William J. Bennett
3rd United States Secretary of Education
In office February 6, 1985 – September 20, 1988
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Terrell Bell
Succeeded by	Lauro Cavazos
1st Director of the National Drug Control Policy
In office 1989 – 1991
Appointed by	President Bush SR.
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Bob Martinez
Born	July 31, 1943 (1943-07-31) (age 64) Brooklyn, New York
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Elayne Bennett
Religion	Catholic

William John Bennett (born July 31, 1943) is an American conservative pundit, politician, and political theorist. The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Terrel Howard Bell (November 11 1921—June 22 1996 was the Secretary of Education and the Designated survivor in the Cabinet of President Ronald Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr (b January 4 1927, Kingsville Texas) is a U The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, a Cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Robert "Bob" Martinez (born December 25, 1934 in Tampa Florida) was the fortieth governor of Florida from 1987 to Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Events 30 BC - Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian 's forces but most of his army subsequently Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person This is a list of political philosophers, including some who may be better known for their work in other areas of philosophy He served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) He also held the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (or "Drug Czar") under George H. W. Bush. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, a Cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993

Bennett was born in Brooklyn but later moved to Washington, D.C., where he attended Gonzaga College High School. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington DC. He graduated from Williams College and went on to get a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in Political Philosophy. Williams College is a highly selective private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. A doctorate is an Academic degree that indicates the highest level of academic achievement He also has a J.D. from Harvard Law School. Juris Doctor (abbreviated JD or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a first professional graduate degree and Professional Harvard Law School (also known as Harvard Law or HLS) is one of the professional Graduate schools of Harvard University.

From 1976 to 1981, he was the executive director of the National Humanities Center, a private research facility in North Carolina. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 The National Humanities Center is an independent institute for advanced study in the humanities North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to head the National Endowment for the Humanities, where he served until Reagan appointed him Secretary of Education in 1985. The National Endowment for the Humanities ( NEH) is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) It was in 1986 that Bennett switched from the Democratic to the Republican party. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Bennett resigned from this post in 1988 and, later that year, was appointed to the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy by President George H. W. Bush. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, a Cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 He was confirmed by the Senate in a 97-2 vote. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives

Bennett is a member of the National Security Advisory Council of the Center for Security Policy (CSP). The Center for Security Policy (CSP is a Washington DC Think tank that focuses on National security issues He was co-director of Empower America and was a Distinguished Fellow in Cultural Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation. FreedomWorks is a conservative Non-profit organization based in Washington D The Heritage Foundation is an American conservative Think tank. Long active in United States Republican Party politics, he is now an author, speaker, and, since April 5, 2004, the host of the weekday radio program Morning in America on the Dallas, Texas-based Salem Communications. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " " Morning in America " is the common name of an effective Political campaign Television commercial formally titled " Prouder Stronger Better Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Salem Communications ( is a media company specializing in talk radio with a focus on an evangelical Christian religious and conservative political point of view which operates in the In addition to his radio show, he is the Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute. The Claremont Institute is a conservative Think tank based in Claremont California. Further work at the Claremont Institute includes his role as Chairman of Americans for Victory Over Terrorism (AVOT). He is also a political analyst for CNN. The Claremont Institute is a conservative Think tank based in Claremont California. Cable News Network, usually referred to by its Initialism CNN, is a major English language Television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner

Bennett and his wife, Elayne, have two sons, John and Joseph. Elayne is the President and Founder of Best Friends Foundation, a nationwide abstinence-based program for adolescents. Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging a desire or appetite for certain bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure He is the brother of prominent Washington attorney Robert S. Bennett. Robert S Bennett (born 1939 is an American attorney best known for representing President Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal

Contents 1 Political viewpoints 2 Books 3 Writings 4 Radio Show and Podcast 5 Controversies 5.1 Gambling 5.2 Radio show abortion comment 6 Wikipedia 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

Political viewpoints

Bennett tends to take a conservative position on affirmative action, school vouchers, curriculum reform, and religion in education. Affirmative action in the United States|Employment equity (Canada|Reservation in India|Numerus clausus The term affirmative action describes many policies aimed at a historically A school voucher, also called an education voucher, is a certificate issued by the government by which parents can pay for the Education of their children at a As Education Secretary, he asked colleges to better enforce drug laws, supported a classical education rooted in Western culture, and derided multicultural courses. The term multiculturalism generally refers to a state of racial, cultural and ethnic diversity within the Demographics of a specified He frequently criticized schools for low standards. In fact, in 1988, he called the Chicago public school system "the worst in the nation. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. "^[1]

Bennett has tangled with the educational establishment (which he dubbed "the blob" or bloated educational bureaucracy) over the following reform measures, which he espoused:

• Competency testing for teachers
• Opening the teaching profession to knowledgeable individuals who have not graduated from "schools of education"
• Performance-based pay
• Holding educators accountable for how much children learn
• An end to tenure
• A national examination to find out exactly how much our children know
• Parental choice of schools^[2]

Bennett is a staunch supporter of the War on Drugs and has been criticized for his views on the issue. The War on Drugs is a prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government with the assistance of participating countries intended to reduce the Illegal On a television show, he said that a viewer's suggestion of beheading drug dealers would be "morally plausible. Decapitation (from Latin, caput, capitis, meaning head or beheading, is the cutting off of the head of a person or animal " ^[3]

Bennett is an opponent of same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same

In 1995, he teamed up with C. Delores Tucker to create advertising to target Time Warner's lack of regulation of gangsta rap and its glorification of violence and denigration of women. C DeLores Tucker (née Cynthia DeLores Nottage) ( October 4, 1927 - October 12, 2005) was a U For the Ice T album see Gangsta Rap (album. Gangsta rap is a term originated by the mainstream media to describe a certain subgenre Bennett is a member of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and was one of the signers of the January 26, 1998 PNAC Letter^[4] sent to President Bill Clinton urging Clinton to remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power. The Project for the New American Century (PNAC was an American neoconservative Think tank based in Washington D Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30

He has said that the US has a moral duty to support Israel, and that Palestinians are Jordanians. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern ^{[5] [6]}

Books

Bennett's best-known written work may be The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories (1993), which he edited; he has also authored and edited ten other books, including The Children’s Book of Virtues (which inspired an animated television series) and The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals (1998). The Book of Virtues A Treasury of Great Moral Stories, sometimes just called The Book of Virtues (ISBN 0-684-83577-0 is an anthology edited by The Adventures From The Book of Virtues is an Animated Television series which originally aired on PBS Kids in the United States William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States

Other books:

• America: The Last Best Hope (Volume II): From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom (2007)
• America: The Last Best Hope (Volume I): From the Age of Discovery to a World at War (2006)
• Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism (2003)
• The Broken Hearth: Reversing the Moral Collapse of the American Family (2001)
• The Educated Child: A Parent's Guide from Preschool through Eighth Grade (1999)
• Our Sacred Honor (1997, compilation of writings by the Founding Fathers)
• Body Count: Moral Poverty. . . and How to Win America's War Against Crime and Drugs (1996)
• Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey (1995)
• The De-Valuing of America: The Fight for Our Culture and Our Children (1992)

Writings

Bennett writes for National Review Online, National Review and Commentary. National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F Commentary is an American monthly Magazine covering Politics, International affairs, Judaism, and social cultural

Radio Show and Podcast

Bennett has a radio show and podcast - available here - [1]

Controversies

Gambling

In Spring 2003, it became widely known that Bennett was a high-stakes gambler who reportedly had lost millions of dollars in Las Vegas. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally ^[7] As a Catholic, Bennett was not prohibited from gambling, but some felt it conflicted with his public image as a leading voice for conservative morals. Criticism elevated in the wake of Bennett's publication, The Book of Virtues, in which he argued for self-discipline -- an attribute often at odds with gambling. The Book of Virtues A Treasury of Great Moral Stories, sometimes just called The Book of Virtues (ISBN 0-684-83577-0 is an anthology edited by In the book, most selections are introduced by a short thematic note, e. g. , "an honest heart will always find friend. " For example, Bennett and Empower America, the organization he co-founded and headed at the time, opposed the extension of casino gambling in the states. FreedomWorks is a conservative Non-profit organization based in Washington D ^[8]

Bennett was never accused of nor admitted to having a "problem" with gambling and has maintained that his habit did not put himself or his family in any financial jeopardy.

After Bennett's gambling became public, he said that he did not believe that his habit set a good example, that he had "done too much gambling" over the years, and that his "gambling days are over. "We are financially solvent," his wife Elayne told the USA Today. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. "All our bills are paid. " She added that his gambling days are over. "He's never going again," she said. ^[9]

Several months later, Bennett qualified his position, saying "So, in this case, the excessive gambling is over. " He explained that "Since there will be people doing the micrometer on me, I just want to be clear: I do want to be able to bet the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo New York Metropolitan area, playing seven of their home games in the suburb professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL "^[10]

Radio show abortion comment

On September 28, 2005, in a discussion on Bennett's Morning in America radio show, a caller to the show proposed the idea that the Social Security system might be solvent today if abortion hadn't been permitted following the Roe v. Wade decision. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Social Security, in the United States currently refers to the federal Old-Age Survivors and Disability Insurance ( OASDI) program Roe v Wade, 410 US 113 (1973 is a controversial United States Supreme Court case that resulted in a Landmark decision regarding The following is from the conversation:^[11]

CALLER: I noticed the national media. . . talk[s] a lot about the loss of revenue. . . to fund Social Security, and I was curious, . . . [whether] the abortions that have happened since Roe v. Wade [and] the lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30-something years could fund Social Security as we know it today. . .

BENNETT: Assuming they're all productive citizens?

CALLER: . . . Even if only a portion of them were, it would be an enormous amount of revenue.

BENNETT: Maybe,. . . but we don't know what the costs would be, too. I think []abortion disproportionately occur[s] among single women? No?

CALLER: I don't know the exact statistics, but quite a bit are, yeah.

BENNETT: . . . I would not argue for the pro-life position based on this. . . [I]t cuts both [ways]—you know. One of the arguments in this book Freakonomics that they make is. Freakonomics A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything is a 2005 non-fiction book by University of Chicago Economist Steven Levitt . . that one of the reasons crime is down is that abortion is up. Well-

CALLER: -Well, I don't think that statistic is accurate.

BENNETT: Well, I don't think it is either,. . . But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could . . . abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do. . . So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky.

Subsequently, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, as well as civil rights groups, condemned Bennett's statements and demanded an apology. The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders (also called Senate Floor Leaders) are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences Harry Mason Reid (born December 2 1939 is the senior United States Senator from Nevada and a member of the Democratic Party, as well as Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door (private Caucus. Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26 1940 is the current Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. President George W. Bush said Bennett's statements were "not appropriate. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. "^[12]

Bennett responded to the criticism saying, in part:

A thought experiment about public policy, on national radio, should not have received the condemnations it has. Anyone paying attention to this debate should be offended by those who have selectively quoted me, distorted my meaning, and taken out of context the dialog I engaged in this week. Such distortions from 'leaders' of organizations and parties is a disgrace not only to the organizations and institutions they serve, but to the First Amendment. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress

Wikipedia

Bennett mentions Wikipedia frequently on his radio program Morning in America. ***************************************************************************************** * * On July 25, 2007 he suggested if the Commission on Presidential Debates wanted serious, thoughtful participation from Americans it should have picked the editors of the Wikipedia over the contributors to You Tube. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD was established in 1987 by the Democratic and Republican parties to establish the way that Debates are run between YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees

See also

Radio Show and Podcast *[2]

• Legalized abortion and crime effect
• Roe effect
• Steven Levitt
• "The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime"
• Empower America
• Race and crime
• List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines

References

Preceded by Terrell Bell	United States Secretary of Education Served Under: Ronald Reagan 1985–1988	Succeeded by Lauro Cavazos
Preceded by (None)	Director of the National Drug Control Policy 1989–1991	Succeeded by Bob Martinez

External links

• Morning in America
• Best Friends Foundation

Terrel Howard Bell (November 11 1921—June 22 1996 was the Secretary of Education and the Designated survivor in the Cabinet of President Ronald The United States Secretary of Education is the head of the Department of Education. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr (b January 4 1927, Kingsville Texas) is a U The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, a Cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Robert "Bob" Martinez (born December 25, 1934 in Tampa Florida) was the fortieth governor of Florida from 1987 to

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