Michael Bloomberg compares teachers union to NRA

Really, Mayor Bloomberg? Less than a month after two members of the American Federation of Teachers were killed and another AFT member survived being shot in the Sandy Hook massacre, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made this comparison of the United Federation of Teachers, the AFT's New York branch:

"Teachers want to work with the best, and most of them are not in sympathy with the union," he said on Friday. "'The NRA's another place where the membership, if you do the polling, doesn't agree with the leadership."

Yep, Mr. Gun Control thinks unions are just like the NRA. Not only that, he thinks that of a union that recently lost members to a gun massacre and has subsequently been one of the most outspoken voices for the need for better gun laws.

Beyond the offensiveness of the analogy at this particular time, Bloomberg was running the old "it's not the teachers I hate, it's just the union" line. But New York City teachers vote on their leadership. They vote on their contracts. They have far more opportunity to influence the direction of their union than NRA members have to influence the direction of the gun group. That said, many New York City teachers think their leadership is too intent on accommodating Bloomberg; before he starts agitating for union leaders to be ignored in favor of the supposedly more malleable rank and file, he might look west to Chicago where the rank and file showed just how willing to stand and fight they were.

But mostly, Mr. Mayor, just don't f'ing compare unions to the NRA.