U.S. Senate: Setting the record straight on education

Tim Kaine has tried to make education a talking point for his campaign. But to do so he has to hide his record.

Politifact sets that record straight: Tim Kaine cut colleges by 25 percent.

On the other hand as Senator, George Allen promoted a $30 billion education tax credit to help Americans invest their own hard-earned dollars in education. (Richmond Times Dispatch 3/9/01).

In further contrast with Tim Kaine who couldn’t get his own party to vote for his budget, George Allen managed to work with an often hostile Democratic legislature to:

  • Stop skyrocketing tuition by capping, then freezing tuition – saving Virginia families thousands of dollars. (“2011-12 Tuition And Fees At Virginia’s State-Supported Colleges And Universities,” State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, 7/11, Pg. 6 & 7)
  • Establish prepaid tuition contracts to make a college education more affordable for students and their families. (HB 993 (1994) SB 891/HB 2265(1997))
  • Increase Tuition Assistant Grants (1994-96 Budget-Item 186; 1995 Budget-Item 186; Budget 1996-98-Item 160 E and 160 C 1 b; Budget 1998-200-Item 158 C 1 b and 160 E)
  • Invest an additional $173 Million in Virginia college and universities
  • Invest in new funding for K-12 education initiatives
  • Institute Virginia’s first-ever Standards of Learning tied to testing and accountability

Dorothy Jaeckle knows George Allen and his record on education.



People we love: Bob Keeshan

Robert James “Bob” Keeshan, a.k.a. “Captain Kangaroo”, June 27, 1927 – January 23, 2004

Or, as we remember him, Captain Kangaroo.

Bob Keeshan was born in New York in 1927. During World War II he enlisted in the Marines but was still in the U.S. when Japan surrendered. He attended Fordham University on the GI Bill.

Keeshan began his work in network programming for children as “Clarabell the Clown” on the Howdy Doody show. Later he appeared as Corny the Clown on ABC’s Time for Fun. He also began Tinker’s Workshop a program designed for preschoolers. There he and his long-time friend Jack Miller submitted the concept of Captain Kangaroo to the CBS network.

Captain Kangaroo premiered on October 3, 1955 and continued for nearly 30 years. In 1981 Keeshan suffered a heart attack. Later CBS reworked the show moving it to an earlier time slot. In 1984, just nine months prior to the show’s 30th anniversary, Keeshan left at the end of his contract, tired of CBS’s revisions to the show.

In 1982, 1983 and 1984, Keeshan received Emmy awards for Outstanding Performer. A primetime special in 1985 gave Captain Kangaroo and friends a chance to say goodbye.

Keeshan died on January 23, 2004 at the age of 76.