Romney on Chicago Teachers' Strike: 'I Am Disappointed'

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney issued a statement about Monday's teachers' strike in Chicago:

I am disappointed by the decision of the Chicago Teachers Union to turn its back on not only a city negotiating in good faith but also the hundreds of thousands of children relying on the city’s public schools to provide them a safe place to receive a strong education. Teachers unions have too often made plain that their interests conflict with those of our children, and today we are seeing one of the clearest examples yet. President Obama has chosen his side in this fight, sending his Vice President last year to assure the nation’s largest teachers union that "you should have no doubt about my affection for you and the President’s commitment to you." I choose to side with the parents and students depending on public schools to give them the skills to succeed, and my plan for education reform will do exactly that.

Romney's statement refers to Vice President Joe BIden's 2011 speech to the National Education Association's annual meeting. "One thing you should not have any doubt in your mind about is that Barack Obama, he is on your side," Biden said in his speech. "Make no mistake about it. He will and I will and we will, we will ‑‑ we will fight alongside you. We will fight for you."