[nmh]

Bush ahd the right idea on NCLB BUT the teachers PERVERTED his agenda. Now, they sideline and ignore the bright motivated kids and it gave them another excuse to LOWER STANDARDS and CONTENT. That is where NCLB is perverted.

[hellbender]

Bush did not have the right idea about No Child Left Behind. Education is not a legitimate Constitutional function of the Federal govt., and it used to be the conservative position that the Dept. of Education should be eliminated. Instead, it ballooned under Bush.

Perry is simply pandering to the right in order to get nominated. In Texas, he pandered to the "Hispanic" lobby and the Muslim lobby for his own short-sighted political interests. Once in D.C., he will not need conservative backing any more, and will show his instincts, which are those of a "moderate" Democrat (he supported Al Gore on the theory that Gore was a "moderate" at the time, which was completely untrue anyway). It is a fatal mistake to think that Slick Rick is a dedicated conservative.