Twitter Alert!
Politics K-12 (@PoliticsK12)
9/8/11 6:14 PM
Secretary Duncan will rule the world if there's some sort of disaster tonight. He's the one cabinet official not at Capitol during speech.
If you are an educational wonk you saw this tweet tonight. It sent shivers up my spine thinking about Duncan's Race to the Top redistribution of education and personnel (think about "fairness" and not so much about "education" and you've got the plan) and how he would institute that in the event of a disaster if the top officials were unable to carry on their duties. His total lack of understanding the Federal role in education is stunning (the DOE really is not constitutional) and I would expect he would continue that dim view of the Constitution should he ever have the top political position.
How do you think Duncan would rule as President in the case of a disaster? Just today, Duncan was on his Rust Belt Bus Tour (another "Magical Mystery Bus Tour") and the purpose of a plan of his Chicago visit to a high school was announced:
The purpose, according to Duncan's office is to "discuss and celebrate the progressive education reform happening across Illinois."
What does "progressive education reform" entail? Google those words and you'll find references to Dewey, Montessori, social justice, no competitive sports, child-centered, democracy, to name a few. Now let's look at what Duncan wants with Race to the Top and his vision for education:
Some of Duncan's vision includes:
- Federal mandates masqueraded as state choice
- Standards and assessments are nationalized (which is illegal)
- Redistribution of teachers and administrators and students
- Programs that track infants through the education system through age 20 and into the workforce with data shared with various federal agencies and private vendors
- The establishment of community centers in schools that will feed your child breakfast, lunch and dinner and provide medical clinics for their physical needs
Come to think of it, is he any different than any other Cabinet Secretary or Czar in this administration? Maybe the thought of Arne Duncan taking over shouldn't send shivers up your spine. You might as well just shrug your shoulders because it's business as usual. He's just another progressive official implementing a progressive agenda we've seen in all the other Federal departments.
I think I will spit now, instead of later.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession]
ReplyDeleteIf something happens to the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, next in line is joke bite-me, second is John Boner, then Daniel Inyoureye. As all these have a role to play in the current edition of congress, they could be expected to attend Thursday’s teleprompter recital. The highest ranking non-member of Congress on the list is Bill Clinton’s favorite mother of Chelsea. Was she in attendance? If yes, why? Duncan is number 15 on the list. So if this is true then the Secret Service who is in charge of these matters would have had to give passes to Clinton, Geithner, Panetta, Holder, Salazar, Vilsack, Solis, Sebelius, Donovan, LaHood and Chu before dispatching a detail to Duncan’s domicile.
From
ReplyDeletehttp://crapo.senate.gov/monthly_feature/crs_state_union.pdf:
What Precautions Are Taken at the Address to Assure Continuity of
Government?
Customarily, one member of the President’s Cabinet does not attend. This precaution is taken in order to provide continuity in the presidency in the event a catastrophe were to result in the death or disablement of the President, the Vice President, and other officials in the line of presidential succession gathered in the House chamber.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson stayed away from the Capitol during the 2006
address. Then-Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans was the cabinet member who did
not attend the State of the Union address in both 2004 and 2005.11 In a post-September
11, 2001, development that began with the 2003 address, congressional leadership
responded to increased concern over security by designating two Members of each house
of Congress, representing both parties, to be absent from the Capitol during the
President’s speech. Members absent from the 2006 address were Senators Byron Dorgan
and Ted Stevens and Representatives Eric Cantor and George Miller.
************
If all the other Cabinet members are in the address, as well as the Majority Leader and Vice President, and say, an attack occurred during the speech and none survived, then Duncan would be the highest ranking member, correct? So he very well could have been President.