Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday blamed Mayor Giuliani for the city’s summer-school debacle, calling it “a terrible admission of failure” as she sided with the powerful teachers union.
After visiting a Manhattan school, Clinton charged that Giuliani’s “failure of leadership” in the talks between the city and the teachers is what caused the meltdown in plans for an expanded summer school.
“It’s a terrible admission of failure on his part,” Clinton said.
“I would hope that maybe it’s not too late, although I know the parties have pretty much given up because of his stance.”
Interim Schools Chancellor Harold Levy on Monday announced he had to trim 70,000 students from summer school because Giuliani and the United Federation of Teachers couldn’t reach a deal over merit pay to attract more teachers.
Clinton is supported by the UFT and counts its leader, Randi Weingarten, among her closest political allies.
The first lady backed a merit-pay plan practically identical to one favored by Weingarten and blasted Giuliani’s salary proposals as unfair to many teachers — as Weingarten has.
Giuliani spokeswoman Kim Serafin said Clinton “should be embarrassed for placing job protection before children’s education.
“Ever since Mrs. Clinton shared the stage with the teachers union to announce her candidacy, she’s been much more concerned about perks, pay and privilege for union leaders than reading, writing and arithmetic for our children.”
Serafin said Clinton’s attack on the mayor over summer school “raises serious doubts about her credibility as an advocate for children.”
Clearly energized by her recent boost in the polls, a newly confident and aggressive Clinton seemed to take pleasure in needling the mayor.
“I know he’s been having a bad couple of weeks,” Clinton said, barely able to contain her glee.
“It just seems that he’s not a very happy person these days, a little bit out of sorts.”
Told by a reporter that Giuliani appeared upbeat during a Tuesday Long Island bus trip with Sen. John McCain, Clinton smiled and was left speechless for a moment.
“I want everyone to be happy,” she joked.
Clinton also dismissed Giuliani’s charge, made in an interview with Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” that the U.S. Justice Department has “dramatically” increased its probes of the city since the mayor launched his Senate campaign.
“I don’t know what he’s talking about,” she said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Pataki, the state’s most powerful Republican, ripped into U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio (R-L.I.) for suggesting he’ll run for the U.S. Senate.
“I don’t think it is particularly helpful for other Republicans to do anything other than get behind the candidacy of Mayor Giuliani,” Pataki told a state Capitol news conference. “I urge him [Lazio] and all the others to do that.”