Obama WIns a Battle as a Teachers' Union Shows Flexibility

What has been described as a showdown or ideological battle between the Obama administration and his primary financier, the teachers unions, looks, according the Wall Street Journal (October 17-18, 2009 page A 1, "for the moment, a little less likely."  One union, the 1,600 New Haven, CT, union voted 21 - 1, about a 1% turnout (the two major teachers unions have 3,600,000 members) for some contract changes bringing more flexibliity on work rules and teacher compensation.  I would venture this is a meaninglessness at best misleading at worst headline, article and so-called "model".  The unions members were paid a 3% raise for 4 years, nearly 13%, while inflation is running under 1/2 of 1%.  While advertised as a breakthrough it simply to me looks like a bribe so Obama can log in a "win" and try to affirm his independence from the organizations that spent upwards of $300,000,000 to elect him.  "Yes, I am tough, I stand up to unions." -- Obama could have meant, and clouded mens' mionds.  But honest it is not.