Possible Veeps at McCain BBQ
From contributing blogger Alyson Klein:
So I'm sure you've heard by now that Sen. John McCain held a BBQ this weekend that was largely viewed as a veep audition. At least three of the folks in attendance could help McCain on education issues:
- Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, who served as that state's commissioner of education under Gov. Jeb Bush. He helped to implement the state's ambitious education agenda, which some conservatives see as a national model. As governor since 2007, Crist has supported performance pay for teachers.
- Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisina, who served on the House education committee when he was in Congress. He sponsored a bill that would have provided vouchers to students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, allowing them to attend private schools. The bill was ultimately defeated, but some of its provisions made it into the final hurricane aid package. Jindal sponsored the bill with Rep. John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, a key author of the No Child Left Behind Act, who is now House minority leader. Jindal's now pushing a new private school voucher program for New Orleans families.
- Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who often touted his support for charters and the No Child Left Behind Act during his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
One policymaker widely viewed as a potential GOP veep candidate wasn't mentioned as attending the barbecue: Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota. Michele has already blogged about his education credentials.
