Not much surprising since he got in office, working hard to implement a hard left agenda. Today however, he addressed education, and came out with a couple of things that will not make the unions happy, among them merit pay. I have slammed him here in the past for his change (in word, at least) from pro-voucher to anti, when his campaign went national. At any rate education is one of the two areas I felt Obama may be most passionate about as president (the other being abortion/ woman’s choice). So I’m not surprised that he has taken a serious, and possibly unpopular within his own party, stance. Hope he stays engaged and effective in this fight to improve education.
The only thing that makes him look bad TODAY, is silence in the dems fight to end the DC voucher program that is currently, by all accounts, working exceedingly well (and costs much less per student).
Michelle Rhee deserves the lion’s share of the credit in trying re-orient DC schools and its teachers onto a more productive path. Still, it’s hard for kid to concentrate in school when he’s hungry or has – if he’s lucky – only one parent in the household who cares enough to even see him get to school. I used to substitute teach in a few communities that had those sorts of issues. It was heartbreaking to know you were looking at more than a few kids who were going to be among the truly doomed in our society.
T.
Things work better and cost less? Wait, we are going to reward success? WTF is that? 
Good on Obama…this for the first time is “Change I can beleive in”
I felt Obama may be most passionate about as president (the other being abortion/ woman’s choice). \
I don’t know where you get that this is one of his top passions. I just think he believes in the status quo, and goes along with the majority of Americans. Don’t think he is going to do anything there, except leave things where they are. I think that this item is way down his list of things to do right now, probably not even in his top 20…Not much to do anyway, except leave it pretty much alone, and head off any miniority challenges to undermine where we are at…And perhaps get us back to where we were before Bush tried to set us back to the 1950’s…I don’t mind public funding for people who are in need of it, much rather pay a little up front, than the cradle to grave path that many unwanted children end up taking…
I think there are a lot of people in government right now who see that many folks are running scared and fearful for their survival, especially given the unending doom-and-gloom trotted out in an unceasing cycle by all the news channels and other media. Because of that, countless numbers of people are actually looking for the government to be the provider of cradle-to-grave care in most every aspect of their lives, it seems to me.
T.
I felt Obama may be most passionate about as president (the other being abortion/ woman’s choice). \
I don’t know where you get that this is one of his top passions. I just think he believes in the status quo, and goes along with the majority of Americans. Don’t think he is going to do anything there, except leave things where they are. I think that this item is way down his list of things to do right now, probably not even in his top 20…Not much to do anyway, except leave it pretty much alone, and head off any miniority challenges to undermine where we are at…And perhaps get us back to where we were before Bush tried to set us back to the 1950’s…I don’t mind public funding for people who are in need of it, much rather pay a little up front, than the cradle to grave path that many unwanted children end up taking…
In my mind abortion is really the only issue that Obama has taken a stand on before becoming president. Who knows why, but if you read about him and look at what he has said and done, there’s no way to not see that he is as hard left as they come on the issue. What he will likely do…change stem cell research laws(expected by many to increase abortions), Diane Feinstein’s Freedom of choice act (which he was a co-sponsor of in it’s most recent iteration), remove current restrictions on federal funding, blah, blah, blah.
I’ve read lots by and about Obama, and it is hard to dogmatically pin him on pretty much any issue EXCEPT abortion. Of course that was his goal, remember he described himself as a blank screen that others are able to project on that which they want. The press allowed him to stay largely blank all the way to the WH.
Freedom of Choice Act (the Wiki quickie):
The Freedom of Choice Act (H.R. 1964/S. 1173) was a bill in the 110th United States Congress which “declares that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to bear a child; terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or terminate a pregnancy after viability when necessary to protect her life or her health.
It prohibits a federal, state, or local governmental entity from denying or interfering with a woman’s right to exercise such choices; or discriminating against the exercise of those rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information. Provides that such prohibition shall apply retroactively.
It also authorizes an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to obtain appropriate relief, including relief against a governmental entity, in a civil action.”
Edit to add that this was supposed to be a thread of guarded praise of Obama, and his stand for education!
I’m all for a a good voucher system. Small indepently run schools will low overhead and teachers who are really passionate about what they do… and have the freedom to do it right. Let the parents and students decide with their $ what is important to them. It would save a lot of money and improve schooling at the same time.
Then lets do the same thing to the medical establishment…