Tiahrt endorsed by popular conservative figure

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Yesterday, former Secretary of Education and Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Bill Bennett endorsed Todd Tiahrt‘s campaign for the United States Senate in a Wichita appearance.

Bennett said there is not an oversupply of good people in Washington, and when they’re found, we should elect them to higher office. Tiahrt is such a person, he said. He also praised Tiahrt’s character and integrity.

In other remarks, Bennett said that these are consequential times. 2010 will be an important election year and will tell us a lot about the mood of the public. Last year’s election was of historical consequence, but now it is time to govern, he said.

In response to a question about the concerns of callers to his conservative radio show, he said that people are concerned about the direction of the country. People have a sense that we drifting, and not only since the election of President Obama. He said that the major concern is not individual issues such as gay marriage, abortion, or guns, but the general status of the United States of America.

As Bennett served as Education Secretary under Ronald Reagan, I asked a question about the Obama’s administration’s support of charter schools and differential or merit pay for teachers. Charter schools are good, and so is merit pay, he said. But if merit pay means what it has in a few experiments across the country — “give us the money first, and then we’ll figure out some system of merit” — he wouldn’t be in favor of it.

He also said it “rings a little hollow” for the administration to talk about school choice when it is closing down a school choice program in Washington, D.C.

Politically, this endorsement should give a boost to the Tiahrt campaign. Bennett is a respected statesman and very popular with conservatives.

Wichita Eagle reporting of this event is at Bennett endorses Tiahrt for US Senate. Topeka Capital-Journal reporting is at Bennett backs Tiahrt’s Senate bid.

Comments

3 responses to “Tiahrt endorsed by popular conservative figure”

  1. Benjamin

    Yes Tiahrt has voted no on some pretty disgusting stuff and I am glad he did. He does fall into that “career politician” though that was talked about last Sunday in Mulvayne.

  2. SpentPenny (retired copper)

    I like Bennett a lot and am a little puzzled why he is supporting the liberal candidate.

  3. Thomas Witt

    Bill Bennett? Isn’t this the guy who lost *millions* gambling in Las Vegas? And when it became public, if I recall, he tried to compare it to playing church bingo. That Bill Bennett, right?

    And isn’t this the same Bill Bennett who said on his radio show a few years ago that if more black babies were aborted, the crime rate would go down? That guy?

    Yeah. I’m inspired. I’ll go out and vote for Tiahrt right now.

    For dog catcher.

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