Paige's Cliches, Scripts, and Lies

["George N. Schmidt" <Csubstance@AOL.COM>]

In a message dated 1/11/01 8:06:28 AM, lang@CHINMIN.EDU.TW writes:

<< [Dr Paige] acknowledged "complaints that it just isn't fair to
> rate schools and to expect teachers and children to meet goals
> for performance," but said: "I disagree. America cannot go
> speeding into the future looking through a rearview mirror." >>

January 13, 2001

Hello Colleagues:

Nearly 20 years ago -- before "A Nation at Risk" -- when I first began
investigating the well-funded and highly publicized Marva Collins Hoax (which
back then -- 1981, 1982 -- received conservative support from as lofty a
height as The Wall Street Journal), I noticed that certain one-liners,
cliches, and "facts" are repeatedly used by these frauds.

Paul Vallas and Rod Paige are the same personality types. So was Marva. They
have no compunction about lying, making up facts, and viciously suppressing
disagreement. They tend to rattle on, try to charm reporters, disarm
criticism, and attack those who get too close to the facts with whatever
weapons are at hand. In Paige's case, I'm sure that his critics will be
called "racists" as soon as the debates begin in earnest.

They rehearse their scripts incessantly, because they have to memorize them
since they are a carefully crafted combination of facts and large doses of
fiction and propaganda. Because they are resting their claims on a foundation
of lies (or half truths), they have to memorize a lot. Therefore, by the time
they get to important positions, they have a clear track record and a
well-worn script.

Each cliche and one liner is tried out on an ignorant reporter (or senator),
then replayed for as long as it lasts. Sometimes there are phony "facts" to
back up the claims.

I suggest that those who know the Texas and Houston scenes best begin
assembling a Paige Book for the rest of us. The book will have two parts:

1. The one-liners and cliches that the media come to love and quote
relentlessly.

2. The "data" (usually falsified or at least exaggerated) that back up the
talking points.

I suspect that Paige's "Up from the Delta" autobiography has been burnished
in this way, too.

Bill Clinton, Richard Reilly, Richard M. Daley, and Paul Vallas developed one
set of cliches to push "standards and accountability" during the Demopublican
era from 1992 - 2001. Remember that the phony Chicago miracle was the
centerpiece of "school reform" in Clinton's State of the Union messages in
1998 and 1999 (until we blew such a loud whistle -- and took such a heavy hit
-- that calmer heads prevailed and suddenly Clinton and Reilly backed away
from citing the Chicago "miracle", saving Gore from citing it during the
campaign).

I suspect that the Republicratic "miracle" claims will be coming fast and
furiously from Paige and Bush. It will be a new script, but with all the same
techniques buried in them. Let's make sure it doesn't take us four or five
years to get ahead of the script this time. Anyone who can help with the
Paige Truth Squad should sign on. I bet he's been using some of these claims
and stories for 20 years, and that someone out there has already given the
lie to most of them.

George Schmidt
Editor, Substance
5132 W. Berteau
Chicago, IL 60641
773-725-7502

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