I found myself with too little time, darn it: After I suggested that McCain had taken a political risk by coming out so vehemently in favor of school choice, Paul Glastris, a former Clinton speechwriter, noted that the teachers’ unions always support the Democrats anyway, whereupon Neal Conan, the host, seconded Paul, commenting that the teachers’ unions would have spent a lot of money backing Obama no matter what McCain had said. And then we went to the telephone lines. Paul, who now edits Washington Monthly, and Neal, whose knowledge of politics is extensive, were, of course, correct–as far as the conversation got.

But Republican candidates across the nation ordinarily go out of their way to avoid annoying the teachers’ unions–a point I’d have made if we’d had, oh, say, another 90 seconds. There are exceptions to this rule, of course–Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, comes to mind. Whereas Republicans ordinarily suffer the routine opposition of the teachers’ unions, however, John McCain has just put every official in every teachers’ union in the entire nation on red alert, and that’s different.

There. I feel better now.