Fenty/Rhee backwash

Anschutz

NYT columnist Bob Herbert rips into Fenty and Rhee for their "ham-handed approach to governing and disregard of the sensibilities of their constituents."

Mr. Fenty was cheered by whites for bringing in the cold-blooded Michelle Rhee as schools chancellor. She attacked D.C.’s admittedly failing school system with an unseemly ferocity and seemed to take great delight in doing it. Hundreds of teachers were fired and concerns raised by parents about Ms. Rhee’s take-no-prisoners approach were ignored. It was disrespectful. 

Duncan's revenge
Headline in the Washington Examiner: "D.C. risks losing Fed school funds -- Will forfeit $75m if reforms are halted." Translation, Arne Duncan, who campaigned actively for Fenty, is threatening revenge against newly-elected Mayor Vincent Gray and the District's mainly black voters who elected him, should Gray resist any of his predecessor's divisive school policies. This guy is out of control.

Also, take note of the role played by consultant Andrew Rotherham in all this. In the Examiner article, he's the barking dog for Duncan.

Anschutz bankrolled "Superman"

Finally there's Phillip Anschutz, the owner of the Examiner, which is nothing but a filthy little right-wing tabloid, disguised as a newspaper.  But Anshutz also bankrolled the hot anti-union propaganda film, Waiting for Superman. Just in case you thought this film was made only by a group of well-intentioned, but misguided liberals.

Anschutz is a far right-wing, evangelical billionaire who inherited his fortune from his father's oil business and who has become a media mogul, publisher of the Weekly Standard, the S.F. Examiner,  and owner of  L.A.'s Staples Center. He was also the force behind California's anti-gay initiative