What a Contrast

What a contrast. Governor Spitzer, in the face of his low popularity, dropped from his budget a tuition-tax deduction for parochial school parents that he had promised to include. President Bush, whose own popularity is similarly flagging, instead upped the ante in last night's State of the Union address, proposing to extend the popular Pell Grant program, which now applies for college tuition, including at religious institutions, to private and parochial elementary and secondary schools. Mr. Bush also announced a White House summit on inner city children and faith-based schools. A White House fact sheet noted that "From 1996 to 2004, nearly 1,400 urban inner city faith-based schools closed, displacing 355,000 students into other institutions." This was despite the schools' record of educational success.

It seems like a contrast, but maybe it is an example. President Bush, after all, dropped his campaign promise of school vouchers from his signature piece of education legislation, No Child Left Behind, early in his first term. Jettisoning the vouchers was a way to get a compromise with Congress, though Mr. Bush did approve school vouchers for the District of Columbia. Now, nearly seven years later, the president is returning to the idea at the end of his time in office. Perhaps Mr. Spitzer will move to correct his own course faster than Mr. Bush did. Better late than never, but better sooner than later.