Is Michelle Rhee Looking to Veer Left by Hiring DNC's Hari Sevugan?

Hari Sevugan, national spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, has accepted a top position at Students First, Michelle Rhee's Washington, D.C.-based, high-profile education advocacy group. Washington insiders say Sevugan is making the move to strengthen his credentials on education policy.

Six months ago, then-Gov.-elect Rick Scott hired Rhee to serve as a key player on his 18-member education transition team. Rhee was a prominent national advocate for the school reform agenda involving closing failing schools, linking teacher pay to student standardized test scores and other measures.

Sevugan, 36, is a lawyer and veteran political operative who also taught for two years in an Upper Manhattan middle school. His job at Students First will be to serve as vice president of communications, insiders say.

Insiders also say that Rhee made the appointment to help heal wounds inflicted when she took the job in Florida, when she went to work for a far-right Republican governor, when she worked to weaken the teachers' unions and generally made a slide to the right of her bipartisan profile.

One source told Sunshine State News, "Michelle is now seen as a tool of the Republicans by many Democrats and the labor unions. She likes having a good relationship with both parties. Hiring Hari Sevugan is going to put her back on that track."
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