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Rod Paige: Teacher's Union is a "Terrorist Organization"

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by rimrocker, Feb 23, 2004.

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  1. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    Education Secretary Paige calls national teachers union a 'terrorist organization'
    Associated Press

    WASHINGTON - Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization" during a private White House meeting with governors on Monday.

    Democratic and Republican governors confirmed Paige's remarks about the 2.7-million-member National Education Association.

    "These were the words, 'The NEA is a terrorist organization,' " said Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin.

    "He was making a joke, probably not a very good one," said Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania. "Of course he immediately divorced the NEA from ordinary teachers, who he said he supports."

    "I don't think the NEA is a terrorist organization," said Rendell, who has butted heads with the group as well. "They're not a terrorist organization any more than the National Business Organization is a terrorist organization.

    Neither the Education Department nor NEA had an immediate comment on Paige's comments. Both indicated that statements were forthcoming.

    Education has been a top issue for governors, who have sought more flexibility from the administration on President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" law, which seeks to improve school performance in part by allowing parents to move their children from poorly performing schools.

    Democrats have said Bush has failed to fully fund the law, giving the states greater burdens but not the resources to handle them.

    Missouri Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, said Paige's remarks startled the governors, who met for nearly two hours with Bush and several Cabinet officials. Bush was not present when Paige made his statement.

    "He is, I guess, very concerned about anybody that questions what the president is doing," Holden said.

    "He was implying that the NEA has not been one of the organizations that has been working with the administration to try to solve 'No Child Left Behind,' " he said.

    Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican, said of Paige's comments: "Somebody asked him about the NEA's role and he offered his perspective on it."

    Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, a Democrat, said the comments were made in the context of "we can't be supportive of the status quo and they're the status quo. But whatever the context, it is inappropriate - I know he wasn't calling teachers terrorists - but to ever suggest that the organization they belong to was a terrorist organization is uncalled for."

    When Bush welcomed the governors at the State Dining Room during brief public comments, he told them that rising political tensions of an election year won't stop him from working closely with them.

    "I fully understand it's going to be the year of the sharp elbow and the quick tongue," Bush said. "But surely we can shuffle that aside sometimes and focus on our people."

    "We'll continue to work hard to help you. Because by helping our governors, we really help our people," he said.

    Bush spent much of the first half of his opening comments on foreign policy and the war on terrorism, defending his decision to go war in Iraq and thanking the governors for their work on homeland security.

    "The most important job of anyone in public office is to protect the people of our country," he said.

    Bush also defended his domestic policies, telling the governors that he strongly believed in his education law and that the tax cuts he championed were helping spur the economy.

    The governors are in Washington for four days of discussions at the annual meeting of the National Governors Association, though the usual effort to build consensus was marked by partisan politics that Democrats said couldn't be avoided.

    Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, said he planned to confront Bush on White House predictions of 2.6 million new jobs this year. Bush spokesmen already have backed off those numbers.

    "If the president's not going to fight for jobs, governors will, Democratic governors will," Vilsack said. "We're on the front line of that fight every day, and we see the consequences of having lost three million jobs."


    Copyright © 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
     
    #1 rimrocker, Feb 23, 2004
  2. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    #2 rimrocker, Feb 23, 2004
  3. Deckard

    Deckard Blade Runner
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    #3 Deckard, Feb 23, 2004
  4. El_Conquistador

    El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking

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    How long until the liberals start saying Bush said this? A day? Two days? McAuliffe has probably already worked it into his speeches.
     
    #4 El_Conquistador, Feb 23, 2004
  5. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Member
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    I see is Bush not responsible for the people he appoints?

    If Bush isn't responsible and is against this kind of talk, what actions is Bush taking to correct it?
     
    #5 FranchiseBlade, Feb 23, 2004
  6. El_Conquistador

    El_Conquistador King of the D&D, The Legend, #1 Ranking

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    26 minutes!
     
    #6 El_Conquistador, Feb 23, 2004
  7. GreenVegan76

    GreenVegan76 Member

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    LOL

    If you can't defend the action, attack what people might say about it. Classic.
     
    #7 GreenVegan76, Feb 23, 2004
  8. mc mark

    mc mark Member

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    Classic RNC tactic

    right out of the playbook
     
    #8 mc mark, Feb 23, 2004
  9. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Member
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    Nice answer to the questions.

    lol
     
    #9 FranchiseBlade, Feb 23, 2004
  10. rrj_gamz

    rrj_gamz Member

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    Exactly...It's his opinion and he's the one dealing with the bureaucracy of the TEA..

    Carry On...
     
    #10 rrj_gamz, Feb 23, 2004
  11. FranchiseBlade

    FranchiseBlade Member
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    If that's the opinion of the Secretary of Education, then maybe he needs a new job.
     
    #11 FranchiseBlade, Feb 23, 2004
  12. Woofer

    Woofer Member

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    How about sports director of the University of Colorado. Maybe he can make those complaining women disappear like he eliminated the guys who couldn't graduate from HISD.
     
    #12 Woofer, Feb 23, 2004
  13. B-Bob

    B-Bob "94-year-old self-described dreamer"
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    rrj, that cracks me up.

    It's like the secretary of defense saying "I think we should abandon modern weaponry and take up pikes and muskets."

    Just an opinion, right? But wouldn't we fire that guy? I hope so.

    Or it's like the secretary of energy saying something ridiculous like "fossil fuels will sustain our nation well into the future, and they are not harming our environment."...
    Ah, nevermind.
     
    #13 B-Bob, Feb 23, 2004
  14. thadeus

    thadeus Member

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    ...it just sounds to me like Paige was making a joke.

    But, then again, I wasn't there.
     
    #14 thadeus, Feb 23, 2004
  15. giddyup

    giddyup Member

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    Isn't there a huge difference between something like the NEA and the NBO when it comes to Federal dollars consumed proportionally?
     
    #15 giddyup, Feb 23, 2004
  16. rimbaud

    rimbaud Member
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    Rod Paige: worthless joke.
     
    #16 rimbaud, Feb 23, 2004
  17. rimrocker

    rimrocker Member

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    Is this one of those non-apology apologies?
    ______________
    U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today issued the following apology for his remarks about the NEA.

    "It was an inappropriate choice of words to describe the obstructionist scare tactics the NEA's Washington lobbyists have employed against No Child Left Behind's historic education reforms. I also said, as I have repeatedly, that our nation's teachers, who have dedicated their lives to service in the classroom, are the real soldiers of democracy, whereas the NEA's high-priced Washington lobbyists have made no secret that they will fight against bringing real, rock-solid improvements in the way we educate all our children regardless of skin color, accent or where they live. But, as one who grew up on the receiving end of insensitive remarks, I should have chosen my words better."
     
    #17 rimrocker, Feb 23, 2004
  18. RocketMan Tex

    RocketMan Tex Member

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    As an education professional, Rod Paige is a carnival barker.
     
    #18 RocketMan Tex, Feb 24, 2004
  19. basso

    basso Member
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    ...and Kerry called republicans in congress "legislative terrorists." when will John-do-you-know-who-i-am-kerry apologize?

    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1059599/posts

    --
    Telegram & Gazette(Massachusetts) January 6, 1996 Saturday,

    January 6, 1996 Saturday, ALL EDITIONS

    Kerry rips into GOP on budget

    Timothy J. Connolly; Mike Elfland; Telegram & Gazette Staff

    Mass., commenting on the federal government shutdown, called the House Republicans "legislative terrorists. "

    Visiting Worcester to speak with students and administrators at Worcester State College about changes in federal student loan programs, Kerry said yesterday that even Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan., had "come to his senses," but the House Republicans were holding "the government hostage. " "The House Republicans are playing games," Kerry said. "They've acted stupidly. There is a way to balance the budget, but they're doing it dumb. "

    Kerry said Gingrich is trying to "shove one man's point of view down the whole country's throat. " He said a democracy is based on negotiation and compromise, and the House Republicans "appear to be interested in neither. "

    Asked about his terrorist comment, Kerry said, "Terrorists hold hostages, and the Republicans are holding the government hostage. "

    Kerry said budget battles in Washington affect college life. He said he wanted to listen to students and take that information with him to Washington.

    Earlier yesterday, Kerry said jobs will undoubtedly emerge as the focus of his campaign against Gov. William F. Weld. He also suggested that the campaign - and others around the country - would prove to be a referendum on how the country wants Congress to balance the budget.

    "So maybe the nation needs a debate about its priorities," said Kerry, speaking at a breakfast meeting of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce.

    EASIER ROUTE

    Kerry reiterated the Democrats' quest to take the route, in his words, that doesn't cut too deeply into Medicare, Medicaid and other programs. The GOP favors bigger decreases and bigger tax breaks than the Democrats.

    He said economists "will tell you that when the inflation rate is as low as it is, when the unemployment rate is as low as it is you don't need to rush and give this enormous tax break that comes at the expense of other terribly important investments we need to make in this country. Now if we have to have an election to decide that, let's do it.

    "I have voted for a seven-year balanced budget; I have proposed, together with the Democratic leadership in the Senate, a seven-year (Congressional Budget Office-based) balanced budget, but we don't do it at the expense of some of these other critical things that I think impact the quality of life in this country. " "ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT'

    Kerry addressed the budget battle and his imminent campaign against Weld before about 150 chamber members at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel in Leominster. He was interviewed by chamber president David L. McKeehan.

    "I have noticed a certain person, who has been rumored to be running against me, has suggested that the issues of this campaign are going to be crime, taxes and welfare," Kerry said. "I would respectfully suggest that the issue of this campaign is the workplace in America. It's about jobs.

    "We've got to put people to work. That means unleashing the entrepreneurial spirit of this country in ways that are new and exciting. I'm for that, which is why I'm for changing our whole approach to programs in Washington. I think we can reduce the size of Washington. Get rid of the Energy Department. Get rid of the Agriculture Department, or at least render it three-quarters the size it is today; there are more agriculture bureaucrats than there are farmers in this country. We can probably meld the Labor and Education departments because the job of both is so symbiotic today. "
     
    #19 basso, Feb 24, 2004
  20. Rocketman95

    Rocketman95 Hangout Boy

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    9/11 changed everything...
     
    #20 Rocketman95, Feb 24, 2004
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