Andy Rotherham, the go-to New Dem on education for the better part of the last decade, doesn't seem to grasp the opportunity at his fingertips. First in the "Open Letter" to the New Administration and Congress published by Fordham last week, and then in this National Review Online piece by Rick Hess and me today, several of us on the right are arguing that the No Child Left Behind act is, as Robert Gordon once wrote, a "the sort of law liberals once dreamed about."
You might think that Andy would be heartened by this development, claim credit for pulling the wool over the Bush Administration's eyes, and mock those who have called him a closet Republican. ("See--the Bushies are closet Democrats," he might say.)
Instead, he reacted to our NRO article by writing that "the fight for the Republican soul on education policy is on." Sure, that's true enough, but at a time when the Democrats for Education Reform are being accused of adopting the Republican agenda, you might think he'd point out that:
--While accountability was a conservative idea, a race-based accountability system, and one that seeks to redistribute resources, is a liberal idea;
--While school choice was a conservative idea, limiting it to public schools, and putting local districts in charge, is a liberal idea;
--While giving failing schools a lot of tough love was a conservative idea, doing it from Washington is a liberal idea.
(Do I sound like Mitt Romney?)
Liberals and conservatives didn't compromise to hatch No Child Left Behind; conservatives followed President Bush's lead and got on board a liberal agenda. With Bush headed out of town, expect Republicans to vacate this position, and to act like a center-right party again. Which will show just how "progressive" and left-of-center the New Dems really are. So Andy, celebrate! You're not a Republican!
Happy holidays to one and all.
Photo of Andy Rotherham from America.gov.
