Obama: Romney is a teacher-basher

[trailmonkee]

Source: CNN

President Barack Obama, who was largely quiet on the recent teachers strike in Chicago, said in an interview that aired Tuesday he was glad the issue had been resolved and took aim at Mitt Romney's approach to the situation.

"Governor Romney and a number of folks try to politicize the issue and do a lot of teacher-bashing. When I meet teachers all across the country, so devoted and dedicated to their kids, and what we've tried to do is actually break through this left-right, conservative – liberal gridlock," Obama said on NBC's "Today."


Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/25/obama-romney-is-a-teacher-basher/

[radical noodle]

1. I would like to know if he's lying again

He just said that a leader of a national teacher's union said the union didn't care about kids. I don't believe it's true, because in general, what's good for the kids is good for the teachers. Anyone know?

[CoffeeCat]

2. I was so angered and saddened by this...

I was hoping that someone on DU saw this exchange.

Romney flat out said--in no uncertain terms--that the teachers' unions are motivated by the self interests of the teachers and they do not care about the students. Romney went on to say that the parents care about the students and have the students' interests in mind, but the teacher's unions do not. The teacher's unions serve the teachers.

WTF? As if the teacher's interests and the students interests are completely opposite? As if the teachers are selfish jerks who only lobby for their own list of greedy wants, and they could care less about the students.

A teacher told Romney that a recent poll of parents showed that the parents by a 3:1 margin, supported the unions. The poll also showed that the parents thought that the unions were protecting the children and serving their interests.

Romney said, "I know a thing or two about polls..." and he laughed, suggesting that polls are bunk. Then he said that you can tease out any result from a poll.

What a crock!!! I was so hoping that the teacher could respond, but they quickly moved to the next question.

I bet that teacher was reeling. He was sucker punched and basically told that he was a self-serving leech who didn't care about students. This is going to go over REAL WELL with teachers. NOT.

It was so insulting and disgusting!!

I am a mom with two middle-school-aged daughters. I am concerned about their education, and I know that their teachers do a great job and work tirelessly to help these kids, often using their own money and working extra hours. The time for demonizing teachers needs to be OVER...and NOW!!

[Doodles]

4. I was furious!

Romney's address to the Education Nation on MSNBC was unbelievable. Especially the question and answer session. It's hard to know where to start. When talking with Brian Williams he said, Some of our most successful people didn't even have a high school education. Wow, that's what we want to hear in the 21st Century.

His ideas on testing showed he had no idea what No Child Left Behind was all about. He said we basically will have tests in life. Plus, they are needed or the teachers will just go off and teach on some tangent. He also thought evaluations where the students graded the teachers was a good idea. That would be great with middle school students where I did most of my teaching--movies, candy, and no homework for all!

He also totally slammed the unions and, yes, he totally shut down the teacher with the question as described above.

I seldom post but this had me so angry I couldn't believe it. I hope someone can post the video of this. I know most teachers won't get a chance to see it--they are too busy working their tails off.

[CoffeeCat]

6. I share your outrage...

...and like you, I hope that video exists of this.

I think what Romney did to this teacher--was as bad as his "47 percent" remark, as far as the damage that it inflicts on teachers.

My heart hurt when I heard Romney speak to this teacher in the way that he did! He basically accused that teacher of not caring about his students, when clearly you could see that this was a nice guy and a man who was concerned about education, his teaching profession and the students.

I can't imagine the horror that a teacher would feel after seeing this.

This was a 1 percent smack down, and Romney looked like he enjoyed all of the barbs that he was throwing.

It really was one of the most disgusting exchanges I've EVER seen from Mitt Romney--and that's saying a lot.

[wordpix]

7. Rmoney's motivation is to give the rich more help: vouchers for private schools

If Rmoney gets voted in, he will push his vouchers-for-private-schools prog. He needs to be asked how much money this will cost and how large the vouchers will be. Don't think for a minute a voucher will pay 100% of the cost of a private school, but any mooching the 1% can do, they will take.

[radical noodle]

9. For those who didn't see it..

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/romney-shuts-down-questioner-who-claimed-teachers-unions-are-popular-i-don%E2%80%99t-believe-it-for-a-second/

I hope any teacher who ever considered voting for Romney will reconsider when they see this. My husband is a retired teacher, my daughter is a teacher... I know how much time and effort they put into the success of their students.

[CoffeeCat]

10. Thank you!! You should post this as an OP...

People REALLY need to see this.

I work at home and have MSNBC on in the background. Very few things actually cut through the clutter
and draw my attention, but this made me stop in my tracks and walk toward the television.

That teacher looked like a kind, decent man. Romney seemed annoyed that this peasant dare contradict his policies!

It really was revolting. I was so hoping that the teacher would chime in and comment. Romney accused the teacher's
unions of NOT CARING ABOUT CHILDREN, and only about their own self interest.

Truly, truly disgusting!!!

Please consider posting this as an original message so others can see it. This needs to be spread around.

Every teacher needs to see it for sure!

[bamacrat]

3. Well of course he is, they didn't teach him..

Teachers are like the government and government isn't responsible for anyones success so by that same logic teachers arent either. Who needs teachers when kids teach themselves. Rich people are automatically smarter than poor people. If you see a smart poor person they are either rich people who don't know they are rich yet or are a socialist.

My post really has little to do with this topic but it kinda just came to me when I saw the headline..

[Myrina]

5. As opposed to himself and "Corporate Education Arne"?

More hypocrisy. Disgusting.

[Caeser67]

8. Mitt Romney never had a Teacher

They were his Servants.

[Kteachums]

11. He would never get my vote!

I'm looking forward to the re-election of my President!

[madokie]

13. You got it

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

12. Another boneheaded insult by "The Stench" - Forbes Mag says teachers one of the most popular

groups in America, with only a 10% unfavorability rating. This is Romney's stupidest move to date. Nearly everyone's life has been touched by a teacher.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/03/03/teachers-among-the-most-popular-groups-in-america/