It seems I struck a nerve with State Senator Daylin Leach when I recently suggested that when it comes helping black kids escape failing public schools he is much like Alabama Gov. George Wallace standing in the school house door circa 1963.

In a letter to the editor in today's Daily Times, Leach professes to be heartily offended by my "inflammatory" comparison. I don't blame him. But then, it wasn't meant to be flattering.

Sen. Leach was the leading opponent of "opportunity scholarships" to allow some of Pennsylvania's poorest black children to escape some of the state's worst and most violent schools.

Mr. Leach attempts to find cover in the fact that such scholarships are opposed by many "prominent" black leaders, including civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis. He points out that some 38 out of 39 members of the Congressional Black Caucus voted against a federally funded scholarship program in Washington, D.C. effectively killing it, along with the hopes and dreams of hundreds of poor black families there.

That CBC members are more concerned with pleasing their well-heeled supporters in National Education Association than helping these inner-city families is certainly no credit to them. The NEA and other teachers' unions contribute millions to Democratic politicians at the state and federal levels to protect a public education system that has devolved into a protection racket for mediocre teachers and failing schools. And Lewis doesn't even have Leach's excuse that the money for those scholarships was taken from the budgets of those lousy schools.

In comparing him to George Wallace, Leach says that I "essentially called" him "a racist." No. I simply pointed out that his posturing on the issue, if it had been effective, would have prevented a decent number of poor black kids a chance at a decent education.

But it is ironic that a civil rights advocate like Leach has this in common with a racial bigot like George Wallace.

Leach claims that there has been "dramatic improvement" in test scores and 25 percent reduction in the achievement gap between the richest and poorest schools thanks to increased government spending. Please!

According to the National Center on Education Statistics as of 2009

"Pennsylvania has one of the largest gaps between White and African American students in fourth grade reading scores, a 33-point gap that has not narrowed much since 1992.

Black students in Pennsylvania score below the national average for Blacks, while Whites scores above the national average for Whites. A pretty glaring reality -- White students in Pennsylvania score about the same as those in Virginia, but Black students here score 13 points below Black students in the heart of the Old Confederacy.

Now, there's something Sen. Leach and we all can be proud of.

In any case, schools that show the sort of "dramatic improvement," Leach dreams about are not included in the bill. It's only truly failing schools from which these kids will be helped to flee.

But I am glad to see that Sen. Leach is against "race-baiting," even if he misattributes it to me. Maybe he'll have a word with some of his fellow liberals, like Rev. Jim Ley, who throw around the word "racist" so recklessly.

Lastly, the one thing Leach is right about is that comparing liberals like him to George Wallace in the schoolhouse door is not original to me. But it must be the first time he personally felt the sting of that observation.

I guess it smarts. It should.

The comparison stands.

UPDATE: Here's the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program killed by John Lewis and his fellow Black Caucus members with the help of the President of the United States. A few less "prominent" black folks from that community would like to know "Why?"