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Where is the outrage that was manufactured to run Rush Limbaugh off the air? Is it absent because Gumbel is allegedly black? So just picture for a moment, if you will, that you're watching SportsCenter tonight and Dan Patrick says, "The lack of whites in the NBA makes it look like a welfare office." Think that would get buried like Gumbel's comments? For what it's worth, maybe Gumbel should do some research on the emerging face of the GOP.

Some cast aside traditional loyalties... Adam Hunter, an ambitious law student with bright eyes, an easy smile, and plenty of charisma, seems practically destined for politics... a first-year law student at Howard University, a historically black campus with a long record of liberal activism. He has political ambitions of his own -- but not with the Democrats. Instead, Hunter, who as an undergraduate headed Howard's chapter of College Republicans, sees himself as part of a younger generation of African-Americans. He is ready to cast aside traditional loyalties to the Democratic Party and forge his own political identity. ''There's a lot...

There were some eye-opening remarks from Bryant Gumbel on the most recent episode of HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel. According to a transcript posted by a television columnist named Seth Frelich, Gumbel said the following in his closing monologue last week (emphasis mine): "Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t care about them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying ... Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when...

Reaction to the Armstrong Williams-Department of Education scandal was swift and furious over the weekend, as I wasn't the only one to make a lot of noise on the issue (LaShawn Barber, Michelle Malkin, Rob Bernard, DC Thornton, Amy Ridenour, Sisu, Nate Livingston, Expertise, Booker Rising, Eduwonk, Wizbang, The American Prospect's Tapped column, Powerline & others too numerous to mention).In the wake of Friday's revelations, Tribune Media Services, who syndicated his column to newspapers nationally, abruptly dropped his column, and most likely, his television show, The Right Side with Armstrong Williams (syndicated on Sinclair stations and aired nationally on cable/satellite...

On CNN Friday morning Bill Hemmer took Williams to task for "ethical questions" over not disclosing his public relations grant. But other "ethical" issues were not raised on CNN, such as: No mention was made on CNN of the frequent interviews of movie and TV stars on major networks, including CNN, where there is no dislosure of paid advertising. For example, major movie distribution firms buy advertisements on the same networks that also air the promotional interviews with such stars - with no disclosure whatsoever. CBS's "60 Minutes" promoted several anti-Bush authors and books, including Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies"...

It stinks. From USA Today: Seeking to build support among black families for its education reform law, the Bush administration paid a prominent black pundit $240,000 to promote the law on his nationally syndicated television show and to urge other black journalists to do the same. The campaign, part of an effort to promote No Child Left Behind (NCLB), required commentator Armstrong Williams "to regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts," and to interview Education Secretary Rod Paige for TV and radio spots that aired during the show in 2004. Williams said Thursday he understands that critics...

Three other cabinet members announced their departures yesterday, virtually ignored in the shadow of Colin Powell's resignation. Their accomplishments, or lack thereof, say a lot about the president's first term and the prospects for his second. When George W. Bush called himself a "compassionate conservative," he invariably pointed to his No Child Left Behind reform plan. As secretary of education, Rod Paige argued valiantly for the premise behind the law: that poor minority children deserve the same skilled teachers and high-quality schools as their affluent counterparts. But beyond the words, Dr. Paige turned out to be politically tone-deaf and a...

BC-Paige-Leaving, 2nd Ld-Writethru,0480 URGENT Education Secretary Rod Paige intends to leave job, official says Eds: ADDS six grafs with possible successor, background AP Photo WX112 By BEN FELLER AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Education Secretary Rod Paige intends to leave his Cabinet position, a Bush administration official told The Associated Press Friday. "The secretary has been looking at leaving, and he's been in discussion with the White House about the right time to do so," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A Texan like Bush, Paige, 71, rose to prominence as an award-winning superintendent in...

Education secretary, heard on Fox News.

Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said today that an invitation to Secretary of Education Rod Paige to speak at an Ohio NAACP dinner was not withdrawn at the request of the NAACP national office. Mfume said: "I found out about this matter on late Friday and I am appalled that something like this has taken place without my knowledge or authorization from my office. There was no directive given by the National NAACP to withdraw an invitation to Secretary Paige. The decision by the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP to...

(CNSNews.com) - The head of the NAACP says the group's national office did not pressure its Ohio chapter to nix a speaking engagement by Education Secretary Rod Paige last week. "There was no directive given by the National NAACP to withdraw an invitation to Secretary Paige," said Kweisi Mfume, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in a statement released over the weekend. Mfume said he found out about the situation late Friday, and "I am appalled that something like this has taken place without my knowledge or authorization from my office." He...

Baltimore, MD -- The national leader of the NAACP says today he will personally apologize to U-S Education Secretary Rod Paige for the withdrawn invitation to speak at the organization's Ohio Dinner. Kweisi Mfume is president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He says he was "appalled" when he found out about the snub on Friday. He says the national organization never ordered the withdrawal. He called the decision by the group's Ohio State Conference wrong. Paige at first was invited to talk about education reforms, but the organization rescinded that on Tuesday because of a...

NAACP Blocks Paige Invitation to Speak Saturday September 11, 2004 2:01 AM CLEVELAND (AP) - The state NAACP has withdrawn a convention speaking invitation to U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige at the request of the group's national office. Paige, who was invited three weeks ago to discuss education reforms, was cut from the weekend program at the request of the national office, Ohio NAACP President Sybil Edwards-McNabb said Thursday. The state meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People opened Friday in Cleveland. Edwards-McNabb said national NAACP leaders told her there was an ``imbalance'' in her slate...

CLEVELAND (AP) - The state NAACP has withdrawn a convention speaking invitation to U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige at the request of the group's national office. Paige, who was invited three weeks ago to discuss education reforms, was cut from the weekend program at the request of the national office, Ohio NAACP President Sybil Edwards-McNabb said Thursday. The state meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was opening Friday in Cleveland. Edwards-McNabb said national NAACP leaders told her there was an "imbalance" in her slate of convention speakers. She said she had invited President Bush and...

Boston (CNSNews.com) - More than five months after Education Secretary Rod Paige compared the National Education Association to a "terrorist organization," the union is still steaming over the remark for which Paige immediately apologized. The union's executive director, John I. Wilson, mentioned Paige's remark during a "Take Back America" rally for liberal activists on Tuesday. The event was organized by the Campaign for America's Future. Wilson encouraged the hundreds of liberals in attendance to join with the NEA and liberal groups such as MoveOn.org and the Campaign for America's Future to organize "house parties" on Sept. 22 with a focus...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has had an admirable and impressive history, but the organization's future seems to be growing bleaker as the days pass. That's because the two men in charge of the association, Chairman Kweisi Mfume and President Julian Bond, are far more concerned with their own political motivations and personal benefit than with the true advancement of the black community. The NAACP recently held its annual convention in Philadelphia, and it was big news that President Bush declined an invitation to speak. After initially suggesting that the problem was merely...

I have a message for the NAACP's Julian Bond and Kweisi Mfume, who have accused black conservatives of being the "puppets" of white people, unable to think for ourselves: You do not own, and you are not the arbiters of, African-American authenticity. I am a lifelong member of the NAACP. I have a great respect for the organization. Its historical leaders, all visionary thinkers, have been responsible for helping to advance the struggle of African-Americans over the past century, making our nation a more equitable and race-blind society. Sadly, the current NAACP leadership has managed to take a proud, effective...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Rod Paige, the nation's first black education secretary, condemned NAACP leaders Thursday for saying some black groups are fronts for white conservatives. "You do not own, and you are not the arbiters of, African-American authenticity," said Paige, who rose from segregated Mississippi to become President Bush's education chief. Paige's comments, in a Wall Street Journal column titled "Naked Partisans," appeared on the same day Bush's challenger, Democrat John Kerry, was speaking at the annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Philadelphia. Bush is at odds with the NAACP and has not...

Still Mad at Rod Paige Patty Vaughm and Jeanne Sanchez-Bell wave their signs and shout in support of Mark Cebulski, who's running for a three-year term on the National Education Association executive committee, as potential voters stream past on their way to the polls. Occasionally, as Ms. Vaughm turns, jostling for position amid a throng of contending supporters, people smile when they see the words emblazoned on the back of her bright orange T-shirt: "We are all Terrorists Activists." The words elicit a number of responses—from chuckles and thumbs up to eager grins from delegates who've just purchased shirts and...

WASHINGTON - The National Education Association, the nation's largest union, endorsed Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) for president Monday, the final touch in its campaign to drive up school spending and reshape the biggest education law in decades. The NEA, a 2.7-million member group composed mainly of teachers, is out to advance its agenda on everything from testing students to halting private-school vouchers. The union is mobilizing its money and forces for Kerry — targeting political staff in 15 swing states, going into schools to rally its members, and joining liberal groups to organize a massive night of...

The Honorable Rod Paige Speaks on the President's Accomplishments in Education COLUMBUS, OH - On Thursday, May 27, 2004, the Honorable Rod Paige joined U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi, Ohio Bush-Cheney '04 Educators for Bush Chair Dr. George Tombaugh, members of the "Educators for Bush" leadership team and Bush-Cheney '04 supporters to announce the national "Educators for Bush" team. The press conference highlighted the President's strong record on education reform and contrasted Sen. John Kerry's record on education issues. "President Bush has set a bold vision for American education - a vision that sets clear goals for student achievement and then...

PRESS RELEASES Bush Official Visits Camden School to Celebrate Brown V. Board of Education 50th Anniversary FOR RELEASE: May 6, 2004 Contact: Susan Aspey (202) 401-1576 More Resources Secretary's Speech on Brown v. Board Bush Official Visits Tampa School to Celebrate Brown v. Board U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today hailed the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education—the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that ended racial segregation in the nation's public schools—calling the ruling one of the most important legal decisions in the history of the United States. Deputy Associate Undersecretary Michael Petrilli represented Secretary Paige in...

WASHINGTON - A 13-year-old eighth-grader from Dallas nailed "pococurante" to win the 76th Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee on Thursday. It was Sai Gunturi's fourth time in the competition. "I studied it," a beaming Sai said of the word after winning the contest, $12,000 and other prizes. "That's why I was kind of laughing." The word means indifferent or nonchalant. Sai plays the violin and studies Indian classical music. His father, Sarma, is a chemical engineer and his mother, Lakshmi, is a homemaker. Last year, Sai tied for seventh place. He tied for 16th place in 2001 and tied for...

Paige Renews Commitment to Hispanic Colleges and Universities U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige today renewed the department's commitment to expanding educational opportunities for Hispanic students by signing an agreement with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). The announcement was made at HACU's annual Capital Forum in Washington, D.C. "We must open the door to postsecondary education for more Hispanic students and take steps to ensure that they have the skills, confidence and resources to complete their studies," Secretary Paige said. "Today, I am pleased to sign an agreement that will strengthen our partnership with HACU to...

AUSTIN -- U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige told a Texas education reform group Monday night that education should be viewed as a social service that can address many social problems. In his address to the nonprofit Texas Education Reform Foundation, Paige, former superintendent of Houston schools, pointed to a recent study that shows young men without proper educations are more likely to be in prison, on probation or on parole. Improving education, he said, can "improve economic development and improve the social fabric of a community." Through local partnerships, the community -- not just parents -- can benefit from helping...

Memo to Editorial WritersMonday, March 22 @ 20:15:01 Secretary Paige sent this memo to editorial writers on March 11, 2004 To: Editorial Writers From: U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige Re: No Child Left Behind Implementation No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has been in the news a great deal in recent weeks. Our country has undertaken an important new course in terms of its commitment to educate every child, regardless of skin color, spoken accent or zip code. Educating close to 50 million children in a big, complex nation like the United States is bound to be a dynamic...

<p>ASSOCIATED PRESS Students in the largest urban public-school systems showed improvement in reading and math in the first year under the federal No Child Left Behind law, according to a coalition of inner-city schools.</p> <p>The study by the Council of the Great City Schools reviewed test scores from 61 urban school districts in 37 states. It compared 2002 and 2003 test results.</p>

(Editor's Note: This is the first in a series examining the clash between the Bush administration and the nation's largest teachers' union.) (CNSNews.com) - U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige's recent criticism of the National Education Association was an election-year ploy designed to fire up the conservative base, according to a current and a former lobbyist at the NEA Randall J. "Randy" Moody, currently the NEA's chief lobbyist, told CNSNews.com that Paige's labeling of the union as "obstructionist" was an unfair attack. The union wants changes to the No Child Left Behind Act, the bipartisan education law enacted in 2002. "Our...

Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige on Controlling Obesity in Children and Adolescents March 12, 2004 Contact: Carlin Hertz (202) 401-1576 FDA Report on Obesity U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige issued the following statement on the report released today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on addressing the nation's obesity problem. The report, Calories Count: Report of the Working Group on Obesity, outlines an action plan to combat obesity, including obesity in America's young people. "The FDA's report sheds light on the fastest-growing cause of disease and death in America and what we can do...

Liberal groups on Monday plan to launch a petition drive, urging President Bush to fire Education Secretary Rod Paige. Paige recently apologized for a remark in which he described the National Education Association as a "terrorist organization." But MoveOn.org and another group called Campaign for America's Future are not accepting Paige's apology. "Parents, teachers and students across the country are outraged that the Bush administration is attacking teachers instead of listening to them to ensure a high-quality public education to every child," the groups said in a joint press release announcing the launch of Monday's petition drive. Paige made the...

<p>March 6, 2004 -- U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige - in hot water for calling the National Education Association a "terrorist" organization last month - received a standing ovation yesterday from nearly 1,000 members of the Black Alliance for Education Options in Milwaukee. The Black Alliance - which supports charter schools, home schooling and other educational reforms aimed at helping black youth - remained on its feet for five minutes after Paige was introduced, one participant told Post State Editor Fredric U. Dicker, adding, "Everyone I talked to agreed with him that the NEA is an obstacle to education reform. So when a man tells the truth, he needs to be supported."</p>

<p>The Massachusetts teacher of the year refused to attend an event in Washington honoring the nation's top educators because US Education Secretary Rodney Paige had called the nation's largest teachers' union a "terrorist organization."</p> <p>Jeffrey R. Ryan, a history teacher at Reading Memorial High School who lost a friend in the Sept. 11 attacks, said he could not accept Paige's apology for the Feb. 23 remark about the 2.7-million-member National Education Association.</p>

What do Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle have in common? Well, nothing and everything. You see, Paige recently told the National Association of Governors that America's teachers' unions were akin to "terrorist organizations." Oops. Democrats inside the room and out - Terry McAuliffe, the chairman of the never mean nor bashing Democratic National Committee, for one - fought over who could get to a microphone first and utter words of contempt for the secretary. Apologies were demanded all around - by union leaders, presidential contenders, people wandering aimlessly around the scene of the crime...

<p>More on yesterday's item about the Democratic National Committee (DNC) adding 3 million U.S. teachers to the State Department's list of foreign terrorists that includes al Qaeda and Hamas — doing so after Education Secretary Rod Paige described the National Education Association (NEA) as a "terrorist organization."</p>

Is NEA a 'terrorist organization'? Posted: February 27, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern By Brannon Howse© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com On Feb. 23, 2004, at the National Governor's Association meeting in D.C., United States Secretary of Education Rod Paige called the National Education Association "a terrorist organization." The firestorm has started and Paige will be asked to apologize – but should he? Before the NEA gets up on their soap box about being called a terrorist organization, they should remember that they and many of their liberal members have spent years hurling insults at moms, dads, taxpayers and teachers that have been fighting for traditional academics...

Paige has had hell to pay this week for comparing the largest U.S. teachers' union to a "terrorist organization" during a private White House meeting. The New York Times called the remark "staggeringly stupid." And indeed, it wasn't the smartest thing to say, even if in jest, because it puts the unions on the defensive allowing them to create the sort of self-righteous noise that detracts the public from real education reform. That said, the remark was right (even if it wasn't politically correct). The two largest unions, the AFT and NEA, hold public education system hostage. They are fundamentally...

<p>A glimpse of the softer side of Donald H. Rumsfeld unexpectedly pops up on page 131 of "Rumsfeld's War," the new book on the tough-minded defense secretary by Rowan Scarborough, defense and national security reporter for The Washington Times.</p> <p>Mr. Scarborough writes that Mr. Rumsfeld surprised his wife, Joyce, on her 70th birthday Sept. 18, 2002, with a book about her consisting of photographs that he compiled and a narrative that he wrote. He called it "Joyce Rumsfeld: A Joy to the World," had it printed in brown hardcover and gave copies to the couple's three children and other family members.</p>

Education Secretary Rod Paige compared the nation's teachers to terrorists, looking to shift blame for the Bush administration's failures that are leaving millions of children behind. The White House faces increasing pressure over President Bush's broken promises regarding the No Child Left Behind Act, with a growing number of states taking action to opt out of the law's unfunded mandates. Speaking in a private meeting with governors from around the country on February 23, Paige described the National Education Association, the nation's largest organization of teachers (with 3 million members), as a "terrorist organization." Paige has previously said that teachers...

Education should be about children, not partisan politics. Yet, sadly, there has been a lot of political posturing on this issue lately. It may be inevitable during an election year. I admit that last week I, too, ratcheted up the debate with a very poor word choice to describe the leadership of the nation's largest teachers union. I chose my words carelessly, and I am truly sorry for the hurt and confusion they caused. I especially want to be clear on one point. As ill-considered as my words were, my disappointment was directed only -- and I mean only --...

ORLANDO - Education Secretary Rod Paige again apologized Friday for calling a teachers union a "terrorist organization," yet repeated his criticism that the National Education Association obstructs federal education policies. "In this post 9/11 world, the word I used obviously has a grave and sad meaning," Paige said at a convention of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "I wish I had used different words to express my point, and for the insensitive choice of words, I express my deepest regrets." Paige touched off the controversy Monday, when he made the "terrorist" remark at a gathering of governors. The...

U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige is frustrated with teachers union officials and their opposition to the education reform legislation known as No Child Left Behind. But Paige's comparison of the National Education Association to a "terrorist organization" was uncalled for and further tarnished the lackluster reputation he has established as the nation's top education administrator. Paige made his remark in a Monday meeting with governors. There's no denying Paige's passionate support for Bush's education agenda, but opposing the president's policy is no act of terrorism -- except maybe in a dictatorship. By maligning the NEA with an inflammatory label, Paige...

"[Calling the NEA a 'terrorist organization' is] the most vile and disgusting form of hate speech, comparing those who teach America's children to terrorists." — Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe. Of course Rod Paige was wrong when he called America's most powerful teacher's union a "terrorist organization." Al Qaeda isn't nearly as bad at terrorism as the NEA is at educating our children. Everyone agrees, including Secretary of Education Paige himself, that his flippant comment went too far. He apologized, the White House is pleased that he apologized, and the Democrats are thrilled to have yet another opportunity to...

od Paige, the education secretary, made a staggeringly stupid comment this week, comparing the nation's largest teachers' union to a "terrorist organization" because it opposes many elements of the two-year-old No Child Left Behind Act. This is the latest in a series of missteps by Mr. Paige. President Bush came to Washington saying that education would be a centerpiece of his domestic agenda. Yet he chose as his education secretary someone who seems incapable of representing that policy or putting it in place. If the president wishes to succeed, he will need a far more composed and capable secretary of...

Teachers Union Asks Bush to Fire Education Secretary for 'terrorist' Remark Feb.24, 2004 By Ben Feller / The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Education Association asked President Bush on Tuesday to fire Education Secretary Rod Paige for calling the union a "terrorist organization." The White House said Paige's job was safe. Paige, who made his comment in a private meeting with governors Monday, later apologized for his choice of words but maintained the union uses "obstructionist scare tactics" in its fight over the nation's education law. Reg Weaver, president of the union of 2.7 million teachers and other...

WASHINGTON - Education Secretary Rod Paige says he chose poor words in calling the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization," but he stands by his claim that the group uses "obstructionist scare tactics" in its fight over the nation's education law. Paige used the terrorist reference Monday in a private White House meeting with governors while answering a question about the National Education Association, which has 2.7 million members. His words startled members of his audience, triggered outrage from prominent Democrats and deepened the divide between the country's top education official and its largest union. Paige told The Associated...

Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization" during a private White House meeting with governors on Monday.

<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization" during a private White House meeting with governors on Monday.</p> <p>Democratic and Republican governors confirmed Paige's remarks about the National Education Association.</p> <p>"These were the words, 'The NEA is a terrorist organization,'" said Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin.</p>

Rod Paige Criticizes Teachers Union Education Secretary Paige Calls Teachers Union 'Terrorist Organization' The Associated Press WASHINGTON Feb. 23 — Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation's largest teachers union a "terrorist organization" during a private White House meeting with governors on Monday. Democratic and Republican governors confirmed Paige's remarks about the National Education Association. "These were the words, 'The NEA is a terrorist organization,'" said Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin. "He was making a joke, probably not a very good one," said Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania. "Of course he immediately divorced the NEA from ordinary teachers,...

<p>The Bush administration has begun issuing grants to help spread a United Nations-sponsored school program that aims to become a "universal curriculum" for teaching global citizenship, peace studies and equality of world cultures.</p> <p>The goal is to devise a curriculum to teach "a set of culturally neutral universal values to which all people aspire," based on human rights, equality of the sexes and "open-mindedness to change and obligation to environmental protection and sustainable development."</p>