The rightwing is after another progressive Obama appointee, and it’s past time for Obama to stand his ground.

The appointee in question is Kevin Jennings, who is the Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

Jennings, whom I’ve met and greatly admire, was the founder of GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network.

For years, he and his organization worked to make our schools safe from homophobic bigotry, which can devastate kids.

He knows the schools inside and out.

He has extraordinary experience with administrators.

In short, he’s perfect for the job.

But they don’t like him because he’s an advocate for gay rights.

So the reactionaries on Fox News and at the Washington Times have been waging a campaign against him.

They haven’t been able to find anything on him except that he, as a teacher, once advised a 15-year-old student in a relationship with an older man to use a condom, which in itself wasn’t bad advice.

This week, 53 Republican House members signed a letter demanding his ouster.

If the White House makes Jennings walk the plank like it did to Van Jones, that won’t satisfy the bullies from the right. They’ll just go after the next progressive they can find.

Obama must defend and keep Kevin Jennings.

You beat a bully by fighting back.