Monday, November 24, 2008
The Obamas "choose"
President-elect B. Hussein Obama and his wife, Michelle, have announced which Washington, D.C., school their little darlin's will be attending. Big shock ... les enfants d'Obama be attending Sidwell Friends School, the über-exclusive private academy that educates the children of Washington's biggest movers and shakers (Vice President-elect Joe "Plugs" Biden's grandchildren attend Sidwell Friends, as did Chelsea Clinton).
When the choice was announced, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Obama, said, A number of great schools were considered. ... In the end, the Obamas selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need right now."
Note that the Obamas "selected" the school their daughters will attend. The Obamas have done quite well for themselves over the years, so they can afford the $21,000-per-year, per-student tuition at Sidwell Friends. But what about the not-so-well-to-do D.C. parents whose children are stuck in sub-par schools? I'm sure they'd love to "choose" a "best fit" school for their children, but lack the financial means to do so.
Currently, the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program each year offers $7,500 to nearly 2,000 children to attend private schools in D.C. Democrats in Congress are pulling out all the stops to kill this wildly popular program. (If you're wondering what the average family income is for kids in the D.C. voucher program, it is, according to the Wall Street Journal, around $22,000). It will be interesting to see what a President Obama will do vis-à-vis D.C.'s nascent voucher program. I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll either work to kill it, or he'll let congressional Democrats kill it and claim he was powerless to stop them from doing so.
Now, I don't begrudge anyone who sends their children to private school. I attended a private elementary and secondary school. What I do have a problem with, however, are fat-cat Democrats who send their kids to expensive 'n' exclusive private schools, but are unwilling to support programs that would allow the children of less-affluent parents to attend school in which, well, they might actually learn something.
If Obama allows the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program to die, it will quickly put to rest the notion that he's a Man of the People; and it will be proof positive of something that I and other conservative bloggers have been saying for many, many months: B. Hussein is just another tool of Democrat-aligned special interests (see: National Education Association).
When the choice was announced, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Obama, said, A number of great schools were considered. ... In the end, the Obamas selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need right now."
Note that the Obamas "selected" the school their daughters will attend. The Obamas have done quite well for themselves over the years, so they can afford the $21,000-per-year, per-student tuition at Sidwell Friends. But what about the not-so-well-to-do D.C. parents whose children are stuck in sub-par schools? I'm sure they'd love to "choose" a "best fit" school for their children, but lack the financial means to do so.
Currently, the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program each year offers $7,500 to nearly 2,000 children to attend private schools in D.C. Democrats in Congress are pulling out all the stops to kill this wildly popular program. (If you're wondering what the average family income is for kids in the D.C. voucher program, it is, according to the Wall Street Journal, around $22,000). It will be interesting to see what a President Obama will do vis-à-vis D.C.'s nascent voucher program. I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll either work to kill it, or he'll let congressional Democrats kill it and claim he was powerless to stop them from doing so.
Now, I don't begrudge anyone who sends their children to private school. I attended a private elementary and secondary school. What I do have a problem with, however, are fat-cat Democrats who send their kids to expensive 'n' exclusive private schools, but are unwilling to support programs that would allow the children of less-affluent parents to attend school in which, well, they might actually learn something.
If Obama allows the Washington Opportunity Scholarship Program to die, it will quickly put to rest the notion that he's a Man of the People; and it will be proof positive of something that I and other conservative bloggers have been saying for many, many months: B. Hussein is just another tool of Democrat-aligned special interests (see: National Education Association).
# posted by Joltin' Django @ Monday, November 24, 2008 
