Generally, if public schools are so despicable, thus, forcing me to pay twice for the safety of private schools, why shouldn't I have access to vouches? Better yet, I'm still waiting for any politician in Washington DC to provide a list of any of their colleagues who send their kids to public schools.

OOPS - cut and paste error. let me try again.

David - of course no politician sends their kids to public schools. Politicians are the problem. In our collective insanity we keep going back to the source of the problem looking for a solution. Let's take politicians, especially FEDERAL politicians, out of the equation and take back control of schools ourselves and fix the problem - one school at a time if necessary.

So Obama is not for changing the failed school systems.

I am a McCain voter, but I dont agree with the voucher system. Yes, some people would put them to good use, but others would send their scummy children and the children would just be the same in a private school as they are in a public school. I for one did go to a public school, our school system was pretty good in comparision with those around it. I, however, am thinking when my children are old enough I want to put them in a private school...I would work 2 jobs if needed if thats what I felt was best for my child. My son right now shows signs of being gifted, but if not challenged he acts up. If he were in public school I know they woul recommend me drug him up b/c he was ADD. Thats whats wrong w/ the school systems, kids just are not being challenged enough. Also I must agree with the babsNJ about MLK day.

I was recently in Australia and Japan, the people that I talked with in those country's didn't even know who MLK was, they had never heard of him.

"McCain said he plans to spend $500-billion in federal money to build virtual schools and pledged to support the development of online courses for students."

That would be $500 billion on top of $68 billion for the Department of Education, $7 billion for head start, and other billions for other equally harmful programs. John McCain wants to buy votes with your tax dollars. T'were ever thus.

There are three main factors in the academic success of young people: genes, parental guidance and example, and schools. Given quality in the first two, a child can benefit from good schools. Absent quality in the in the first two, no amount of money for schools will lead to academic success. Given the politically correct culture that prevents honest discussion of all three factors, and that also prevents recognition that not all children are going to qualify as rocket scientists, it is not likely that effective steps will be taken to better insure that all children reach their academic potential.

The Department of Education was established in 1867. For the first 100 years it was a relatively benign department. Then Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty of the 1960s turned it into a mess. If the war on poverty had been a success instead of a miserable failure - like almost everything else congress does to pander to voters - we would not be wringing our hands today over the poor academic performance of some of today's children.

There are two illustrative situations: (1) Communities with enlightened, intelligent and capable parents who support with their local taxes excellent community schools and guide and nurture their two children per family in preparation for attendance at those schools; and (2) Other communities. Since the 1960s, federal and state governments have tried to create equality of academic performance in the two communities, primarily by transfer of wealth, and secondarily by transfer of students. To no avail.

John McCain is at best pandering in pretending that $500 billion for federal schools would be an effective use of tax dollars.

BTL Musings - Do you normally go around asking people in other countries if they know who MLK is? How does something like that even come up? I call BS, dude.

geecee - the NRA, as currently constituted, may be crazy but they're not racist. They are against ANYONE, regardless of race, creed, national origin, or sexual orientation, that opposes their unlimited gun ownership agenda. It's sad really, the NRA was formed originally to promote shooting sports and gun safety. How they have drifted so far from their roots is a mystery. I have been trained and certified by the NRA in gun range safety (so I can supervise boy scout troops, etc.) and they perform that function well. However, I am not a member of the NRA and won't ever be until the embrace sensible limits on gun ownership.

Chris,

How can you claim choice of where a child is sent to will not make a difference and yet in the view of most liberals claim that a woman's choice in childbirth makes such a big difference. These children will have a better chance to learn when they are put in a school that cares and teachers that care. School vouchers give the parents the opportunity to see their kids get the best education.

I don't think that your kids have a "right" to my tax dollars to pay for their education. The world needs ditch diggers, too!

Freddyelvis - "School vouchers benefit POOR FAMILIES. The rich don’t need school vouchers. It gives the parents of POOR children a choice". Would that it were true... This is the central fallacy of the voucher system. It holds out the promise of poor children attending private schools but it cannot deliver. Are we going to create another system of busing kids around entire geographic regions to get them from where they live to where they want to go to school? Hardly. Plus, by deriding teachers for their "nine months of work and fat pensions" you obviously do not have any meaningful involvement in your neighborhood school. Teachers work their collective butts off for crummy pay while half of that $11,000 per kid goes to pay for administration salaries and federal and state paperwork.

At least the man had the GUTS to speak to an AA crowd.

Unlike most of the coward repubs.

Way to go John!!!!

Dave - sorry, but I cannot see any connection between school vouchers and abortion. Please.....

Tim...I don't think Obama has enough experience (or accomplishments)to be president of a school. Obama = Jimmy Carter II.

I felt McCain showed true grace, even honoring Obama. This is why Obama loses in November. When the message is hollow, the winner is McCharacter who hasn't turned to lying and negativity, despite what Obama says.

This year, where was Obama? He missed the Travis Smiley’s event and MLK’s event. And, Obama wants to over shadow MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ day when his convention.

Remember when we ask "Why can't Johnny read" 20 yrs ago? Well now he can't make change for a dollar. With this kind of progress, do you really wish to waste YOUR child while they "fix" public schools?

I believe Senator McCain's voucher policy will be viewed favorably by many Americans. School vouchers have worked wherever they have been tried. This is particularly true when they have been implemented in the inner cities where the dysfunctional public schools have failed miserably. Despite the many challenges of educating inner city kids, charter schools have been successful. Access to vouchers will allow many more inner city kids the opportunity to attend these successful schools. Education is a key to unlocking the chains of poverty and providing everyone a chance at upward mobility. This is especially true in our changing economy where 'knowledge jobs' are expanding and good paying manufacturing jobs are contracting.

William - ever notice that those same Johnnies who can't read make up the FOX News demographic?

Didn't McCain get his own education on the taxpayers' dime at Annapolis? Why do Republicans always want to pull the ladder up on everyone else after they've climbed to their own success?