Demagogue

At a time when public schools are frequently under attack, this is not the way to win back the public's affection.

On Monday, school district officials in Washington, D.C., canceled classes at Eaton Elementary School so that cleaning crews would have ample time to disinfect the building. The decision was made after it was learned that school officials had permitted the elementary school's cafeteria to be used to sterilize and vaccinate more than 500 cats over the previous weekend.

Needless to say, the school's parents were royally pissed off.

Jim Collier, chief of the city Health Department's bureau of environmental quality, made the following statement -- more a case of gross understatement than of spin, but, nonetheless, worthy of the Spinmeister's attention:

"It probably was not the best place to carry out that service in hindsight."

Probably not, Jim.