It Begins.

[Minimalist]

Booker didn't just hang out with DeVos.  He worked with her on her agenda, and supported it.  He's long advocated using taxpayer dollars for charter, private, and even religious schools.  It's not like DeVos and Booker just go out for a beer afterwards, but disagree on policy in regards to education.  They agree on education.   If DeVos had been nominated by any other Republican President, Booker would have voted to confirm her.  But the toxicity of the Trump Brand made it political suicide for him to vote for her -- and he knew she'd get approved anyway.

Hey, Cec.  Your pal DeVos was on 60 Minutes tonight.

You're right....she's a cunt.

But no mention of Booker.

[Cecelia]

Didn't watch. But I'm not surprised she didn't mention Booker. I'd be surprised if she was able to answer questions intelligibly.

He spoke twice (including in 2016) in favor of School choice (which is a nice way of saying making way for for-profit schools to take government funding from public schools) at the American Federation for Children -- which is a conservative group that advocates privatizing schools and dismantling the public school system. He worked with Chris Christie in New Jersey on this very thing.

As a teacher, as a parent, and even as a citizen, I put public education as my top priority when it comes to voting. Supporting Public Education is part of my litmus test. I can forgive many things--Hillary being a wall street sell out for starters. But not supporting public education is the issue where I draw the line. I can't support someone who doesn't support public schools. Cory Booker hasn't, and still doesn't. I hope he doesn't get the nomination. I hope someone better than him does.

Also I find it weird that the story mentions that Booker rallied the troops in a way neither of the others did... but then mentions later that Liz Warren got the biggest ovation. There's a disconnect there. I wonder if it's because the story is from NJ.com.

[SteelCurtain]

I happily voted for Hillary Clinton (even though I preferred Bernie Sanders) because at the very least she has been an advocate for Public Education. Cory Booker hasn't been--until it became politically convenient for him to oppose Betsy DeVos (while still knowing she'd get approved). And even now we can't be sure of his dedication to public education. He was friends with Trump appointee Betsy DeVos, and even worked with her toward her own goals. Had it not been career suicide to vote to approve DeVos, I can't say with certainty that he wouldn't have voted for her despite her lack of experience.

Yes, he'd be better than Trump. And a whole lot of people would be better than Booker. I'll take one of those, rather than settling. One that actually advocates on the behalf of public education, rather than filling the pockets of those like DeVos.

And this, right here, is why Democrats can't win elections.

[Aegon]

I happily voted for Hillary Clinton (even though I preferred Bernie Sanders) because at the very least she has been an advocate for Public Education. Cory Booker hasn't been--until it became politically convenient for him to oppose Betsy DeVos (while still knowing she'd get approved). And even now we can't be sure of his dedication to public education. He was friends with Trump appointee Betsy DeVos, and even worked with her toward her own goals. Had it not been career suicide to vote to approve DeVos, I can't say with certainty that he wouldn't have voted for her despite her lack of experience.

Yes, he'd be better than Trump. And a whole lot of people would be better than Booker. I'll take one of those, rather than settling. One that actually advocates on the behalf of public education, rather than filling the pockets of those like DeVos.

And this, right here, is why Democrats can't win elections.

Or the Democrats can construct a platform that is actually appealing to voters and mobilizes them instead of just saying "At least we're not Trump"

[Minimalist]

DeVos getting panned everywhere... even the WLB it seems.

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/03/reveale...0-minutes/

Revealed: White House officials ‘watched in dismay’ as Betsy DeVos went down in flames on ’60 Minutes’

[Minimalist]

Borowitz piles on.

https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz...-half-hour

Betsy DeVos Calls “60 Minutes” a Waste of a Half Hour

Calling her interviewer, Lesley Stahl, a practitioner of “gotcha journalism at its worst,” DeVos said that it was “very unfair of her to ask me so many questions about education.”

“She asked me one thing about schools, and then another, and another,” she said. “If I had to answer every question she had about schools, I would have had to bone up on education for a month.”

[The Grand Nudger]

Republicans keep lowering the floor on education..I can't see demanding that this stop (and that a candidate be a credible force to that end) is demanding perfection.  They would only have stopped the bleeding..our system would still be in disarray.

[Brian37]

Yuck, Cory Booker.  I'd have to really hold my nose while voting for him.  Really hope we do better.

Huh?

As compared to what? A full 8 years of the dangerous inept jackass we have now? 

Democrats are not going to win in 2020 seeking a super hero "perfect" candidate. 

I think he'd be a great president, no, not my first choice, but I'd vote for him if he were nominated. 

Michelle isn't going to run, she'd be my first. Biden would be my second. While I think both Bernie and Hillary would be great Presidents too, I don't want them to run considering the bitterness we saw this last time. I don't want a repeat that would give 45 8 years.

Dems better stay united behind whomever our party nominates. Too much at stake to be divided.

[Lek]

If Joe Biden would have run last time he would be president right now.  I might have even voted for him.

[popeyespappy]

Offhand I can't think of anyone worse than the WLB.

Well, there's Mr. I get my marching orders directly from Jesus, Pence...