Raise the Orange flag...teachers plotting

WOW. Our Education Secretary, Rod Paige, called the NEA (the largest teachers union) a "terrorist organization" during a private White House meeting with governors on Monday.
Democratic and Repub governors have confirmed the comment, and you can read all about it here.

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, said Paige's remarks startled the governors, who met for nearly two hours with Bush and several Cabinet officials. Bush was not present when Paige made his statement.

"He is, I guess, very concerned about anybody that questions what the president is doing," Holden said.

"He was implying that the NEA has not been one of the organizations that has been working with the administration to try to solve 'No Child Left Behind,' " he said.

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican, said of Paige's comments: "Somebody asked him about the NEA's role and he offered his perspective on it."

Any thoughts that the White House might want to hold a 'constructive criticism' seminar?
Really, though..this sort of thing is stupid, even if made as a joke. Last year, Richard Perle did much the same thing. Talking with Wolf Blitzer, said Hersh: "Look, Sy Hersh is the closest thing American journalism has to a terrorist, frankly."
This was Perle's response to Hersh's article alleging that Perle used his position on the Defense Policy Board and his influence on the Bush administration's war plans to seek millions of dollars in investments from Saudi businessmen for a venture capital firm where Perle is a managing partner. Perle did not defend the merits; he simply said it was all nonsense.
Note to Perle and Paige, calling folks that disagree with you "terrorists" is only going to make you look stupid. Assures the voters that team-Bush is planning on exploiting the living shit out of the t-word.