It’s a rare feat for a John Locke Foundation expert to inspire a round of boos in a room full of rent seekers and bureaucrats. That’s why Education Policy Analyst Terry Stoops was happy to learn this morning that the mention of his name generated that response last night during a presentation featuring an apologist for Wake County public schools’ questionable diversity policy. The News & Observer‘s education blog reported that response this morning, one day after the newspaper reported Stoops’ description of the apologist, writer and Syracuse University Professor Gerald Grant, as a “modern day snake oil salesman.” Stoops earned a much more civil reception for his presentation this week to the Rotary Club of the Capital City on local, state, and federal education budgets. Stoops is not alone in making some statists hot under the collar. David Bass’ Carolina Journal report on state audits of large families prompted a response on State Government Radio from N.C. Revenue Secretary Ken Lay, who accused CJ of “making hay” over the unprecedented audits. Bass’ original story also attracted attention in the past week from the N.C. Homeschool News.