White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tore into Republicans Thursday and claimed they were 'lying' in their attacks on Democrats about education Critical Race Theory – after political pros warned Democratic candidates could face a new liability on education issues.
Jean-Pierre blasted the GOP for its posture on education after exit polls found parents with school-aged children were a key part of the coalition assembled by Republican Glenn Youngkin in beating back Democrat Terry McAuliffe – and said Republicans were being 'incredibly dishonest' with the issue.
'They're talking about our kids when it's election season, but they won't vote for them when it matters,' she said from the White House podium when asked several times about the potency of the Republican attack and whether Democrats were recalibrating to deal with it.
In tones much more pronounced than President Joe Biden's comments when he was asked about the politics of education Wednesday, the press deputy accused Republicans of exploiting children when raising issues about Critical Race Theory.
'Republicans are lying. They're not being honest. They're not being truthful about where we stand, and they're cynically trying to use our kids as a political football,' said White House Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre Thursday
CRT is an academic theory first developed in the 1970s that concludes race is deeply embeded in nearly all laws and other aspects of American society. The term can also be used as a catch-all term to blast doctrines or even curricula that focus on identity politics or that cast whites or institutions as oppressors.
Jean-Pierre called the U.S. a 'great country' but also called for teaching children about negative aspects of the nation's history.
'So America, as you heard the president say before is a great country. And great countries are honest. Right? They have to be honest with themselves about the history, which is good and the bad,' she said.
'And our kids should be proud to be Americans after learning that history. The President certainly is. Fundamentally we believe schools’ curriculum isn't a federal decision. It's rightly up to communities around the country, the parents, the school, the school board, the teachers and the administrators,' she said. 'And that meaning that politicians … should not be dictating what our kids are being taught.'
Virginia Republican Glenn Youngkin beat former Gov. Terry McAuliffe by stressing education
'So America, as you heard the president say before is a great country. And great countries are honest. Right? They have to be honest with themselves about the history, which is good and the bad,' Jean-Pierre said of President Biden
Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (R) made a likely blunder during a candidate debate when he said 'I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach'
That line addressed a key campaign flub by Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who said in a Sept. 29 debate: 'I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.'
But we also need to be honest here about what's going on here. Republicans are lying. They're not being honest. They're not being truthful about where we stand, and they're cynically trying to use our kids as a political football.
Jean-Pierre, who was filling in for Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who tested positive last week for COVID-19, then went for the went hard after Republicans who voted against Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package at the start of his term.
'You know, Republicans did not vote for the American Rescue Plan, the American rescue plan in that plan – it had funding to make sure that schools were open to make sure that our kids got back to school, and they didn't vote for that,' she said.
'And that was a key component of the American Rescue Plan. We know how important it is to make sure that our kids have in-person learning for their mental well-being and also so that they can actually learn and so that is something that the Republicans refused, absolutely refused to vote for. So we got to be honest here and they're not being honest. They're being incredibly dishonest,' she said.
Her comments come as Democrats sort through Tuesday's defeats amid ideological between the party's centrist and progressive wings.
Democratic political strategist James Carville tore into 'stupid wokeness' as the root of Terry McAuliffe's defeat in the Virginia governor's race as well as Democratic defeats across the board – and pleaded with party members to avert a backlash.
The 'Ragin Cajun' who helped steer Bill Clinton to victory in 1992 aimed squarely at cultural clashes over race, education, and police funding as the heart of the matter, after Repulbican Glenn Youngkin took down McAuliffe by winning over suburban areas that had gone for Joe Biden just a year ago.
'What went wrong is just stupid wokeness. Don't just look at Virginia and New Jersey. Look at Long Island, look at Buffalo, look at Minneapolis, even look at Seattle, Washington,' Carville said as he ticked off election results in an appearance on PBS News Hour.
'I mean, this "defund the police" lunacy, this take Abraham Lincoln's name off of schools. I mean that — people see that,' he said.
He said Terry McAuliffe got 'caught up in something national' and blamed it for his loss (McAuliffe also has deep Clinton ties).
Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) blamed moderate Democrats for the party's loss in Virginia, saying they did not handle Republicans' 'race baiting' and acted like middle schoolers with their fighting over President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda.
Taking to her Instagram site, she called the loss a 'bummer' but blamed it on McAuliffe - who failed to 'energize' progressives to come out and vote.
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