Posted by
Mike Bates on Saturday, November 22, 2008 12:36:19 AM
The Associated Press reported tonight that Barack and Michelle Obama will send their daughters to a private school:
President-elect Barack Obama and his wife have chosen
Sidwell Friends School for their two daughters, opting for a private
institution that another White House child, Chelsea Clinton, attended a
decade ago.
"A number of great schools were considered," said Katie McCormick
Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama. "In the end, the Obamas
selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need
right now."
The AP further noted:
Michelle Obama went to public schools on Chicago's
South Side, and understands the importance of strong public schools,
Lelyveld said, and the administration plans to work hard on that issue.
There had been speculation that Barack Obama, who has long
championed public education while opposing vouchers allowing for
parental choice, might send his children to public schools. As the
Washington Post noted, the Obamas' decision was announced late in the afternoon. This is a political tactic often used to disclose awkward information.
How do I know this? Because the Associated Press told us that just
last month. When Sarah Palin and her husband released their tax
returns on October 3, the AP reported:
The McCain-Palin campaign had said the tax returns
would be released Monday, but it suddenly put them out Friday
afternoon—a time long used by government to reveal embarrassing news
because few people watch TV or read newspapers Friday evening and
Saturday.
The Associated Press didn't mention that strategy in its account of
the Obama decision. No doubt it was just an oversight. There's just
so much hope and change emanating from Washington these days that it's
tough to keep up with it all.