Will Obama Get Tough with the NEA?
NPR this morning did a segment on just how bipartisan John McCain and Barack Obama really are. (Hat tip to Liam, over at Flypaper.)
As an example of just how willing Obama is to break ranks with his party, NPR points to an interview the Illinois Democrat gave to Fox News Sunday, in which he pointed out that he embraces the not-so-Democratic ideas of charter schools and some sort of merit pay for teachers.
But this Obama interview on Fox News was from the end of April. That was more than two months ago, before Hillary Clinton dropped out of the race, which seems like a political eternity ago. Then, the American Federation of Teachers had endorsed Clinton, and the larger National Education Association was still holding back (though the union is poised to formally endorse him on Friday.) Now that Obama is getting all chummy with the NEA, I wonder how much he'll play up his support of charter schools, and merit pay for teachers, when he addresses the teachers' union on Saturday?
Comments
Doesnt the NEA always withhold their "endorsement" until their RA because it has to be ratified by their body? Therefore, they couldnt have endorsed either candidate before this meeting...so they werent with-holding ncessarily
Posted by: ummm | July 2, 2008 4:26 PM
You're right. NEA leadership recommends endorsement, and the RA gets the vote. The RA just endorsed with upwards of 70% of its members doing so.
Posted by: Manny Lopez | July 4, 2008 4:33 PM