You don’t see this every day: A Republican governor and potential presidential candidate lamenting the defeat of a Democratic mayor:

Statement by Governor Tim Pawlenty on Primary Results in Washington, DC
“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.”