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Betsy DeVos

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  • https://www.google.com/amp/www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/19/lieberman-devos-qualified-not-part-education-establishment/amp/

    Pretty much my thoughts. I support school choice and I realized that it's the boogeyman for the teachers union.

    I don't think the teachers union has been particularly beneficial to what should be the end goal which is educating people.

    WSS

  • "Betsy DeVos Is Qualified Because She Is Not Part of the Education Establishment" - does that make you and me qualified also?

    Also, school choice? Assuming you mean the following (from wikipedia):

    School choice is a term for K–12 public education options in the United States, describing a wide array of programs offering students and their families alternatives to publicly provided schools, to which students are generally assigned by the location of their family residence.

    I don't really have a problem with that in essence. I can see that it could lead to a gradation of quality of education, as some school gets ahead and then the better teachers want to go there, and so the parents want the kids to go there too etc but by and large it shouldn't be an issue. I lived in a village of not many people, maybe about a thousand high school kids total (age 13-18 because my county does three tier schooling unlike most of the country), and had a choice of three state schools (equivalent of public schools) and then of course any private/public school (private school = pay and qualify to get in; public school = future politician; yes, the naming conventions are weird).

    So I'm not sure school choice is such a bad thing. But again, is supporting it in itself sufficient to qualify you to hold the post of education secretary? Because so far the two criteria you've mentioned would qualify both of us, and I dare say neither of us would be particularly good at that role.

  • Being someone who the president of the United States has confidence in to help him formulate his position is what counts. I'm not stupid enough to think that school choice is going to make kids in the Innercity or the trailer park Rhodes Scholars. Or that the teachers union opposes school choice on the basis of what's best for the kids.

    And I'd say, like has happened before, 90% of the opposition to any of the appointees is Trump derangement syndrome.

    WSS

  • So, because Trump chose her, she's qualified?

    If the opposition were, as you say, "Trump derangement syndrome" then surely every single one of the appointees would be scrutinised as much? I know plenty are, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be, while not all are being scrutinised. Sure, Sessions, Tillerson and Pruitt are, but Matthis, Lighthizer and Coats are not. Even Ben Carson is getting a kind of pass. So, to suggest that people are applying scrutiny based purely on Trump being the selector is just erroneous.

  • He's picking a group of advisors, so yes. Sorry 'if' she doesn't meet with your approval or Woody's approval or Chuck Schumer's approval or Al Franken's approval.

    WSS

  • So the Trump derangement syndrome gang likes one of the appointees and that makes them open-minded? There's probably something Cal can find about Obama that he doesn't hate.

    🙂

    WSS

  • And any related example John McCain going off the deep end now about the Russians. If that were Donald Trump the left would be shitting their pants that he's a warmonger. And let's not pretend that McCain's main reasons are the fake Maverick act which gets his mug on MSNBC and the fact that he's pissed about the war hero bit.

    WSS

  • He's picking a group of advisors, so yes. Sorry 'if' she doesn't meet with your approval or Woody's approval or Chuck Schumer's approval or Al Franken's approval.

    WSS

    @westside-steve said:

    He's picking a group of advisors, so yes. Sorry 'if' she doesn't meet with your approval or Woody's approval or Chuck Schumer's approval or Al Franken's approval.

    WSS

    OK, so you literally can't point to a single tangible thing she has done in her life to make her a worthwhile candidate, and we're supposed to not care about it because Trump is so amazing?

  • @westside-steve said:

    He's picking a group of advisors, so yes. Sorry 'if' she doesn't meet with your approval or Woody's approval or Chuck Schumer's approval or Al Franken's approval.

    WSS

    OK, so you literally can't point to a single tangible thing she has done in her life to make her a worthwhile candidate, and we're supposed to not care about it because Trump is so amazing?

    @gftchris said:

    OK, so you literally can't point to a single tangible thing she has done in her life to make her a worthwhile candidate, and we're supposed to not care about it because Trump is so amazing?

    Amazing? Into the hyperbolic chamber everyone! 🙂

    WSS

  • But I guess that's right. For that matter I can't think of a single qualification it would make Al Franken a good United States Senator.

    Or any number of u.s. Senators for that matter. Or congressman or even presidents.

    Like I said if she were a union flack an appointed by a Democrat I'm sure you guys would have a different View.

    WSS

  • But I guess that's right. For that matter I can't think of a single qualification it would make Al Franken a good United States Senator.

    Or any number of u.s. Senators for that matter. Or congressman or even presidents.

    Like I said if she were a union flack an appointed by a Democrat I'm sure you guys would have a different View.

    WSS

    @westside-steve said:

    But I guess that's right. For that matter I can't think of a single qualification it would make Al Franken a good United States Senator.

    Or any number of u.s. Senators for that matter. Or congressman or even presidents.

    Like I said if she were a union flack an appointed by a Democrat I'm sure you guys would have a different View.

    WSS

    Well first, I wasn't being hyperbolic, I was being factual. And that's actually factual, not 'alternative' factual.

    Does this mean we're back to 'but the democrats!' again? Can we close this thread with the answer "she is not qualified for this role in any way" and move on?

  • @westside-steve said:

    But I guess that's right. For that matter I can't think of a single qualification it would make Al Franken a good United States Senator.

    Or any number of u.s. Senators for that matter. Or congressman or even presidents.

    Like I said if she were a union flack an appointed by a Democrat I'm sure you guys would have a different View.

    WSS

    Well first, I wasn't being hyperbolic, I was being factual. And that's actually factual, not 'alternative' factual.

    Does this mean we're back to 'but the democrats!' again? Can we close this thread with the answer "she is not qualified for this role in any way" and move on?

    @gftchris said:

    Well first, I wasn't being hyperbolic, I was being factual. And that's actually factual, not 'alternative' factual.

    Does this mean we're back to 'but the democrats!' again? Can we close this thread with the answer "she is not qualified for this role in any way" and move on?

    If you want to. And may I add that neither you nor Woody or Chuck Schumer are qualified to even comment on the situation in any way. Do we agree on that?

    WSS

  • Allowed to comment on the situation? Why not? I mean, I wouldn't recommend anybody here for the main 'interrogator' in the hearing, but we can talk about it all day.

  • Allowed to comment on the situation? Why not? I mean, I wouldn't recommend anybody here for the main 'interrogator' in the hearing, but we can talk about it all day.

    @gftchris said:

    Allowed to comment on the situation? Why not? I mean, I wouldn't recommend anybody here for the main 'interrogator' in the hearing, but we can talk about it all day.

    Oh you are allowed to like the president is allowed to pick his cabinet. Just none of you are the slightest bit qualified to comment. Correct?

    WSS

  • PS spin boy, fake news boy, I never said you weren't allowed to do anything. Just that you weren't really qualified.

    WSS

  • Difference being, you and I commenting doesn't impact anything, whereas being appointed secretary of something has fairly large ramifications.

    Also, "spin boy, fake news boy?" I feel like you're trying to insult me here but I'm not sure I really fit 'spin boy' and 'fake news boy' doesn't really mean anything.

  • Because you suggested I said you weren't allowed to comment. So saying something that somebody else never said his fake news related. But I didn't mean to be offensive from now on it will be spin man and fake News man.

    🙂

    WSS

  • So the Trump derangement syndrome gang likes one of the appointees and that makes them open-minded? There's probably something Cal can find about Obama that he doesn't hate.

    🙂

    WSS

    @westside-steve said:

    There's probably something Cal can find about Obama that he doesn't hate.

    🙂

    WSS

    Shenanigans!!!

  • But I guess that's right. For that matter I can't think of a single qualification it would make Al Franken a good United States Senator.

    Or any number of u.s. Senators for that matter. Or congressman or even presidents.

    Like I said if she were a union flack an appointed by a Democrat I'm sure you guys would have a different View.

    WSS

    @westside-steve said:

    But I guess that's right. For that matter I can't think of a single qualification it would make Al Franken a good United States Senator.

    Or any number of u.s. Senators for that matter. Or congressman or even presidents.

    Like I said if she were a union flack an appointed by a Democrat I'm sure you guys would have a different View.

    WSS

    What do you mean 'you guys'...?

  • @westside-steve said:

    But I guess that's right. For that matter I can't think of a single qualification it would make Al Franken a good United States Senator.

    Or any number of u.s. Senators for that matter. Or congressman or even presidents.

    Like I said if she were a union flack an appointed by a Democrat I'm sure you guys would have a different View.

    WSS

    What do you mean 'you guys'...?

    @tiamat63 said:

    What do you mean 'you guys'...?

    I mean whoever it was I was replying to there and those who believe similarly. Why?

    WSS