The Education bill was one which he campaigned on.
You are wrong in what you are implying. He campaigned for school vouchers, which got shot down in flames. Instead of keeping Education spending level or decreasing it after the voucher crash and burn, he let Manslaughter Kennedy have an open check book to name his price. After Manslaughter Kennedy gave Bush a level that he thought Bush would laugh at, Bush took his number and added on BILLIONS to Manslaughter Kennedy's crazy number and the Education Dept ended up with a 29.5% Increase!!!.
I can assure everybody this--if Bush campaigned on a 29.5% Increase in his first budget, not only would I not have campaigned for him, but Bush may not have even been the nominee for the GOP, and Gore would have won the election.
In addition, by Bush's fifth budget, the Education Department had received a 79.9% Increase since Scumbag's final budget.
I can also assure everybody this--if Bush made a campaign promise to increase Education spending by 79.9% over five budgets, Al Gore would be president.
You can't say, Miss Marple, that Bush campaigned on increasing waste at the DOE by 79.9%. If you can find those transcripts, show it here for the Internet world to see.
Re your point #2:
You are wrong here also.
Your claim that I have never supported Bush is false, as my previous post gave facts to make clear. You have a hard time believing that those who critique Bush and the GOP are Republicans. The fact is that the most vocal members who show the most outrage at the fiscally liberal Republicans are usually the most passionate conservatives.
The Education Bill only gives the increased funding to school systems which meet the requirements (testing, improved scores for students, teacher certification, etc.) If school systems do not meet the requirements, they do not get the money. Why do you think that the NEA HATES the "No Child Left Behind" Act?
As early as August of 2004, after the convention, there are articles talking about this and his "Texas Miracle" (in which he increased spending on education, demanded accountability from Texas school systems by instituting standard tests and promoted phonics in reading education). Vouchers were only ONE portion of his education proposals, and like Reagan, he took what he could get.
Yes, Kennedy supported the bill. And Kennedy didn't understand what the bill meant, because NOW Kennedy is howling that there isn't enough money being spent. And why is that? Because schools who didn't meet the requirements don't get the money!
Sorry, but if all you heard was vouchers you weren't really paying attention.
And the President still supports vouchers, which many states are now trying to institute. You will note that the ACLU and the NEA are filing lawsuits against every voucher law enacted. They are losing, but it is a slow progress for our side as this is being fought in the courts.
If this education bill is so leftist, why does the NEA hate it? And why do you not know all the parts of his education proposals from the campaign? I knew them, and I was only a lowly campaign envelope-licker and phone answerer, and I have no access to anyone more important than my county Republican Chairman.
An outstanding set of postings here, Don't Tread. Nice job.