Rick Santorum wants a do-over when it comes to his education policy, but based on the comments he made during a campaign speech in Iowa last month, it appears his do-over needs a do-over.

During a Q&A session, Truth in American Education administrator and columnist Shane Vander Hart asked Santorum about current efforts to reauthorize No Child Left Behind. In response, the former Republican presidential candidate pleaded for that do-over.

“If I had a do-over I would not have supported No Child Left Behind simply because I don’t think there has been any discernible improvement of educational quality in America now that the federal government has gotten involved in education.”

Santorum also invoked the ever-popular Republican talking-point about reducing the size of the Department of Education.

“One department that I would shrink is the Department of Education. We went from 2 percent of education spending when I came to Congress, the federal government was responsible for 2 percent of education spending, it’s now eleven. Does anyone think schools have gotten better over the last 20 years? We need to get rid of that spending, No Child Left Behind, Common Core, all of these things can be taken out of Washington, DC.”

Santorum’s reason for wanting a do-over revolves around the fact that the policy didn’t do so well. There was no improvement.The quote might as well have come from Nancy Pelosi.

Did you notice the one thing he never once mentions?

The Constitution.

Santorum doesn’t utter a peep about the federal government’s constitutional authority to involve itself in education.

Of course, that authority doesn’t exist.

Nowhere in the Constitution will you find one word empowering the federal government to fund education, nor set educational standards, nor interject itself into education in any way shape or form. When asked about the Department of Education, the only constitutionally acceptable answer is, “Abolish it. Its very existence violates the Constitution.”

This reveals an ugly truth. Santorum doesn’t care about the Constitution.

And it’s not just Santorum.

None of them do.

Ask virtually any federal politician about education – yes, even the vast majority of Republicans –and you will get all kinds of policy-related answers. But they never say, “Hey, I don’t care whether it works or not. The federal government doesn’t have any authority here.”

When it comes to federal power, we’re not looking at whether or not it accomplishes some social goal. We’re looking for its limits. We’re looking to rein it in. We’re asking the question, “Can the federal government even legitimately do this?”

Ultimately, we’re looking for people who will follow the Constitution, every issue, every time, no exceptions, no excuses.

Mike Maharrey

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