Sarah Palin went on Hannity to criticize president Obama (what else?) and had a "Fraudian" slip, as Joe McGinniss put it. Apparently, she's running...
While she spouts her usual nonsense, there's a bill in congress to cut funding for special needs education.
The leadership in the House of Representatives proposed a budget bill – known as a Continuing Resolution -- which would eliminate $100 billion in federal spending over the next seven months, until September 30, 2011 which marks the end of the federal fiscal year. This proposes the deepest cuts to education in recent history, including slashing special education (IDEA grants to states) by over half a billion dollars.
Did Sarah Palin tweet? Did she write a passionate Facebook note about it? Did she go on Fox News to protest this ill conceived bill?
She promised families with children with special needs that they would have a friend and advocate in the White House if she was elected vice-president. Considering "all" she did for chidren with special needs since the 2008 campaign, if she enters the race for the presidency in 2012, what kind of promises would she make?
Apart from parading a poorly clothed Trig in all weathers on her Going Rogue book tour, exposing him to the crowds during the flu season, taking him to Tea Party rallies and making speeches reaffirming her pro-life credentials because she chose not to abort him, what kind of advocacy for special needs has she embraced?
Donating $1000 of other people's money to a national Down syndrome organization doesn't count, as it's cancelled out by her charging her usual $100,000 to speak at a special needs group fundraiser.
Attacking Rahm Emanuel for using the word retarded in private while defending Rush Limbaugh for using it repeatedly in public doesn't count.
Whining about the desecration of the iconic image of a mother's love for her special needs child doesn't count.
Misunderstanding a joke on Family Guy and using Bristol on Facebook to attack the makers of the program doesn't count.Becoming all lachrymose on camera after meeting dear 12-year old cousin Matthew (who has Down syndrome) for the first time on Sarah Palin's Alaska doesn't count.
Saying something about this bill would count for something; urging people to sign the following petition would help.
Help Kids with Special Needs Succeed in School
Every year, millions of children with disabilities or at risk of developmental delays enter school already behind other kids their age. Without early therapy and treatment, many will never catch up.
All kids deserve a chance to learn, build lifelong skills and achieve their dreams. But budget cuts threaten the ability for young children with special needs to get the right treatment when they need it -- before age five. With the number of children with special needs growing every year, we can't afford to lose funding for these crucial services.
We need federal support to identify these children with special needs and get them the right treatment and therapy early so that they have a greater chance of catching up to their peers.
Make sure every child starts school ready and able to learn. Tell Congress not to cut funding for services for kids with undiagnosed disabilities, and to increase disability resources in coming years.
In February I wrote about another proposed cut to the budget, also related to special needs. I asked the same questions about tweets and facebook notes. The answer? Crickets!
Reader HS sent me another couple of screeshots and I had to include them in this post!(H/T to texasgal2009 for the link to the petition)