An article in the Village Voice about pro-charter folks funding primary opponents against three of the most anti-charter NY State Senators.  While the Village Voice surely uses the phrase "the long knives are out" in a pejorative way, I think it's a great day when people fighting on behalf of kids have at least a few long knives to counter the boundless long knives that the teachers unions wield to intimidate the many gutless weasels in Albany:

But now the long knives are out for three state senators whose tough talk during the debate rubbed charter advocates the wrong way. The trio, led by top target Bill Perkins of Harlem, are now facing well-funded re-election fights. All three lawmakers—Perkins, Velmanette Montgomery of Central Brooklyn, and Shirley Huntley of South Queens—eventually voted for the charter schools expansion after new conflict-of-interest rules and auditing requirements were added. In the end, the bill's only opponents were 14 sour-grapes Republican senators who were mad because the new rules bar for-profit schools.

But even after their victory, pro-charter advocates decided that their cause would best be served by taking a few scalps to teach future foes not to mess with them. This is no idle dream of political payback. Charter schools have become an adopted cause for a clutch of wealthy hedge fund managers who are fueling campaigns aimed at winning friends and taking out perceived enemies. Already in this election cycle, the deep-pocketed investors have shelled out more than $500,000 to a range of state and national candidates. In the State Senate races, they held a couple of meet-and-greets last month for potential candidates to see if they could handle their missions.

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NYC's Charter School Grudge Match

The charter movement's money men target Harlem's Perkins

By Tom Robbins Tuesday, Jul 27 2010

www.villagevoice.com/2010-07-27/columns/nyc-charter-school-grudge-match/

The city's charter school wars raged all spring. They got about as bitter as legislative battles get, with TV attack ads, tabloid slams, mass rallies, and a high-volume, standing-room-only hearing.