Have you ever heard of the expression, "Everything old is new again"? It can apply when we look at those people picked by Mitt Romney as his "advisors" on policy. See if these names sound familiar:
Rod Paige -
1. Paige worked in the Bush administration and promoted the Texas "miracle" in education. Unfortunately, for the children of Texas, there was no miracle. Investigations found that Texas raised test scores by keeping special needs and bilingual children at home during testing days.
2. Rod Paige, as Bush's Secretary of Education, said "...that the National Education Association, one of the nation's largest labor unions, was like ''a terrorist organization...'' (NY Times)
3. A report, Texas on the Brink, outlines Texas rankings, as compared to other states
(a ranking of 1 is the best, a 50 is the poorest):
• Percent of Population 25 and older with a high school diploma.......50th
• Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) Scores.........................................45th
A quick look at Romney's education advisors (see Washington Post) shows that many are associated with the Bush administration. I would not want to have someone with Rod Paige's history to be advising me on education matters or anyone else with ties to the failed Bush administration.
On Foreign Policy, Mitt Romney's list of advisors shows a real neo-con bent to it.
The Nation:
...Of Romney’s forty identified foreign policy advisers, more than 70
percent worked for Bush. Many hail from the neoconservative wing of the
party, were enthusiastic backers of the Iraq War and are proponents of a
US or Israeli attack on Iran. Christopher Preble, a foreign policy
expert at the Cato Institute, says, “Romney’s likely to be in the mold
of George W. Bush when it comes to foreign policy if he were elected.”
On some key issues, like Iran, Romney and his team are to the right of
Bush. Romney’s embrace of the neoconservative cause—even if done
cynically to woo the right—could turn into a policy nightmare if he
becomes president....
CBS News:
....He added: "One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I'd be a great president."
Romney's five sons range in age from 37 to 26 and have worked as real estate developers, sports marketers and advertising executives. They are now actively campaigning for their father and have a "Five Brothers" blog on Romney's campaign Web site.
Romney noted that his middle son, 36-year-old Josh, was completing a recreational vehicle tour of all 99 Iowa counties on Wednesday and said, "I respect that and respect all those and the way they serve this great country."
I'm reminded of another group of brothers that served our country and gave their lives------ The Sullivan Brothers.
(pic from U.S. Naval History Center)
The Sullivan Brothers served together and died together during World War II. You can read about them at the following links:
Romney didn't serve because he was a missionary in France, but he protested against the war protesters. How is it that his sons are unable and unwilling to serve? We've all had family members serve through all our wars. Why hasn't Romney?
