From WST, we find a still shot from one of Ulrich's recent tv commercials which aired before Halloween:
That's... uhmm... quite menacing. Hopefully the entire commercial appeared less dark than that individual graphic, but, alas, the ad has been pulled from Youtube, so I guess we'll never know.
What qualifies this scary candidate to be on BESE? I have no idea. But she's a contender. Why? Money, vague rhetoric about "choice" and "change", and endorsements from Senator Vitter and Treasurer John N. Kennedy.
So, one wonders, where does this scary, unqualified candidate get her funding? From outside her district, and from outside her state. The News Star (NE LA's "top news source") reports:
Campaign finance reports submitted to the Louisiana Ethics Commission show that prior to the Oct. 20 election, 91 percent of Ulrich's support came from outside of the district. Thirty-nine percent of Guice's contributions are from outside the district.
Ulrich reported approximately $32,050 in campaign contributions prior to the Oct. 20 election.
Five of Ulrich's 14 total contributions came from four groups — All Children Matter, The Republican Party of Louisiana, NorthPAC and SouthPAC — both political action committees for the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Each group contributed $5,000, the maximum contribution allowed. Five of the remaining nine contributions came from individuals outside of BESE District 5.
...
Besides the $5,000 monetary contribution, Phillip Stutts, general consultant for All Children Matter, said the group also has contributed in the form of independent expenditures to Ulrich's campaign.
Independent expenditures can include radio and television advertising and direct mail. Independent expenditures may not be coordinated with the candidate's campaign activities.
Stutts would not say what independent expenditures the group had contributed to Ulrich. He also declined to comment on the amount spent on those expenditures. Stutts said that the group had spent $600,000 in independent expenditures statewide.
Stutts said the group chose to support Ulrich because of her stance on education reform, particularly school choice and her backing of future Gov. Bobby Jindal in his reform efforts.
Keith Guice reported approximately $23,555 from a total of 71 contributions. Nine of Guice's contributions came from outside the district.
All Children Matter, huh? And precisely who is behind this pro school voucher 527 organization that is funding Ulrich? Why, it's Dick and Betsy DeVos. As you might know, Dick DeVos inherited the Amway (Quixtar) empire from his father, just as Betsy (Prince) inherited her wealth from her father, Edgar Prince. The late Edgar Prince heavily funded James Dobson's Focus on the Family, and (CNP member) Tony Perkins' Family Research Council. Betsy's brother, Erik Prince, founded Blackwater USA. Dick Devos, Dick's parents and Betsy DeVos' father were all big supporters of the radical Christian Reconstructionist/Dominionist movement. Which leads us directly to the Council For National Policy. Many members of the CNP are Christian Reconstructionists. The CNP was heavily funded by Amway heir Dick Devos, Dick's father, and Dick's father in law, Edgar Prince. Here's what Talk2Action said about the CNP and Christian Reconstructionism:
The thrust of the so-called religious leaders of the CNP is toward a movement called Christian Reconstructionism, which claims that our contemporary society is "unBiblical" and should be ruled by theocratic church authority. Also known as Dominionists, these proponents assert that democracy is "heretical," as are the issues of working people and organized labor; civil rights and social justice issues, as well as empowerment of the disenfranchised. They would replace the Constitution with a form of rule based on Old Testament law. As extreme and bizarre as that sounds, many powerful, politicized religious broadcasters are secretly part of this movement and coordinate political action with others through the CNP. Among those associated with this movement is D. James Kennedy, whose generous funding from the DeVos family allows him to deliver scathing lectures against the gays and lesbians, against civil liberties and for "reclaiming America" to a rightwing version of godliness.
This is the most influential coalition that Dick DeVos is part of. He came in through his father, who is a governor of the CNP. His late father-in-law, Edgar Prince, was the single largest donor to the Council.
Recall former CNP president Woody Jenkins' speech about his heartfelt belief that education must return to the home. Now recall that Gov-elect Bobby Jindal's Chief of Staff is homeschooled sharpshooter Timmy Teepell, and Teepell is a member of the CNP.
What do these connections prove? Nothing, right now. But understand that the out of state organizations recruiting and funding GOP candidates like Ulrich are funded by wealthy radical right donors who see public schools (and teachers and science and liberalism) as a major obstacle between them and the establishment of a Christian Nation.
Do these troubling connections mean that vouchers and charter schools are, in themselves, bad ideas? No. They should be debated on their own merits. However, many of the top proponents of these ideas see them leading towards a very radical redefinition of society and government as we know it.
Governor-elect Jindal gets to appoint three members to BESE, which sets state education policy. It will be very interesting to see what sort of people are selected, and whether or not they have ties to the aforementioned organizations and people.
By the way, Ulrich's runoff opponent is Keith Guice. Mr. Guice's experience in education includes 43 years as a teacher, coach, counselor, principal, supervisor, superintendent, and director of programs for at risk youth. But, to the radical right, that sort of hands on "experience" is cause for extreme suspicion and coordinated opposition.
Labels: Elections and Campaigns, Jindal, John N. Kennedy, Schools, tv, Vitty-cent
