Political Roundtable Part XI

[TGW]

Trump's pick for Secretary of Education may be his worse cabinet decision. She's bad for children, families and public education.

Meh. I like her.

That looks like a union poster. I have heard her speak. She is for school competition, school choice, charter schools...
She is enemy #1 of education school unions. Of course you don't like her.

Given that this is a states issue and we need more than one choice - I think she could be pretty good.

She works for a different union...the religious right. If she funnels money from public education to catholic and charter schools, how is that competition? That would be the equivlent of the Wizards playing the Warriors in Oakland, and spotting the Warriors 20 points.

[Wizardspride]

Read on Twitter

[AFM]

Obama saw how popular The Donald's tweets are!

[TGW]

By the way, if I wanted a businessman running the country, it sure as wouldn't be the corporate welfare recipient who filed for bankruptcy four times. It would be a Warren Buffet or a Bill Gates, who built something out of nothing. Not the guy who inherited a billion dollars.

[dckingsfan]

Any administration with Sarah Palin as a part of it automatically is disqualified from being strong.

I don't understand Palin. I really don't see what she could possibly offer.

For whatever reason, Sarah Palin has a very loyal following of religious-right middle-America types. Palin's early endorsement of Trump in Iowa was a big deal and may have been crucial to Trump winning the primary. Trump is loyal to the people who are loyal to him. While I don't want Palin to be put into a position that she cannot handle, I understand Trump's desire to try and reward her if he can find a role for her that is suited for her talents.

I don't think Palin is sophisticated policy wonk, but I also don't think she is as incompetent as the media makes her out to be. You don't work your way up from mayor of a town in Alaska to VP candidate by accident.

By that logic, David Duke has a loyal following and had an early endorsement - I know that is extreme, but you have to figure out who to whom to be loyal - and Palin isn't one of them. And yes sadly, she is as incompetent as the media makes out - at least everything that I have read about her.

[dckingsfan]

By the way, if I wanted a businessman running the country, it sure as wouldn't be the corporate welfare recipient who filed for bankruptcy four times. It would be a Warren Buffet or a Bill Gates, who built something out of nothing. Not the guy who inherited a billion dollars.

Bloomberg didn't run because of Hillary. I am guessing the Ds would have shunned him because he built something. Just saying...

[dckingsfan]

Trump's pick for Secretary of Education may be his worse cabinet decision. She's bad for children, families and public education.

Meh. I like her.

That looks like a union poster. I have heard her speak. She is for school competition, school choice, charter schools...
She is enemy #1 of education school unions. Of course you don't like her.

Given that this is a states issue and we need more than one choice - I think she could be pretty good.

She works for a different union...the religious right. If she funnels money from public education to catholic and charter schools, how is that competition? That would be the equivlent of the Wizards playing the Warriors in Oakland, and spotting the Warriors 20 points.

If you want to judge that way - I got it. If you want to judge by what she has actually done - then not so much.

[nate33]

I don't understand Palin. I really don't see what she could possibly offer.

For whatever reason, Sarah Palin has a very loyal following of religious-right middle-America types. Palin's early endorsement of Trump in Iowa was a big deal and may have been crucial to Trump winning the primary. Trump is loyal to the people who are loyal to him. While I don't want Palin to be put into a position that she cannot handle, I understand Trump's desire to try and reward her if he can find a role for her that is suited for her talents.

I don't think Palin is sophisticated policy wonk, but I also don't think she is as incompetent as the media makes her out to be. You don't work your way up from mayor of a town in Alaska to VP candidate by accident.

By that logic, David Duke has a loyal following and had an early endorsement - I know that is extreme, but you have to figure out who to whom to be loyal - and Palin isn't one of them. And yes sadly, she is as incompetent as the media makes out - at least everything that I have read about her.

Idiotic analogy. David Duke probably has 75 people loyal to him. Sarah Palin has more like 30 million. And her loyalists aren't racists. Also, Duke didn't help Trump win, he actually hurt him. Sarah Palin was very important to Trump's early victories.

[DCZards]

Meh. I like her.

That looks like a union poster. I have heard her speak. She is for school competition, school choice, charter schools...
She is enemy #1 of education school unions. Of course you don't like her.

Given that this is a states issue and we need more than one choice - I think she could be pretty good.

She works for a different union...the religious right. If she funnels money from public education to catholic and charter schools, how is that competition? That would be the equivlent of the Wizards playing the Warriors in Oakland, and spotting the Warriors 20 points.

If you want to judge that way - I got it. If you want to judge by what she has actually done - then not so much.

So what has DeVos "actually done?"

[Induveca]

She works for a different union...the religious right. If she funnels money from public education to catholic and charter schools, how is that competition? That would be the equivlent of the Wizards playing the Warriors in Oakland, and spotting the Warriors 20 points.

If you want to judge that way - I got it. If you want to judge by what she has actually done - then not so much.

So what has DeVos "actually done?"

US public education compared to our peers is beyond abysmal, I'm all for breaking down "common core" and entrenched teachers.

Public education is ok cruise control from the 1950s/60s/70s it needs a major shakeup.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/15/how-public-schools-demand-failure-and-perpetuate-poverty.html

[dckingsfan]

For whatever reason, Sarah Palin has a very loyal following of religious-right middle-America types. Palin's early endorsement of Trump in Iowa was a big deal and may have been crucial to Trump winning the primary. Trump is loyal to the people who are loyal to him. While I don't want Palin to be put into a position that she cannot handle, I understand Trump's desire to try and reward her if he can find a role for her that is suited for her talents.

I don't think Palin is sophisticated policy wonk, but I also don't think she is as incompetent as the media makes her out to be. You don't work your way up from mayor of a town in Alaska to VP candidate by accident.

By that logic, David Duke has a loyal following and had an early endorsement - I know that is extreme, but you have to figure out who to whom to be loyal - and Palin isn't one of them. And yes sadly, she is as incompetent as the media makes out - at least everything that I have read about her.

Idiotic analogy. David Duke probably has 75 people loyal to him. Sarah Palin has more like 30 million. And her loyalists aren't racists. Also, Duke didn't help Trump win, he actually hurt him. Sarah Palin was very important to Trump's early victories.

Okay, reasonable logic. Just think that Palin is going to be a weight around his neck. She hasn't been appointed to anything yet. Maybe we could get her to be the ambassador to the British Virgin Islands.

[dckingsfan]

She works for a different union...the religious right. If she funnels money from public education to catholic and charter schools, how is that competition? That would be the equivlent of the Wizards playing the Warriors in Oakland, and spotting the Warriors 20 points.

If you want to judge that way - I got it. If you want to judge by what she has actually done - then not so much.

So what has DeVos "actually done?"

She has mostly been a political advocate to support vouchers and charter schools and has been quite effective in Michigan.

She is against common core. She seems to be more for minimizing federal oversight where reasonable. I like the appointment better than say Rhee or Moskowitz because she is going to be coming in with an agenda of decentralization and states rights. Remember, the U.S. Constitution leaves public K-12 education to the states.

If you want more federal spending on education and better union support - she isn't your pick. If you want more competition - then she is more than reasonable.

[nate33]

By that logic, David Duke has a loyal following and had an early endorsement - I know that is extreme, but you have to figure out who to whom to be loyal - and Palin isn't one of them. And yes sadly, she is as incompetent as the media makes out - at least everything that I have read about her.

Idiotic analogy. David Duke probably has 75 people loyal to him. Sarah Palin has more like 30 million. And her loyalists aren't racists. Also, Duke didn't help Trump win, he actually hurt him. Sarah Palin was very important to Trump's early victories.

Okay, reasonable logic. Just think that Palin is going to be a weight around his neck. She hasn't been appointed to anything yet. Maybe we could get her to be the ambassador to the British Virgin Islands.

Yeah. I'd prefer to see something like that too. I don't want her to be Secretary of Interior or anything like that.

[popper]

Sanders is simply wrong DCZ and that shouldn't surprise as he has zero business experience. Corporations don't bully strong presidents. The opposite is true, they kow-tow to them.

LOL....sorry that's a good one.

Bernie Sanders is 100% right. He may have zero experience as a businessman, but has dedicated his career to supporting the little man.

Trump saving 1,000 jobs was a case of missing the forest for the trees. He opened up a can of worms, and is already "kow-towing" to corporations.

I guess we just have a difference of opinion TGW. I want the president elect to engage corporations in discussions aimed at keeping jobs in the U.S. If you and Sanders feel different, or feel it should be done in a different way, then fine. Edit - I feel more comfortable with experienced business executives working on the solution than I do with a person who has no business experience (Sanders). That's just me.

Ford Open to Deals With Trump to Keep Jobs in U.S., CEO Says
by
Keith Naughton
December 2, 2016 — 3:41 PM EST December 2, 2016 — 5:00 PM EST

Ford Motor Co. is willing to work with Donald Trump to keep jobs in the U.S. if he puts the right policies in place, the automaker’s chief executive officer said.

“We will be very clear in the things we’d like to see,” Mark Fields said in an exclusive interview at Bloomberg offices in Southfield, Michigan. “We’ll continue to advocate for currency-manipulation rules to promote free and fair trade. One of our priorities is making sure fuel-economy standards reflect market realities, tax reform in general we would be very supportive of, and the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.”

After his election, Trump phoned Executive Chairman Bill Ford to discuss the carmaker’s plan to move production of the Lincoln MKC sport utility vehicle to Mexico from a plant in Louisville, Kentucky, Fields said. The discussion helped convince Ford to keep building the Lincoln in the U.S.

Trump did influence the decision “because of what he’s talking about in terms of his economic policies, whether it’s tax reform or otherwise,” Fields said.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-02/ford-open-to-making-deals-with-trump-on-keeping-jobs-ceo-says

[closg00]

There is a deplorable on the SC jury who is refusing to convict the back-shooting cop.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/one-juror-between-michael-slager-and-conviction_us_5841f83fe4b0c68e0480eaf1

[DCZards]

She has mostly been a political advocate to support vouchers and charter schools and has been quite effective in Michigan.

She is against common core. She seems to be more for minimizing federal oversight where reasonable. I like the appointment better than say Rhee or Moskowitz because she is going to be coming in with an agenda of decentralization and states rights. Remember, the U.S. Constitution leaves public K-12 education to the states.

If you want more federal spending on education and better union support - she isn't your pick. If you want more competition - then she is more than reasonable.

Well, you're right about one thing: DeVos is an anathema to those of us who see public education as the great equalizer. I'm just hoping we don't go back to the days of "states rights" that preceded Brown v. Board.

[TGW]

If you want to judge that way - I got it. If you want to judge by what she has actually done - then not so much.

So what has DeVos "actually done?"

She has mostly been a political advocate to support vouchers and charter schools and has been quite effective in Michigan.

She is against common core. She seems to be more for minimizing federal oversight where reasonable. I like the appointment better than say Rhee or Moskowitz because she is going to be coming in with an agenda of decentralization and states rights. Remember, the U.S. Constitution leaves public K-12 education to the states.

If you want more federal spending on education and better union support - she isn't your pick. If you want more competition - then she is more than reasonable.

Her initiative to push vouchers in Michigan SC got rejected. Lets see if she dismisses "states rights" and tries to use her federal power to push it through.

[dckingsfan]

She has mostly been a political advocate to support vouchers and charter schools and has been quite effective in Michigan.

She is against common core. She seems to be more for minimizing federal oversight where reasonable. I like the appointment better than say Rhee or Moskowitz because she is going to be coming in with an agenda of decentralization and states rights. Remember, the U.S. Constitution leaves public K-12 education to the states.

If you want more federal spending on education and better union support - she isn't your pick. If you want more competition - then she is more than reasonable.

Well, you're right about one thing: DeVos is an anathema to those of us who see public education as the great equalizer. I'm just hoping we don't go back to the days of "states rights" that preceded Brown v. Board.

The problem is - that great equalizer is failing us badly. I hear you on Brown v. Board - that will stay. But we can't just double down on things that are failing. We have to have competition too.

[dckingsfan]

So what has DeVos "actually done?"

She has mostly been a political advocate to support vouchers and charter schools and has been quite effective in Michigan.

She is against common core. She seems to be more for minimizing federal oversight where reasonable. I like the appointment better than say Rhee or Moskowitz because she is going to be coming in with an agenda of decentralization and states rights. Remember, the U.S. Constitution leaves public K-12 education to the states.

If you want more federal spending on education and better union support - she isn't your pick. If you want more competition - then she is more than reasonable.

Her initiative to push vouchers in Michigan SC got rejected. Lets see if she dismisses "states rights" and tries to use her federal power to push it through.

I think her 121-60 record is better than the Wizards winning percentage

[DCZards]

The problem is - that great equalizer is failing us badly. I hear you on Brown v. Board - that will stay. But we can't just double down on things that are failing. We have to have competition too.

Yes, there's much work to be done to improve our public schools, especially in the inner city. But putting Betsy DeVos in charge of public education is like hiring the fox to guard the hen house. For DeVos it's never been about improving the public schools. It's always been about finding and supporting (with taxpayers' money) alternatives to public schools.