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Thursday, June 16, 2011

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Ramh does his best Ronald Reagan

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Ramh does his best Ronald Reagan

Ramh does his best Ronald Reagan

"Not to quote Ronald Reagan, but I will: 'The facts are a stubborn thing,' " Emanuel said.

If there was any doubt that the mayor is itching for a union-busting showdown with Chicago teachers, he's made it perfectly clear by invoking an old hero -- Ronald Reagan. Emanuel's corporate handlers over at the Civic Committee have assurred him that blaming rich, greedy teachers for the budget crisis and going after teachers pay, tenure, and pensions is a political winner.

They even had him quoting Reagan yesterday, congering up images of the great communicator busting the PATCO strike in 1981 and firing of over 11,000 workers to the cheers of strike-weary air travellers. But this may have been a mistake at a time when Democrats need to stem the rise in joblessness.

Rahm and the corporate school reformers see the current crisis as their big chance to do nothing less than bust the teachers union the same way that Reagan busted PATCO. Only this time they are counting on the acquiescenc