Dumbed Down Democrats?

I'm confused. Last night the Governor of Massachusetts spoke to the Democratic Convention and made a fiery speech making fun of Republican stands on Education.

"They [Republicans] want to get rid of the Department of Education! And we need full funding of NCLB!"

Have the Democrats lost their minds? Fully fund NCLB! Why not just brainwash kids at Guantanamo and call it an education?

NCLB shouldn't be funded. It's proponents should be tarred and feathered and NCLB destroyed forever as the worst idea of the new century.

And eliminating the Department of Education is change I can believe in. I can't think of a more miserable lot of idiots in Washington deserving to be shown a pink slip. One can only hope ending NCLB and eliminating the Department of Education is in McCain's plans.

And I'm wondering why it isn't a Democratic goal as well. It's one way to reach across the aisle and actually perform a national service.

Whoever is advising the Democrats on Education should be locked away. This stuff is so out-of-touch and reactionary that McCain is looking like a visionary.

And this article in Slate, Dems Rally Against Unions!OK, teachers' unions. Still ... by Mickey Kaus makes me scratch my head as well.

One panelist--I think it was Peter Groff, president of the Colorado State Senate, got the ball rolling by complaining that when the children's agenda meets the adult agenda, the "adult agenda wins too often." Then Cory Booker of Newark attacked teachers unions specifically--and there was applause. In a room of 500 people at the Democratic convention! "The politics are so vicious," Booker complained, remembering how he'd been told his political career would be over if he kept pushing school choice, how early on he'd gotten help from Republicans rather than from Democrats. The party would "have to admit as Democrats we have been wrong on education." Loud applause! Mayor Adrian Fenty of D.C. joined in, describing the AFT's attempt to block the proposed pathbreaking D.C. teacher contract. Booker denounced "insane work rules," and Groff talked about doing the bidding of "those folks who are giving money [for campaigns], and you know who I'm talking about." Yes, they did!

I have many issues with teachers unions but the D.C. teacher contract is misguided and the AFT is smart enough to have figured that out.