When our unions made these early endorsements, what did we get for it?
There was never any doubt that the teachers unions were going to endorse Obama to a second term in 2011. But why the rush?
I asked that question as a delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly. The union demanded nothing in return. We got worse than nothing. We got more Arne Duncan.
“By endorsing Obama’s reelection without making his administration answer to their record on public education, the message would be sent that millions of NEA members approve of his Education Department’s policies, which are rapidly unraveling our public school systems at the seams. I do not think this message accurately portrays the sentiments I hear expressed each and every day,” wrote Romero Maratea, a CTA local president in an Ed Week article in 2011.
The early no-strings endorsement of Obama by the NEA went ahead as planned.
It was deja vu all over again when Hillary Clinton ran her disastrous campaign after being nominated by the Democrats in 2016.
It was pretty clear the fix was in. Hillary would receive the NEA’s early no-strings endorsement come hell or high water.
Leaked emails revealed how the NEA rank and file was being manipulated and lied to by union leadership in order to seal the deal on a Hillary endorsement over Bernie CONTINUE READING: When our unions made these early endorsements, what did we get for it? – Fred Klonsky