* Paul Kendrick is running for the Illinois House in a crowded Democratic primary to replace Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago). He’s endorsed by Croke. One of his people sent me this email yesterday…

Isabel and Rich,

Sharing a column written by Karim Lakhani and published in the Cornell Review that we found yesterday. As you’ve reported, Lakhani has been endorsed by CTU.

Karim Lakhani: Public employee strikes are “unthinkable and intolerable”

After spending more than an estimated $100,000 over several weeks attacking and smearing Paul Kendrick’s support for workers and teachers, Karim Lakhani’s hypocrisy has again been exposed.

Lakhani previously authored and published a column opposing the Chicago Teacher’s Union – and the right of all public unions to go on strike.

Lakhani compared Chicago Public Schools to a “failing business” and wrote that students were “abandoned” by their teachers and having their “futures hijacked by a teachers union who have already received a generous raise.” He then went on to issue a broad indictment of the right of public employees to go on strike:

“Since their own services have to do with the functioning of Government, a strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent on their part to prevent or obstruct the operations of Government until their demands are satisfied. Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government by those who have sworn to support it, is unthinkable and intolerable.”

The column was from 14 years ago. As subscribers know, Kendrick has sent mailers attacking Lakhani over other Republican-style statements made while in college.

* My response…

I hear you, but my view is that sometimes people who change their minds become the most forceful advocates for their new positions.

My dad always used to point out that former cigarette smokers seemed to be the most adamant anti-smoking people anywhere. And then he became one of them. Lol

But we will ask CTU why they trust him. Thanks for the link.

* From the CTU…

CTU members endorsed Lakhani for his strong commitment to public schools and our students, not for something he wrote more than a decade ago as a college student. People get to be wrong in the past and get it right when it counts now.

His opponent however is supporting vouchers. Illinois has already rejected voucher schemes once before because they rob public dollars for private schools. Lakhani is running against someone backed by the very people responsible for the damage to Chicago schools the district is working to recover from today.

* Kendrick not only explicitly supports President Trump’s school voucher program, he’s also said during the campaign that he would like to see public employees moved to a “401(k)-equivalent program.”

* I sent the Kendrick campaign the CTU response and asked for a statement…

Consistent with the swift-boating politics of his Republican past, Karim Lakhani launched dishonest attacks against Paul Kendrick who worked locally and nationally to improve education for our kids, which includes serving on two Local School Councils in the district and at the US Department of Education during the Obama Administration. Paul Kendrick is supported by the Illinois Education Association, Stand for Children, Arne Duncan, Janice Jackson and other educational leaders because of his commitment to securing effective education resources for students. District 12 appreciates Paul Kendrick’s thoughtfulness on fiscal challenges, as Lakhani has yet to personally offer policy substance in this campaign. The path forward for our state must be found with labor and all stakeholders at the table and Paul Kendrick has demonstrated leadership for those conversations. Paul Kendrick has always supported teachers and public employees — including their right to organize and bargain — something that could not be said about Karim Lakhani before trying to win public office.