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Charter Cheers

Like many of her friends in the Morrisania section of the Bronx, Anais Rodriguez, 12, had never heard of a charter school until someone told her about one nearby. A few years after enrolling, she鈥檚 starting to think about going to college, which until recently was an equally mysterious educational option.

On Aug. 31, the seventh grader and a roomful of her classmates played host to a group of moderate Republican members of Congress, who came together to praise the Bronx Preparatory Charter School鈥檚 focus on preparing students from disadvantaged households for college. The lawmakers are members of the Republican Main Street Partnership, a group promoting moderate conservative policies.

The event鈥檚 organizers had hoped to draw Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California鈥攂oth featured speakers at the Republican National Convention that night. Neither made an appearance at the event, however, leaving other GOP officials to heap praise on the school.

鈥淭his is the kind of example of what you can do with education in this country,鈥� U.S. Rep. Michael N. Castle of Delaware told a gathering of students and teachers at the school, which emphasizes college preparation through its curriculum. 鈥淵ou have been given the opportunity to be educationally ready.鈥�

Ms. Rodriguez would probably agree. She knew of too many public schools plagued by fights, she said, and felt safe at the Bronx Preparatory school.

This being a political event, not everyone was as sold on the benefits of charters. Outside the school on 3rd Avenue, a small group of parents with picket signs said the Bush administration, and the state of New York, needed to do more to improve traditional public schools.

鈥淥ur children go to schools in the Bronx that are underfunded,鈥� said Ronn Jordan, a resident of the neighborhood. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to bring Republicans to town, let鈥檚 not make it a shell game.鈥�

A Full Deck

The last time politicians were handing out playing cards with mug shots on the front of them, the deck included a certain deposed Iraqi dictator, his sons, and a few other select military leaders the U.S. armed forces were gunning for.

But this week at the Republican National Convention, a new deck has emerged, with prominent GOP faces adorning them and a less bellicose message. These cards were being distributed by Republican activists eager to promote their party鈥檚 message to convention attendees and gin-rummy devotees alike.

On Aug. 31, Alex von Rosenberg, who identified himself as a member of a group of New York state college Republicans, was selling the Bush deck of cards, which he said he created along with a few friends. Mr. von Rosenberg also sells a similar deck featuring the Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

鈥淭his reclaims the playing card as a means of communicating a positive message,鈥� Mr. von Rosenberg said outside a Republican event in the Bronx.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California is the six of diamonds; U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader, the six of spades. Columnist George Will is designated the three of spades. This being a Republican convention and deck, Mr. Kerry is the joker, as is his Democratic colleague, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. On the second day of the convention, Mr. von Rosenberg was peddling the decks of cards for $10 a pop, or three for $20.

Pressed as to why the deck did not include the Bush administration鈥檚 secretary of education, Rod Paige鈥攁 featured speaker at that night鈥檚 convention鈥擬r. von Rosenberg said it was a fellow GOP activist who had made the final choices, not him.

鈥淩od Paige actually was originally slotted,鈥� he said with a shrug. 鈥淢y colleague was the driver on this deck. You could put him on the spot.鈥�