Thompson: Blaming Arne Duncan For Scott Walker
I have been slow in realizing that the Obama Administration has been distancing itself from the anti-Walker campaign.
But then again I was also slow in realizing that Arne Duncan was willing to attack the hard-earned right of teachers. By coercing teachers to give back negotiated rights such as seniority, and incentivizing the mass dismissal of educators through SIG, Duncan helped open a Pandora's Box which, predictably, led to the assaults on collective bargaining in the swing states of Wisconsin, Ohio, and Florida. As far I am concerned, Duncan provided aid and comfort to the Scott Walkers, John Kasichs, and Rick Scotts, and their attacks on unions as much or more so than Michelle Rhee, whom a recent Mother Jones story notes was recruited to help in Wisconsin (Walker Aide Wanted Union Foe Michelle Rhee to Counter Teacher Protests, Email Shows).