The Associated Press reported tonight that Barack and Michelle Obama will send their daughters to a private school:
President-elect Barack Obama and his wife have chosen Sidwell Friends School for their two daughters, opting for a private institution that another White House child, Chelsea Clinton, attended a decade ago.
"A number of great schools were considered," said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama. "In the end, the Obamas selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need right now."
The AP further noted:
Michelle Obama went to public schools on Chicago's South Side, and understands the importance of strong public schools, Lelyveld said, and the administration plans to work hard on that issue.
There had been speculation that Barack Obama, who has long championed public education while opposing vouchers allowing for parental choice, might send his children to public schools. As the Washington Post noted, the Obamas' decision was announced late in the afternoon. This is a political tactic often used to disclose awkward information.
How do I know this? Because the Associated Press told us that just last month. When Sarah Palin and her husband released their tax returns on October 3, the AP reported:
The McCain-Palin campaign had said the tax returns would be released Monday, but it suddenly put them out Friday afternoon—a time long used by government to reveal embarrassing news because few people watch TV or read newspapers Friday evening and Saturday.
The Associated Press didn't mention that strategy in its account of the Obama decision. No doubt it was just an oversight. There's just so much hope and change emanating from Washington these days that it's tough to keep up with it all.
