do whatever you can to repeat the message: the GOP is bad for this country, and here's why.

1 comment:

iamcoyote said...

Not because government has failed the people, but because the Republicans have failed the people, through their greed, through their indifference, ignorance, and incompetence, and through their allegiance to corporations over the voters of this country.

Now, here's a quick, easy to understand, message that should be shouted from the rooftops. And because people actually would rather it be true since the alternative is anarchy, the message will easily resonate with the masses. People want fairness and stability, so much they'll follow the first person that actually promises it, and then follows through. Y'know, like Clinton did.