Ken Burgess, spokesman for Yes for Idaho Education, is defending his group's use of an edited clip from a July 2009 speech by a retiring NEA official in a campaign commercial that says it shows "the national teachers union as they explain why the union is spending millions to defeat education reform like Props 1, 2, and 3 here in Idaho." "The purpose of that ad is to demonstrate to Idahoans really what and who the NEA is all about," Burgess said. "What's most important to them really is just being able to have members."

Asked how the 2009 clip shows why the NEA is spending big on the Idaho campaign in 2012, Burgess said, "Oh, they've engaged in these types of efforts in many states around the country where education reform has been attempted. It's nothing new for Idaho, it's nothing new for this year. ... It's stuff that they have done all along, because they basically oppose reform of the status quo."

Burgess said an earlier ad in favor of Props 1, 2 and 3 that was being run by a group coordinated by lobbyist and political activist John Foster is no longer running, but he promised "a very aggressive effort on our part ... all the way through Nov. 6" to push for support for the measures, possibly including additional ads. The new TV commercial is running across southern Idaho, and a radio version is running statewide.