[Ron Jeremy]

What happened to abolishing the Department of Education?

The GOP took full control of the federal government and decided that big government was fine as long as the GOP was in control of it.

[Lurking Libertarian]

The GOP platform in 1996 stated: "The Federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved in school curricula or to control jobs in the market place. This is why we will abolish the Department of Education."

Trivia question: Who was the first U.S. President to propose federal aid to public schools in the states? Which provision of the Constitution did he rely on?

Answer: Eisenhower; and he relied on the provision empowering Congress to "raise and support Armies." (The first federal aid to public schools was the "National Defense Education Act," which was claimed to be necessary to provide a population sufficiently educated to overcome Soviet technical accomplishments such as Sputnik).

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Just abolishing the Dept of Education or AMTRAK is no longer enough. The federal government’s growth is so far out of control that the States now face the prospect of systematically eliminating half of the federal government through a constitutional convention.

This means the end of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, much of the National Intelligence structures, many cabinet departments, renouncing the national debt, creating a balanced budget amendment to the constitution, etc.

It also means reducing the jurisdiction and appellate authority of the federal courts, renouncing many international treaties and obligations, returning much of the US military currently deployed overseas, and returning most federal lands confiscated from the individual States.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

"18,000 conservatives gathering in Madison Square Garden today."

Well, over 1 Million Conservatives gathered for TEA Parties at town squares all over the country.

And I predict for the next round of TEA Parties, there will be 5 million.

[FTJM]

Time for a Second Contract with America. Too bad Newt is too busy with the DC party circuit.

[knarf]

"President Bush let Ted Kennedy write his education bill and he outspent Bill Clinton."

Question answered.

[devistate one four]

Just a bunch of happy talk.

[rob777]

The GOP platform in 1996 stated: "The Federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved in school curricula or to control jobs in the market place. This is why we will abolish the Department of Education."


That plank was dropped during the 2000 GOP Convention with pressure from the Bush Campaign. They blamed the GOP Class of 1994 for the government shut down and considered them to be too strident. Bush employed a Clinton-like "trianglation" strategy to position himself somewhere between the "Big Government" left and the "radicals" from the GOP Class of 1994. Anyone who was surprised by his big government governing style really was not paying attention to his campaign.

[Buckeye McFrog]

once the Dept. of Ed. takes direct control of all higher education financing (and is able to grant loan forgiveness and other favors as needed) you can forget ever getting rid of them.

[DennisR]

We, the people, have to demand that government be small. How? http://pushbackuntil.com

We have to codify the amount of money we let government spend. No more can we trust any one person or party - it has to be up to us.

[VRW Conspirator]

The GOP new-new slogan:

Our smiley faced socialism is actually big grin socialism.

[roses of sharon]

The MSM/DNC/Hollywood/Academia war room killed our class of 94......in 96 they were whipped.

I know, I worked for one of those brave men, I remember it vividly. You should have seen the horrific ads that were run against us in 96.

And then our pundits made it conventional wisdom that the Republicans just tried to do too many radical things...balderdash! We just have not a clue how to battle their massive propaganda machine...to this very day.