The Washington Post displayed its Obama euphoria on Friday with a gooey story on the front of the Style section about which private school the Obamas would be choosing for their adorable grade-school-age daughters, designated by the slobbering Post as easily “the coolest girls in town.” The headline: “Which School Will Pass the Obamas’ Test?” But wait, isn’t it controversial or hypocritical for a liberal Democrat to steer their children away from public schools? What about D.C. children who aren’t “cool” enough to have a choice of schools? Post reporter Valerie Strauss waited until paragraph 21 of the 24-paragraph story to raise that minor issue for a few sentences:
The District’s public school system has long been troubled, although there are some high-performing schools, and city officials say Mayor Adrian Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee have spoken with the president-elect’s family about public school options. The last presidential child to attend a public school was Amy Carter in the 1970s (and she was the first for 71 years). The Clintons were criticized for not choosing a public school, though last year Hillary Clinton said the couple’s decision arose at least in part from a desire to protect their daughter from scrutiny: “I was advised, and it was, unfortunately, good advice, that if she were to go to a public school, the press would never leave her alone.”
Why would the press not leave such a child alone when it’s quite obvious they’re willing to leave the controversy over Democratic hypocrisy on public schooling alone?