The Braintrust

This one's a hoot.

On today's editorial page at the Tribune Review, we find this:

A new shocking report on social studies "professionals" using classrooms as leftist indoctrination centers should prompt parents and taxpayers to reassert local control over public education.

Mary Grabar, writing for America's Survival Inc., recounts what she witnessed at the National Council for the Social Studies' 2009 annual meeting. Ms. Grabar -- whose parents escaped communist Yugoslavia when she was 2, holds a doctorate in English and teaches part-time -- found only negative views of the U.S. and the West.

We all know where this is headed, right?

It's now getting too easy. But here's the rundown:

• America's Survival received $150,000 in grants from the Sarah Scaife Foundation in 2008.
• America's Survival received $60,000 in grants from the Sarah Scaife Foundation in 2007.
• America's Survival received $110,000 in grants from the Carthage Foundation in 2007.
• America's Survival received $100,000 in grants from the Carthage Foundation in 2006.

So that's $420,000 since 2006 from foundations controlled by Richard Mellon Scaife.

Additionally, if you take a look at the data at Mediamatters, America's Survival and America's Survival Inc (no idea on the name change, by the way) have only 4 Funders:

• Carthage Foundation
• Sarah Scaife Foundation
• Devos Foundation
• Armstrong Foundation

And those last two foundations only granted $11,000 compared to $556,000 granted in total by the Scaife controlled foundations.

That's a very tightly wound circle-jerk.

And a word on Professor Grabar. The Braintrust says her report is "shocking." But, considering some of her other writing, it's hardly shocking at all. She's your typical wingnut ranter.

An example of her writing found from June of 2009 at Townhall.com:

I was a bit surprised to hear former Homeland Secretary Tom Ridge echo President Obama’s criticism of Rush Limbaugh by calling him “shrill” and “divisive” recently. Then Senator John Cronyn joined in the Rush-bashing over Limbaugh’s use of the word “racist” for self-described “wise Latina woman” judge Sonia Sotomayor. I do not recall ever being enlightened or inspired by these politicians.

On the other hand, as I’ve driven to teach afternoon classes I’ve enjoyed the insights and wit from Limbaugh. I am always impressed by his ability to apply historical figures, ideas, events, and Constitutional principles.

And America's Survival is your typical wingnut platform. Here's an example of the typical fare found there:

In a case of strange political bedfellows, conservative Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma has joined leftist comedian Al Franken, a Democratic Senator from Minnesota, in sponsoring a bill denouncing Uganda's Christians for considering passage of legislation to outlaw certain unhealthy and immoral homosexual practices.

That's Uganda's Anti-homosexuality bill, by the way. To the writer, Cliff Kincaid, has also had columns published in Scaife's Tribune-Review. Like this one.

The circle jerk continues.