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Saturday, October 26, 2019

Betsy DeVos’s truly awful week — by the headlines - The Washington Post

Betsy DeVos’s truly awful week — by the headlines - The Washington Post

Betsy DeVos’s truly awful week — by the headlines



By most any measure of an awful week, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos just had one.
To be sure, it’s not the first time DeVos has seen bad-news headlines.
There were the scornful ones that emerged from her January 2017 confirmation hearing, when she majorly fumbled testimony. For example, she expressed ignorance of the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, and in response to a question about whether guns belonged in schools, she referred to a school in Wyoming and said, “I would imagine that there is probably a gun in the schools to protect from potential grizzlies.”

The Guardian’s headline: “Betsy DeVos suggests guns be allowed in schools threatened by grizzly bears.” And The Washington Post offered this: “Actually, Betsy DeVos, guns are a pretty lousy way to ward off grizzlies.” Comic Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t help himself: “Betsy DeVos Has A Very Good Reason To Fear Grizzly Bears.”
As bad as that was, the next month presented new, really bad headlines. That was when DeVos was confirmed by the Senate — but only, for the first time in U.S. history, after a vice president had to vote to break a tie.
More recently, there was the week this past March when she got excoriated for her defense of the Trump administration’s plan to end Special Olympics funding — even though it wasn’t her idea and it actually came from the White House’s budget office — and then saw President Trump reverse himself after she struggled to defend it for three days.
Forbes: “Why Betsy DeVos’ Proposal To Defund Special Olympics Is Problematic On Every Level.” CNBC: “Trump pledges to fund Special Olympics, reversing proposal by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos."
And then there was this week. Here are some of the DeVos headlines: CONTINUE READING: Betsy DeVos’s truly awful week — by the headlines - The Washington Post