GOP Senate Confirms Common Core Crapweasel

Tonight, a GOP controlled Senate confirmed Common Core advocate and defender, Dr. John King, as Secretary to the Department of Education, the agency which is charged with consolidating control over education policy.

Michelle Malkin rightly pointed out the problem with Dr. King's nomination yesterday.

But Senator Mike Lee cut straight to the heart of the issue in his Senate floor speech opposing the nomination. 

And more to the point, what matters isn’t the jobs that someone has held, but the policies they have advanced.

This, Mr. President, is the problem with Dr. King’s nomination.

Look closely at his record – especially the three and a half years he spent as New York’s education commissioner, where he forced on an unwilling school system unpopular Common Core curriculum and standards, an inflexible testing regime, and a flawed teacher evaluation system.

All of this proves that Dr. King is the standard bearer of No Child Left Behind – the discredited K-12 regime that has become synonymous with dysfunctional education policy in classrooms and households across America.

So which Republicans confirmed this Common Core crapweasel?

• Lamar Alexander (TN)
• Bill Cassidy (LA)
• Thad Cochran (MS)
• Susan Collins (ME)
• John Cornyn (TX)
• Orrin Hatch (UT)
• Mitch McConnell (KY)

One thing of interest is that every GOP Senator that voted for the nomination is either retiring or recently was re-elected. Odds are that many GOP Senators supported the nomination, but their vote was not needed for passage. Senators will commonly take turns taking the "tough votes" and the unwritten rule is that if Senator A is outside their election year, then Senator A takes the tough vote so Senator B, who is up election, can get re-elected.

Once Senator B is re-elected, Senator B returns the favor by taking the "tough votes" for Senator A.

The thinking is that voters memory will not span the full six year term of a sitting Senator and this is the precise reason why CR's Liberty Score is over a six year window to prevent these types of political games.  

Even more appalling of those that voted yes are the two figureheads of Republican Leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn, who for 2 years campaigned that the 2014 election was the time for a GOP Senate. Because a GOP Senate could stop Obama and put a check on his power. One of the specific powers and privileges that Mitch McConnell enjoys as Senate Majority Leader is the ability to set the agenda for the floor.

Nothing comes to the floor without his expressed approval. Perhaps its time for other GOP Senators to make their voice heard that they don't approve of Senator McConnell's Leadership and a change should be in order.

Voters didn't vote for Common Core in November, then why is a GOP Senate confirming one of its fiercest defenders?