FORMER ED SUPERINTENDENT JOINS MCNAIR LAW FIRM

Nine times out of ten, a serious candidate for governor comes from a position of elected office. The Republican slate of candidates features the attorney general, a sitting Congressman, the Lt. Gov., and others.

But Democrat Inez Tenenbaum will now be running as a former office holder turned lobbyist. That’s because Tuesday the McNair Law Firm in Columbia hired her to be “of counsel” including handling financial matters and, of course, education.

“Once you’re in public education, it becomes your life’s mission,” Tenenbaum, 57, told The State newspaper. “I miss the children since I’ve been out of office. I miss the schools; I miss the teachers; I miss the school boards and administrators.”

Bill Youngblood, McNair’s managing partner, said his firm has plenty of work for Tenenbaum, noting the firm has represented about 60 of the state’s 85 school districts on financial issues in the past five years. That includes Lexington-Richland 5, which has a referendum on the November ballot proposing a $243.7 million bond issue to build new schools and renovate others. [RICK BRUNDRETT - The State]

So, not only will she be lobbying, but she’ll be doing it on behalf of our state’s failing school systems. Which is basically a continuation of her term as education superintendent.

This move only adds to the speculation surrounding Tenenbaum’s likely 2010 gubernatorial run. Becoming a lobbyist is an odd choice prior to running for governor, and not likely one that will help her — especially after all the damage she does promoting the antiquated policies of a lot of these public schools.

After all, finding ways to increase red tape and further inadequacies and inefficiencies in an already minimally adequate system of education is not exactly the best idea.