Bluestem has the goods. Congressman Tim Walz sent a letter to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings regarding her visit to Minnesota this week.
Madam Secretary, what was troubling about your visit was that you came to Minnesota to announce a pilot project that will not help Minnesota’s students and schools. I think it is important for you to address the fundamental question of why you would come to Minnesota to announce a policy that doesn’t help Minnesota students.
Kudos to Walz for trying to get to the bottom of this. I think, however, Walz’s questions might also be asked of Norm Coleman and Tim Pawlenty.
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Here’s my question: why Walz?
Why not Walz?
Michael — Can you tell me why a Bush administration official came to Minnesota to promote a program that doesn’t apply to Minnesota? Sean
Michael B. -
What?
Walz gets it, comprehensively.
Warrior, hero, teacher, mentor, father.
He’s looking out for his constituents, the state, and the nation.
That’s why.
He should also ask the Secretary of Education why Minnesota two-and four-year colleges cost twice the national average.
No matter how many times Michael is given the correct answer, he will constantly ask…”But Why?”
You were told once, Michael. Case closed.
Why Walz…what?
You mean the citizen legislator, teacher, national guardsman, husband, father, and progressive populist down in Southern Minnesota?
Yeah…why him?
Michael has no frame of reference given all the heartless, malingering, hypocritical dirtbags he supports.
Poor fellow.
Why would a Congressman, with over a decade of classroom experience, who now has national budget responsibilities, ask an accountability question connected to schools and the state he represents?
I guess I have no idea. Michael.
Walz’s spouse, Gwen, is the assessment coordinator for the Mankato public schools. With a spouse who works in educational assessment and his own teaching, Walz probably has some interest in education policy.
Good for Congressman Walz, that member of the Watchdog Congress that is supposed to provide Congressional oversight on other branches of federal government.
Get the Secretary to admit she came to MN for a pseudo campaign event, and then get the campaign(s) to pay for her trip so she doesn’t come to MN to announce policy that has no relevancy to Minnesota on the taxpayers’ dime.
Walz is earning his $165 K paycheck (lesser than other Congress members because he did not accept the 2008 pay raise), that’s what he’s doing, Mikey B, and that’s why MN1 is going to re-elect him in 2008, because that’s what the people of MN1 want a Congressman to do.
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/03/03192008.html
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings highlighted progress toward No Child Left Behind goals during visits today with Rep. Geoff Davis (KY-4)….
Republican Geoff Davis, that is….
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/03/03182008.html
The Secretary announced the new pilot program to an audience of education stakeholders in Saint Paul, Minn. She was joined by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, U.S. Senator Norm Coleman…
republiCons T-Paw and Smokescreen, that is….
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/03/03102008.html
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today highlighted progress toward No Child Left Behind goals in New York and across the nation at a visit to Van Duyn Elementary School today with Rep. Jim Walsh (NY-25)…
That would be Republican Jim Walsh…
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/03/03072008.html
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito today hosted an education policy roundtable discussion on No Child Left Behind at the West Virginia State Capitol Building…
That would be Republican Shelley Moore Captio….
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2008/02/02152008.html
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings highlighted progress toward No Child Left Behind goals in Rhode Island and across the nation at a visit to Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School today with R.I. Gov. Donald L. Carcieri…
That would be Republican Donald L. Carcieri….
Anybody starting to sense a pattern, here?
It’s entirely possible there was collusion between White House GOP strategists and Spellings. But one question remains — why in the world they think it would help Norm? It’s a fairly small shift in a program that is almost universally reviled by educators, and only serves to remind people that Norm has voted to underfund NCLB mandates repeatedly.
Rich — I don’t think the fact that this program shift leaves Minnesota behind was going to be advertised. The hope (probably) was that the focus would be on Secretary Spellings’s efforts to change a much-criticized program, without too much attention being given to the details.
Either that, or they’re completely clueless.
“they’re completely clueless.”
I think that sums it up nicely.
Well, the skeptical side of me suggests they were planning no one wwould notice the details.
But, I’m only skeptical of republiCon motivations, because I pay attention….
Walz should “move on” from this topic and start thinking about the re-election. He could have a race in November. Dr. Davis from Rochester is a real contender. He would also be a “citizen legislator” having never held elected office, only one who would fit better with this district.
Walz’s seat is very secure. The war is Iraq has turned into the nightmare everyone predicted. The economy is in tatters. The only people that don’t understand how bad things are out there are the folks like DTM. People who have it good, for now, but don’t really get how very thin that tissue of security they cling to is. Should you lose that cushy job, what color is your parachute? Gold? Silver? Or are you actually a poor bastard like the rest of us and is your parachute just an a aluminum foil pack of lies?
So continuing that line of reasoning, Richard, then Government should come in and assure everyone has jobs, mandate that companies can’t lay anyone off (because the companies are all conspired against the common man, right?) and buy any employers who can no longer pay their employees.
Is that how the Demcorats plan to deal with the issues listed above?
Walz has been much more liberal in his voting than how his 2006 campaign made him out to be. Let’s see how that sits with the average voter of the 1st.
There ya go, Dan!!!
Run that campaign: “You think you like Sergeant Major Walz, but you really shouldn’t ‘cause he’s an evil liberal!!”
By all means; run that campaign.