From Asia, Pawlenty smacks D.C. teachers union

Tim Pawlenty. Photo: The Governor's Office

Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s focus seems to be elsewhere. Currently in the middle of a ten-day trade trip to Asia, the lame-duck governor took time this morning to weigh in on yesterday’s Washington, D.C., mayoral primary, bashing the teacher’s union there. This follows news that the likely presidential candidate has sent staffers from his political action committee to Iowa and New Hampshire.

While a Washington Post play-by-play indicates Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty’s campaign was riddled with problems, Pawlenty pins last night’s defeat in the Democratic primary on the teachers’ union. D.C. City Council member Vincent Gray beat out Fenty.

Pawlenty’s statement:

“Public schools are failing too many children across the country, but arguably nowhere worse than in our nation’s capital. Using education reforms similar to what I’ve fought for in Minnesota, Mayor Fenty and his chancellor of schools, Michelle Rhee, began to turn their schools around, dramatically improving test scores in the last few years. Their work is an inspiration to me and school reformers across the nation.

“Mayor Fenty lost after the teachers’ unions led a campaign against him and Michelle Rhee. Fenty’s loss is further evidence that despite all their rhetoric about ‘the children,’ what the teachers’ unions really care about is getting more money for jobs they can’t lose at schools that produce students who are not prepared to compete.

“While the primary’s result is disappointing for school reformers, the positive early results from the Fenty-Rhee reforms will continue to undermine the teachers’ unions’ false arguments against reform everywhere.”

Huffington Post’s Sam Stein says the statement is a political move, noting that Pawlenty “has proven to be quite adept at finding the epicenter of the spotlight of hot-button policy debates.”

While such commentary may have appeal for some national voters, Pawlenty’s political maneuvering while still in office doesn’t seem to sit well with many of his constituents back home. An MPR/Humphrey Institute poll released early this month found 54 percent of those surveyed said they disapproved of Pawlenty’s frequent out-of-state political travels, and 53 percent of Minnesotans said they’re unlikely to vote for him should he get the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.