Once again, Secretary of Education Spellings has taken advantage of a research report to make false claims about No Child Left Behind (NCLB). In a press release (July 24), commenting on a Center of Education Policy report that showed that more school time is now devoted to reading and math and less to other subjects, Spellings again claims that the achievement gap is closing, and that scores for reading for nine year olds are at a 28 year high.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced today
that former Hogwarts headmistress Dolores Umbridge has
been appointed as Under Secretary of Education in the
US Department of Education.

...but there's still someone in the GOP who thinks attorneys should put the law before politics:

Add Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to the list of Republicans taking hard shots at President George W. Bush.

Cox harshly criticized Bush on Wednesday for commuting the prison sentence of I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, saying the action sends the wrong message.

A press Statement by Nigerian Humanist Movement on the move to make religious education compulsory in schools and the Sultan's attack on secularism

As usual, the latest report on testing the impact of NCLB resulted in claims of victory from the Bush administration. The report, from the Center on Education Progress examined test score data from individual states.

The Lifetime Original Movie "Girl, Positive" addresses teenagers' awareness and misconceptions of HIV, by focusing on an average high school senior who discovers she may be infected. It premieres June 25. Watch the preview at RH Reality Check!

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. After much pressure from readers, this email newsletter is now going the blog route. I update the blog once a week focusing on both national issues and issues of interest to particular regions or states. In general, NYC, California, New Jersey, Virginia and the Midwest get special attention simply because those are the areas where I seem to have the most readers.

This week I discuss the Democratic fumble in Congress, yet another example of Republican Corruption (in Kentucky), discuss American Muslims (something to shit our pants over or well-integrated and hard-working Americans) and present some interesting aspects of unemployment figures. If you visit my blog, PLEASE don't forget to click on an advertiser or two since that helps me keep the blog going. It really makes a difference! As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. After much pressure from readers, this email newsletter is now going the blog route. I update the blog once a week focusing on both national issues and issues of interest to particular regions or states. In general, NYC, California, New Jersey, Virginia and the Midwest get special attention simply because those are the areas where I seem to have the most readers.

This week I discuss the Democratic presidential candidates, another right wing nutcase spewing hate speech, and how Veterans are targeting John McCain for his lockstep, blind support of Bush. If you visit my blog, don't forget to click on an advertiser or two since that helps me keep the blog going. As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

The media has been filled with reports of serious
ethical problems related to the Department of
Education's administration of Reading First. Yet, the
claim that Reading First is working is accepted at
face value.  It should not be.

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. After much pressure from readers, this email newsletter is now going the blog route. I update the blog once a week focusing on both national issues and issues of interest to particular regions or states. In general, NYC, California, New Jersey, Virginia and the Midwest get special attention simply because those are the areas where I seem to have the most readers.

This week I discuss the consequences of Republican Domestic policy, more on Republican corruption, and revisit the Ann Coulter boycott. If you visit my blog, don't forget to click on an advertiser or two since that helps me keep the blog going. As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

This week I discuss the debates (briefly), Bush's veto, Ann Coulter, and the terrible malaise Bush has placed over the Republican Party. If you visit my blog, don't forget to click on an advertiser or two since that helps me keep the blog going. As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

Significant typo.

This week I discuss targeting ME Senator Collins as an enabler of the McCain/Bush/Lieberman escalation, call Rudy Giuliani to task for his Karl Rove like tactics, and discuss what it REALLY means to support the troops. If you visit my blog, don't forget to click on an advertiser or two since that helps me keep the blog going. As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

What a week! Gonzales looking like a deer in the headlights, Virginia Tech, and McCain seemingly completely losing it (see here and here). As usual I can barely keep up. But I hope what I can get to is still helpful to you.

This week I discuss targeting NH Senator Sunnunu as an enabler of the McCain/Bush/Lieberman escalation, present John Edwards' response to Democracy for America, show how Dems and Repubs differ on election reform, an experiment in alternative energy in Indiana, and revisit the issue of recycled paper. If you visit my blog, don't forget to click on an advertiser or two since that helps me keep the blog going. As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

Teresa Heinz Kerry's two marriages bring together two American political traditions, the Republican Heinz family and the Democratic Kerry family, and shows how good people in both parties have common ground. Much of her philanthropic effort has focused on two areas: the environment, and women's health and economic security. Since 1996, Teresa Heinz Kerry brings these two issues together in an annual conference called the "Conference on Women's Health & the Environment," held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. In preparation for this year's conference, Teresa is participating in a blogtour, a relatively new concept where she participates in a series of mini-interviews with bloggers around the country on the subject of women's health and the environment. More below...