An unlikely trio visits the president

It may sound like the beginning of a bad joke, but that was the Rev. Al Sharpton, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at the White House Thursday.

The Democrat, the Republican and the Republican-turned-Independent visited President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan to discuss what the administration calls “the civil rights issue of our generation” — education reform.

{mosads}They are an unlikely trio of men: Sharpton, the former Democratic Senate candidate and outspoken civil rights advocate; Gingrich, the former GOP House Speaker who is said to be considering a 2012 White House run; and Bloomberg, the man who became New York’s mayor on the Republican ticket but switched his party registration to independent.

The three do not often agree on issues but they are all members of the Education Equality Project, which works to improve public schools. It was Sharpton who requested the White House meeting.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the three men pledged to work with each other and with the president to institute meaningful reform to ensure equal educational opportunities for all Americans.

“There will be some heated discussion,” Sharpton said after meeting with Obama. But the reverend added: “There can be no sacred cows.”

Gingrich said that education reform is “an issue that should bring all Americans together,” and he commended Obama for his “courage” for speaking out in favor of charter schools during the Democratic primaries “when it was difficult.”

Charter schools and vouchers are just two of the issues that divide Gingrich and Sharpton, but they have spoken together previously on the topic.

Duncan warned that “we can’t wait five years. We can’t wait 10 years. We will lose another generation of children.”

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was invited to join the meeting but could not attend.