Chris Christie calls himself an ally of Obama on education reform. Appeared with Arne today.

[madfloridian]

Christie says he's an ally of Obama on education reform

Governor Christie Wednesday called himself an ally of President Obama on education reform.

Christie gave a brief statement along with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who is visiting the state Wednesday in a series of appearances. They held a private meeting at Drumthwacket, the governor's mansion in Princeton, before giving remarks to the press. They did not take questions.

"Secretary Duncan and I have a lot of common views and interests on the school reform agenda," Christie said. "What he and the president are doing is making possible the kind of reforms that are happening in New Jersey, that are happening in other states."

"I agree wholeheartedly with the president's efforts in this regard," Christie said.

That statement is horrifying to me considering some of Christie's actions toward public school teachers.

I remember how he attacked teachers' unions in front of a roomful of students.


Martin Griff/The Times of TrentonGov. Chris Christie answers a question during a question and answer session with the Governor at the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County in Trenton.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie took his fight with the state’s largest teachers union directly to the kids today, telling a room full of Trenton students their schools were short on supplies because of greedy teachers union officials — not state aid cuts.

"There’s a lot of really great teachers in the state," said Christie. "But their union cares more about how much they get paid than they care about how well you learn."

A spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association said the remark was ironic considering the governor’s April statement that teachers were using students as "drug mules" by discussing state aid cuts with them.

"The governor apparently has a double standard, because he claimed that teachers were using kids as drug mules," said NJEA spokesman Steve Wollmer. "Now he’s speaking directly to children about matters political."

Perhaps today Arne Duncan had an opening to say that our goals are not the same as Christie's...but he only made this statement in apparent agreement with Christie.

He said he and Christie share a sense of urgency to enact reforms.

"I look at it as a civil rights issue, I look at it as an economic imperative, I look at it as an issue of national security," he said.

There is so very much wrong with this picture. There should not be this much agreement with a governor like Christie whose contempt for public schools is very obvious.

[Pab Sungenis]

1. This is proof that

Obama's policy on schools needs to be thrown out and redrafted.

[madfloridian]

10. Oh, I agree about that.

I wonder if any of them thought through the consequences of putting the schools in the hands of billionaires to do with as they wished.

[xchrom]

2. Bless all their reforming hearts. I'm sure their happy together. Nt

[madfloridian]

12. Yep, I am sure they are.

I have never seen such a power play.

[Kalun D]

3. No Different

Than Obama saying Jeb Bush was an up-standing citizen and that he supported his education "reforms".

It all goes back to George Carlin's bit on the ruling class. They don't want an educated working class, because the more educated you are the more likely you are to wake up to the fact that you are being screwed over by the rich.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. He'd say anything to wrap up the meeting and get to the buffet table

[MadHound]

5. A bipartisan effort to destroy public education,

Judging from the past decade of school "reform", one can't but help but come to this conclusion.

[madfloridian]

11. Yes, it is.

And that's a tragedy.

[TheKentuckian]

6. Obama's deform effort is broadly embraced by TeaPubliKlans

It is their own decades long agenda.

You gotta go deep into freepervile to find disagreement from the Reich on this one.

Jeb, Joe Scum, and Christie are all about it.

[Orlandodem]

7. I've been saying that Obama hjas emboldened Republicans.

This is why I still dont' know if I will vote for Obama.

[madfloridian]

9. Education reformers are emboldened for sure.

And teachers have been put on the defensive big time.

[chervilant]

13. hmph...

I won't. Not a snowball's chance.

[Odin2005]

8. If a Puke is supporting your policies then there is something wrong with them.

[olegramps]

14. It appears that Obama is aligning himself with those scapegoating the unions.

This is why I hope that a person from the organized labor, who actually cares about the workers' welfare, emerges as a candidate to challenge Obama for the nomination in 2012. The Democratic Party has totally lost its way and has abandon the working class.

If Obama is the Democratic candidate, I will vote for him only because the alternative is wholly unacceptable. That is a damn sorry state of affairs when your candidate is the lesser of two evils. The situation is depressingly without a shred of hope for significant changes. However, what can you expect when the vast majority of those in congress are wealthy and don't have a damn thing in common with the working class who are struggling to survive. What have the Democrats done to stop the out-sourcing of jobs? Not a damn thing when they had the majority in both the House and Senate. They waited until they knew it would be defeated before even writing a bill and then they could play the part of the workers' friend. When Obama and his cadre of DINOs show up at labor's doorstep to beg for donations and support they should be told to go piss up a rope until they actually do something constructive for labor.

[Jakes Progress]

15. How does a Democrat become a union-buster?

I guess pandering to the stupid for their votes is more important than children or solidarity. It strikes me as the worst of the corporate climate where loyalty and fidelity is required, but only from the bottom up. They demand your support but give you none.

[madfloridian]

16. Because they listened to a Democratic think tank since the late 80s.

One which decided they needed corporate money more than they needed labor unions or minorities.

[madrchsod]

17. ah geeze... i`m eating a ham sandwich !

good thing i have a strong stomach

[WinkyDink]

18. Christie is NOT a person with whom anyone from the OA should consort.

[City Lights]

19. With friends like these...

:puke:

[Smarmie Doofus]

20. Yeah. He's a real "reformer."

Wiki:


>>>Lobbyist
In 1998 Christie registered as a lobbyist for the firm of Dughi, Hewit & Palatucci, alongside fellow partner and later, gubernatorial campaign fundraiser Bill Palatucci. Between 1999 and 2001, Christie and Palatucci lobbied on behalf of, among others, GPU Energy for deregulation of New Jersey's electric and gas industry; the Securities Industry Association to block the inclusion of securities fraud under the state's Consumer Fraud Act; Hackensack University Medical Center for state grants, and the University of Phoenix for a New Jersey higher education license.<11>>>>>>>>



Christie just oooooooozes reform.

[The Wizard]

21. Christie's idea of reform

is closing public schools and having the state fund charter schools opened by a New Jersey political boss who helped put him in office. Can you say quid pro quo? Chris Christie the crooked governor. He still hasn't explained why he wasn't fired as a U.S. Attorney as per Rove's directive.
I wonder if his mother force fed him as a child, getting him ready for market
. She was a public school teacher.

[ReggieVeggie]

22. strange bedfellows n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Why am I not surprised?

Sigh.