Corporate Reform Puts Democratic Party Leaders in a Bind
Leaders of the Democratic Party are finding themselves in a potentially dangerous bind due to their enthusiastic embrace of increasingly unpopular corporate education reforms. Under the Obama administration, many state and city leaders of the party have been vocal proponents of corporate reform. We have seen Newark mayor Cory Booker, Sacramento mayor and husband of Michelle Rhee Kevin Johnson, Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, Connecticut governor Malloy, New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigoso, all identify themselves with various aspects of corporate reform, pursuing mayoral control, closing schools, and signing on to full support for the Obama administration's test-driven education policies.
But the voters are becoming disillusioned with some key aspects of these policies. The Republicans sense an opportunity, and although many of their mainstream leaders, such as Jeb Bush, have been advancing these same reforms, some in the party are rebelling. The Republican National Committee this week adopted a resolution that states, in part:
But the voters are becoming disillusioned with some key aspects of these policies. The Republicans sense an opportunity, and although many of their mainstream leaders, such as Jeb Bush, have been advancing these same reforms, some in the party are rebelling. The Republican National Committee this week adopted a resolution that states, in part:
WHEREAS, the NGA and the CCSSO, received tens of millions of dollars from private third parties