Lt. Governor Toni Jennings was campaigning for Charlie Crist recently in Lakeland. She attacked Jim Davis in a meeting with school children and their parents. She was so sneaky about it, and actually lied by omission using words of propaganda.
I took time to scan the picture from the print edition, as only a thumbnail is online. The picture just tells such a tale of how easy it is to tell school kids anything and have them believe. Standing face to face with an innocent, sweet student and not telling the truth.
Lincoln Academy is a School of Choice in this area. Students don't stay there unless they do well and unless parents are totally involved. I know some parents with children at that school who will be alarmed when they read this article in the paper because they know Jim Davis is very strong on education. And they will know Toni Jennings was spreading propaganda.
Lieutenant governor speaks on education, touted Charlie Crist.
LAKELAND -- Florida's Republican Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings came to Lakeland on Friday, praising the after-school programs at a church and taking jabs at Democratic gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep. Jim Davis for what she said were his votes against good education programs.
Jennings, accompanied by state and local Republican officials, visited the after-school program for Lincoln Academy students at Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church and addressed 60 parents, teachers and children, sounding very much like the classroom teacher she once was.
This part was just outrageous to me, lying by omission to a roomful of children and their parents who expect to be told the truth.
Crist, Jennings said, had focused on education and was education commissioner at the beginning of Bush's education initiatives before becoming the state's attorney general. Davis doesn't have his focus on education, she told the group, still in a teacher's voice, making her speech simple for the students to understand.
"Jim Davis refused to provide school scholarships for poor children," she told the audience, eliciting a few gasps.
In an interview with The Ledger after the speech, Jennings said she was referring to the state's voucher program.
That program is available to schoolchildren of all economic backgrounds. But Republicans argue that it is an equal program that allows poor children, as well as others, to opt out of failing schools in their neighborhoods.
Jim Davis strongly believes in a strong public school system. He is not in support of Jeb's voucher programs which divert money from public schools.
And let's not forget this was taking place in a church as well...gotta love this last quote. The pastor is being a bit political as well with all these children in their care after school.
Macedonia's pastor, the Rev. H.B. Holmes, said he will vote for Crist in the Nov. 7 general election.