Mike points out that the Obama administration isn't in full control of the fate of the D.C. voucher program, as the appropriations bill funded only current students--and, we are to assume, the program's opponents on the Hill could have cut that funding too were Duncan or Obama to fight them. To which I say: hogwash. If President Obama wanted to pick a fight with Democrats on the appropriations committee (starting with Dave Obey, presumably), he could--and my money would be on Obama. Imagine the post-partisan, reformer, "change-we-can-believe-in" bona fides he would earn by standing up for this program--he would look tough, rational, compassionate, and consistent with his campaign message all at once, while his opponents would look petty and partisan. And imagine the PR nightmare Congress would face if it actually ended the program and sent current students packing.
This is a fight Obama could win easily if he wanted to pick it. The fact is, he chose not to pick it, and he and his administration shouldn't get a pass for that.
