Speaking of No Child Left Behind...

No one is pointing out the obvious disconnect between Bush’s attack on medical malpractice awards and his educational plan. The problem with public schools, he says, is that there is no accountability, as made clear by the official No Child Left Behind website. NCLB includes harsh penalties for schools that screw up, up to and including “reopening the school as a charter school, replacing all or most of the school staff or turning over school operations either to the state or to a private company with a demonstrated record of effectiveness.” Yet limiting malpractice awards is an attempt to break the feedback loop that exists in the medical field. And believe you me, if Bush succeeds in capping pain and suffering in the medical field, product liability is next.

The lesson is so simple even a public school pupil could understand it. Teachers, who generally support Democrats, must be made accountable. Insurance companies and manufacturing companies, which tend to support Republicans, require no checks and balances.