WITH CRUCIAL EDUCATION FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR COLORADO THIS YEAR, DOES JANE NORTON STILL SUPPORT SCRAPPING THE DEPT. OF EDUCATION?

In December Norton Called For Dept. Of Education To Be Axed – Is She Really Willing To Kill Crucial Education Programs?

With schools systems across Colorado facing budget crunches and making hard decisions on shutting down and consolidating schools, data reveals that Colorado will be the recipient of much needed education funding from the U.S. Department of Education this year. According to the Department of Education website, Colorado will receive funding for a host of popular programs and initiatives, including funding for federal pell grants, which help deserving students pay for higher education, and funding for vocational rehabilitation grants, which help disabled people find meaningful employment. Senate candidate Jane Norton is on the record advocating for the Department of Education to be eliminated, but given the important funding that the Department of Education provides to Coloradans, will she re-consider her position? If not, how will she justify cutting pell grants, and other popular education programs that Colorado families depend on?

“Coloradans already knew Jane Norton’s bizarre prescription for fixing Colorado public schools is to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee National Press Secretary Deirdre Murphy. “But now that they know Colorado is set to benefit from critical funding for popular education programs, Norton should say which programs she will fight to abolish. Will she cut federal pell grants, job re-training programs, or all of the above?”

In the past several months alone, Norton has come under repeated fire for her remarks. First, she raised eyebrows after telling a Tea Party crowd in Alamosa that the solution to fixing America’s education system is to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. Then, she showered praise on both the TEA party movement and Glenn Beck’s 9/12 groups, calling both groups a “huge strength” for the Republican Party. Next, Norton sat silently at a meet and greet at a coffee shop while a woman repeatedly called President Obama a Muslim. Finally, in response to an unrelated question in front of the Jefferson County Men’s Club, Norton told the audience that President Obama cares more about protecting the rights of terrorists than protecting the American people. Norton refused to back down from her terrorist claim, telling a Weld County audience several days later once again that President Obama’s Administration cares more about protecting the rights of terrorists that the lives of American citizens.

Norton believes in abolishing the federal Dept. of Education. Reported the Colorado Independent "One of the ways Norton proposes to trim spending is to eliminate the federal Department of Education." [The Colorado Independent 12/15/2009]

Headline: “Norton wins over Tea Partiers with call to eliminate Department of Education.” [Colorado Independent, 12/15/09]

Norton Campaign: Eliminating Department of Education “Not That Radical.” Reported the Colorado Independent, when Norton’s campaign manager Norm Cummings as asked about her call to eliminate the Department of Education, “The idea is not that radical, he said.” [Colorado Independent, 12/15/09]

Norton Called For Completely Eliminating the Department of Education. Reported a conservative blogger on a meeting with Norton, “Mrs. Norton said all the right things regarding small government, low spending and low taxes. One thing I found especially interesting was that she felt that the federal Department of Education was part of the bloat that should be cut. Completely. It was her opinion that individual states should be responsible for education in the state and the federal government should stay out of it.” [Perlstalker’s Ramblings, 12/5/09]

Norton Reiterated Call to Eliminate Department of Education. Reported the Colorado Statesman, “Ironically, Norton has called for abolishing the Department of Education throughout her campaign…Norton reiterated her stance against the Department of Education.” [Colorado Statesman, 1/22/10]

Norton Continued Call to Eliminate Dept. of Education Because It Is Nowhere In the Constitution. Wrote blogger Ross Kaminsky on a sit-down with Jane Norton “To emphasize that point, she noted that the word “education” is nowhere in the Constitution and that she has proposed eliminating the federal Department of Education.” [Rossputin.com, 2/5/10]