"It profits me but little that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquillity of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from my path, without my care or concern, if this same authority is the absolute master of my liberty and my life."

--Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Santorum on No Child Left Behind

Rick Santorum took some heat in last night's debate for conceding that he had made a mistake in "taking one for the team" in voting for the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act.   Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are today making a big deal about how that shows that Santorum lacks principle.   Really?   First, of course, let's recall that Romney at the time was a pro-choice businessman who was getting ready to run the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, not a sitting U.S. Senator having to actually make decisions on bills.   And Paul is a powerless curmudgeon in the House who seems to think politics consists of taking positions that no one else agrees with.  

Second, let's look at who else voted for NLCB:

Senator George Allen (R-Va.)
Senator Sam Brownback (R - Kan.)
Senator Jim Bunning (R - Ken.)
Senator Thad Cochran (R - MS)
Senator Bill Frist (R - TN)
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Senators Shelby and Sessions (R- AL)
Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN)
Senator Strom Thurmond (R-SC)

Hardly a who's who of squishy moderate Republicans, is it? Does anybody really think that pro-choice-soon-to-flip-and-be-pro-Life Mitt Romney of Massachusetts would have voted against the No Child Left Behind Act as a matter of principle? Can you even say it with a straight face?

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