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The Washington Budget Process Is the Definition of Insanity
Tweet Share on Facebook February 2, 2011 Comment (4)Well, spring is coming early this year, according to Punxsutawney Phil. The cute little guy didn’t see his shadow this morning, so our long national nightmare will soon come to an end.
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Obama Should Call for Restructuring of Education Funding
Tweet Share on Facebook January 25, 2011 Comment (1)As the president addresses the nation tonight and proposes domestic spending freezes among other centrist initiatives, he will also urge Congress to pass the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (the reconstructed and rebranded version of No Child Left Behind). Obama likely will note that there is a broad middle ground on education policy, and that we must reform our schools if we wish to maintain our global competitiveness.
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In D.C., The March to Gay Marriage Rights Continues Unabated
Tweet Share on Facebook January 18, 2011 Comment (8)The Supreme Court today declined to review an appellate court decision that essentially upholds gay marriage in the District of Columbia. Some anti-gay activists in the District have been pushing for a ballot initiative on gay marriage—essentially arguing to put it to a popular vote. The D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that an initiative banning gay marriage can’t be subjected to a popular vote because it would, itself, violate the District’s Human Rights Act.
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Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Coverage Becomes Media Navel Gazing
Tweet Share on Facebook January 11, 2011 Comment (2)The Tucson shootings, three days removed, have reached the predictable place in the story arc in which media analysis turns into a meta-narrative about the nature of the coverage rather than the event itself. The victims, intermittently remembered, first were props for an analysis of political rhetoric, then a playing field for accusations of partisan opportunism and, finally, now are an excuse for media navel-gazing.
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Congress Passing a New 'No Child Left Behind' Is a No Brainer
Tweet Share on Facebook January 3, 2011 Comment (5)Education Secretary Arne Duncan kicked off the new year with an op-ed in the Washington Post today, calling for a bipartisan commitment to education reform. The Secretary wants Congress to pass a new version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (“No Child Left Behind”), accurately noting that “few areas are more suited for bipartisan action than education reform.” Indeed, the administration’s legislative blueprint in this area runs right down the political center and would likely be supported broadly by voters.
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Why Did Obama Weigh In On Michael Vick?
Tweet Share on Facebook December 28, 2010 Comment (23)Peter King, the country’s preeminent pro football writer, reported yesterday that President Obama called Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie to weigh in on the comeback of quarterback Michael Vick. King wrote:
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No War on Christmas--Or on Christians
Tweet Share on Facebook December 21, 2010 Comment (4)Ross Douthat re-introduces the concept of the embattled Christian at Christmas-time in the Times on Monday. In an effort to distinguish himself from his righter-wing “War on Christmas” brethren, he actually broadens the blame game. Christians are embattled not just by the liberal media and cultural elite, but also:
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Test Scores Key to Evaluating Teachers
Tweet Share on Facebook December 14, 2010 Comment (5)One of the largest debates raging in education centers on the question of whether teachers can be rated effectively by the test score gains of their students. In wonky parlance, “value-added” data attempts to look at students’ baseline test results, then measure again after a year with a particular teacher.
