The American Spectator

Maybe it would have been better for Romney to physically be at the Club for Growth meeting yesterday where the Club for Growth folks could have reminded him of some of the principles of their organziation: less government spending and regulation, more personal choice, and less bureaucracy. Instead, at least according to two press reports, Romney came up with two ideas which don't seem designed to improve his situation: 1) a national parental training weekend for parents of kids in the bottom 10% of schools and 2) government college aid linked to the career you choose ( or say you will choose? what if you say "teacher" and switch to "lifeguard"?). Channeling Thompson for a moment I must ask as to the first idea: "Why would this be a federal program at all?" The policy is bad enough but the politics of this -- just as he is going toe to toe with Thompson and Rudy on fiscal matters -- escapes me. Then, there is the government helping to pick your career notion. Yes, it's "their" ( no actually, it's your) money so why not let the government give it to the people who pick the "right" careers? Sounds like a bad idea out of the Soviet Union circa 1955. One can only imagine the bureaucracy and the lobbying that would go on to favor this or that career choice (Pharmaceutical research ? "Bad!" Plaintiffs lawyers? "Well only for a few thousand a year or it'll be too hard for them to make a living.") Maybe both press reports got it wrong or maybe Romney had a couple slips of the tongue. But this not stuff that is going to help him steady the ship.