This ad opposing Common Core standards popped up on a few right-leaning blogs this week, advertising the website StopGovernmentOverreach.org:
Clicking through led to this landing page:
Who’s behind these right-wing clarion calls to limit expansive government? The AFL-CIO, of course. They don’t particularly hide their involvement, but they don’t bang the drum to call attention to their funding either.
It’s actually a smart and mature move. Opposition to Common Core education isn’t the sole dominion of people who would rather not see teachers held accountable; there are also people who hold principled stances against national standards superseding local control of education.
What would be interesting to know is how the AFL-CIO uses this data. For an advocacy group, a list of people on the other side who agree with you on certain issues is an underrated asset. If they can turn other policy positions into small-government arguments, they can go back to that list for future action.
Jim Eltringham 