Michelle Rhee and her new husband Kevin Johnson were honored, along with Gary Sinise and NRA President Wayne LaPierre by the Joe Foss Institute for being "outstanding Americans". [Republican millionaire fundraiser Foster] Friess was the chairman of the event.[..]

Some readers have accused me of unfairly linking Michelle Rhee with the right-wing cabal's aim to kill public education altogether. I ask them to consider Rick Santorum's statement, Foster Friess' very clear hatred of public schools (and unions), Rhee's associations with Rupert Murdoch, the Koch Foundation, Betsy DeVos and Scott Walker, her current "consulting" in Alabama (where there are currently no charter schools), and tell me again that she doesn't share their goals.

Michelle Rhee presents herself as someone solely concerned "with the children." Yet her by-the-numbers, bottom line approach to education serves only one master: the for-profit interests looking to grow our economy by privatizing public education. Palling around with billionaires who happen to represent those for-profit interests is never a bad thing for someone looking to turn a pretty profit from being a "school reformer."

Rhee has had a long and documented history of portraying herself as a "Democrat" while cozying up to Republican and conservative special interests. Her StudentsFirst organization requires their donations and assistance to push for busting teachers' unions and setting up profitable charter schools. No wonder she can't offer anything that might go against her buddies. So rather than advocating for measures that would have prevented someone from buying an assault rifle and 6,000 rounds of ammunition legally to mow down little Veronica Moser-Sullivan and recent high school grad Anthony Boik, Rhee smiles wanly and refuses to upset her conservative donors.