Religion & Law

No, it's not the announcement of another season of "The Sopranos."  The New York Times reports (with some regret, I imagine), that "To Lead Schools, Christie Picks Voucher Advocate," Bret Schundler.  According to the report, Schunder is "[t]he man once described by teachers? union leaders as 'the antithesis of everything we hold sacred about public education.'"  So, he's got that going for him.  The piece also notes:

Still, some of the ideas that made him a polarizing figure to unions and Democratic leaders have become more mainstream (RG:  were these ideas ever not "mainstream"?), with even President Obama signaling interest in merit pay and promoting the expansion of charter schools. On Wednesday, the teachers? union issued a statement that refrained from criticizing the choice.

It looks like the (Democratic) mayor of Newark, Cory Booker (one of "America's best leaders"), might have an ally.