Education Secretary Miguel Cardona might want to take a refresher course in history.
A newly unearthed Cardona clip has revealed a Biden Cabinet member shamelessly borrowed — and changed the meaning of — former President Ronald Reagan’s famous attack on big government during a meeting with a Western state governor in Wyoming earlier this month.
While riffing on how he wants to make the Department of Education more “accessible” and provide “technical assistance” to states,” Cardona told his audience on Nov. 8: “Because, I think it was President Reagan, saying — ‘We from government, we’re here to help.’”
Cardona paused after those words and looked around as if he expected to laugh, but there was no trace of sarcasm in his voice.
In contrast to Cardona’s support for Washington’s intervention, Reagan’s original statement from August 12, 1986, was a warning against it.
Miguel Cardona has been in charge of the Department of Education since March 2021. AP
Ronald Reagan famously railed against the bloated government bureaucracy. Getty Images
It goes without saying but the actual quote from Reagan was “The nine scariest words in the English language are I’m from the Government and I’m here to help.” pic.twitter.com/susfyAmWSJ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 27, 2023
“I think you all know that I’ve always felt the nine scariest words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help,'” the 40th president told reporters while discussing US agricultural policy. “Many of the current problems on the farm stem from government-imposed restrictions and inflation, not to mention the long history of conflicting governments and haphazard policies.”
The Department of Education did not immediately respond to questions about whether Cardona was joking.
Conservatives and other critics were not amused by the 48-year-old’s comments.
“I absolutely find it a perfect chef’s kiss that the Secretary of Education is ignorant of history,” wrote Federalist editor-in-chief Mollie Hemingway at X.
“The education secretary misquoting a famous quote about bureaucratic inefficiency is too absurd even for absurd fiction. Any good editor would send it back and say, ‘Too much,’” wrote columnist T. Becket Adams.
“Imagine how little exposure to conservative ideas one would have to have while earning multiple college degrees to possibly make this mistake,” added columnist David Marcus.
The “education secretary” mistakenly stated the famous quote about bureaucratic inefficiency was too absurd even for absurd fiction. Any good editor would send it back and say, “Too much.” https://t.co/Q0VQIfR8nR
— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) November 27, 2023
Imagine how little exposure to conservative ideas one would have to have while earning multiple college degrees to make this mistake. https://t.co/L2DG1Mr4Y8
— David Marcus (@BlueBoxDave) November 27, 2023
“When the people responsible for teaching history don’t know history,” said BASEDPolitics co-founder Hannah Cox.
“I screamed!!!!” posted Post reporter Jon Levine.
“I think it was Orwell who said, ‘We’re like a brother. We’re here to watch over you,'” Jesse Walker’s Reason magazine tweet, referencing the British author’s most famous work, “1984.”
Cardona was confirmed as education secretary in March 2021.
He previously worked as a fourth grade teacher in his hometown of Meriden, Conn. before being promoted to primary school principal, assistant superintendent and education commissioner in the Constitution State.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
