"I’m here to stand with America’s public schools . . . with Chicago teachers," the Massachusetts senator declared. “I’m here to stand with nurses . . . librarians . . . bus drivers,” she continued, referring to some of the groups on the picket line. “Everyone in America should support you in this strike. When you go out and fight, you don’t just fight for yourselves. You’re fighting for the children of this city and country.”

If elected, Warren said she has “a plan” to help public education nationally. Money for schools—and potentially a bunch of other stuff, such as free college education—would come from a wealth tax that has not been introduced and is far from assured to pass Congress.

At least that’s better than Warren’s health plan. After considerable pushing from her Democratic rivals, Warren says she’s finally preparing a plan to explain how she'd pay for it. She hasn’t yet said what, but my bet is on the wealth tax.

Let’s assume for conversation’s sake that Warren wins, takes office in 2021, get Congress to approve her health care plan and sets up a new system to collect the tax, perhaps going into effect in 2022.

That doesn’t help Mayor Lightfoot any, does it? Lightfoot has to balance a school budget right now, in 2019. She can’t spend money she doesn’t have. Does the good senator want to join her in calling for a property tax increase on Chicago homeowners? Warren was off too fast to her next campaign stop to say.

CTU and its allies have done all but call Lightfoot a traitor to her race. They’ve personalized—in a very nasty way—a debate over fiscal reality.

But the union doesn’t care. Neither does Warren, who just wants to throw around candy and promise lots of stuff she may not be able to deliver on and that someone else will have to pay for. In coming here and saying what she did, she’s joining CTU’s personal attack on a mayor trying to do her job.

Warren had another example to follow, if she chose, such as North Side U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a progressive by any definition of the term.

“I stand with the teachers and school staff currently on strike in the Chicago Public Schools. Every student in Chicago should have reasonable class sizes, and enough social workers, counselors, nurses, case managers and librarians to provide the best learning experience for all students," Schakowsky said in a statement. Then, she added, “I am sure the mayor wants what is best for teachers, students, parents and the city of Chicago and I hope the two sides finalize an agreement as soon as possible.”

That’s what Warren should have said. But hot-dogging it and letting someone else clean up afterward is a lot more fun.