Bruner Responds to Criticism, Withdrawal of GAWTP Support
Posted/updated on: May 23, 2016 at 3:36 am
EAST TEXAS — Mary Lou Bruner, a candidate for State Board of Education District 9, has responded to heavy criticism of comments she made at a superintendents’ meeting at Region 7 earlier this month. KETK reports her response also follows the withdrawal of support for Bruner from Grassroots America – We The People (GAWTP). On her Facebook page, Bruner says, in part, “I have been severely criticized for statements I made at the superintendent’s meeting in Kilgore on May 4, 2016. This incident has Saul Alinsky’s demolition tactics written all over it.”
Addressing one issue that followed the Region 7 meeting, Bruner says, “This is what I actually said which was most offensive to some people, ‘Public schools are now approaching 50% of the students in ONE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM OR ANOTHER.’ It is unfortunate that some people thought I was misrepresenting the facts. The following choice of words would have been better: ‘Public schools are now approaching 50% of the students in one special at-Risk program or another.'”
Elsewhere on the Facebook page, Bruner comments, “I felt the last request GAWTP made was an unreasonable request. I do not have to tell anyone which superintendents supported me and which ones I have visited. Some superintendents may not wish to divulge that information.” Bruner adds, “It is amazing how some people know about Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and they did not see the techniques being applied to one of their own conservative friends running for office. One of the techniques described in the rules is to destroy the confidence of a candidate’s supporters and turn their friends and family against them.”
GAWTP said Bruner’s statements have raised questions about her integrity. According to the Longview News-journal and KETK, the group announced Wednesday evening that it had voted to drop its endorsement of Bruner, who is in a runoff with Keven Ellis. At the superintendents’ meeting in KIlgore, the retired elementary teacher made statements called out immediately as false by the educators.
