MS-SEN: Roger Wicker and Education

First off, I don't want anyone to think I am picking on Roger Wicker. I am picking on Roger Wicker via Wicker's abysmal voting record, which is more than fair game. I have been perusing his voting record, issue by issue, for the last few weeks. If you decide to do the same, my advice to you, don't do it yourself until at least 30 minutes after eating.

Let's take a look at a few of Rubber Stamp Roger's votes in the arena of education. Remember that Wicker is from Tupelo. Tupelo has been a model city with its strong support of public education, combined with the investment of the private sector who enjoy a surplus of skilled, work-ready labor. No municipality in Mississippi has benefited from a community investment in education as has Tupelo.

(Nov 2007) H.R. 3043- Voted NO on additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects.

Here is what George W. Bush had to say during his veto.

This bill spends too much. It exceeds [by $10.2 billion] the reasonable and responsible levels for discretionary spending that I proposed to balance the budget by 2012. This bill continues to fund 56 programs that I proposed to terminate because they are duplicative, narrowly focused, or not producing results. This bill does not sufficiently fund programs that are delivering positive outcomes.

In other words we can spend hundreds of billions in Iraq, but we can't afford to spend 10 billion here on our own infrastructure, on our own people. (and is duplicative even a word?) Thanks Rubber Stamp Roger, we see where you stand, right next to George W. Bush and John McCain. And did Bush say something about balancing a budget? One could not write such humor if one tried.

(Mar 2006) H.R. 609 Amendment 772- Voted NO on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges.

Well I don't think this one is a shocker. It is just your standard Republican against anything that will benefit people of color, just move along, nothing to see here. But don't stress, Roger does support some measures for education.

(Nov 2001) H. Con Res. 239- Voted YES on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror.

And prayer is just what our schools will need with Bush, Cheney, McCain and Wicker at the helm, because there will be no funding.