An Aside

I try to avoid links and comments to other blogs, lest I too get caught up in an online feud like the ongoing one between This Week in Education and the Eduwonk - see here for the latest salvo.
But today's Eduwonk post about "Edupolitics" compelled me to comment.
The post highlights the challenges of centrist-styled Democrats who want to champion third-way education policies, promote the party, take Republicans to task and strongly defend the No Child Left Behind Act. Thus, we get tortured have-it-every-which-way commentary such as this: "This issue is right in the groove for the party [Democratic]. Second, what about the Republicans? They are no picnic here and aside from a smattering of governors and No Child Left Behind they haven't had a creative national thought on education policy since Charlottesville. In fact, most of their creativity has been spent figuring out creative ways to try to undercut the federal role in elementary and secondary schools."
Astounding. NCLB, the signature domestic policy achievement of Republican President George W. Bush and a landmark federal education reform in its own right, is dismissed as an "aside." Moreover, NCLB by all accounts has resulted in a dramatic federal expansion (critics may say intrusion) into K-12 education. I'm not sure a single piece of legislation (the A+ Act) and its 50 some conservative cosponsors qualifies as expending all of the Republican party's "creativity" on undercutting the federal role in education.
"Aside from that, how did you enjoy the play Mrs. Lincoln."