William Bennett
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Neocon more accurately described Bennett's history and philosophies
{{otherpeople2|William Bennett (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox US Cabinet official
| name=William J. Bennett
| image=
| image_width=
| caption=
| order=3rd
| title=[[United States Secretary of Education]]
| term_start=[[February 6]], [[1985]]
| term_end=[[September 20]], [[1988]]
| predecessor=[[Terrell Bell]]
| successor=[[Lauro Cavazos]]
| president=[[Ronald Reagan]]
| order2=1<sup>st</sup> [[Director of the National Drug Control Policy]]
| term_start2=[[1989]]
| term_end2=[[1991]]
| appointed2=[[President of the United States|President]] [[George H. W. Bush|Bush SR.]]
| predecessor2=None
| successor2=[[Bob Martinez]]
| birth_date={{birth date and age|1943|07|31}}
| birth_place=[[Brooklyn, New York]]
| death_date=
| death_place=
| party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse=Elayne Bennett
| profession=
| religion=[[Roman Catholic|Catholic]]
| footnotes=
}}
'''William John Bennett''' (born [[July 31]], [[1943]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[neocon]]servative [[pundit]], [[politician]], and [[political theorist]]. He served as [[United States Secretary of Education]] from [[1985]] to [[1988]]. He also held the post of [[Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy]] (or "Drug Czar") under [[George H. W. Bush]].
Bennett was born in [[Brooklyn]] but later moved to [[Washington, D.C.]], where he attended [[Gonzaga College High School]]. He graduated from [[Williams College]] and went on to get a [[Doctorate|Ph.D.]] from the [[University of Texas at Austin]] in Political Philosophy. He also has a [[J.D.]] from [[Harvard Law School]].
From [[1976]] to [[1981]], he was the executive director of the [[National Humanities Center]], a private research facility in [[North Carolina]]. 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]]. It was in 1986 that Bennett switched from the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] to the [[Republican Party (United States)|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]]. He was confirmed by the [[United States Senate|Senate]] in a 97-2 vote.
Bennett is a member of the National Security Advisory Council of the [[Center for Security Policy]] (CSP). He was co-director of [[Empower America]] and was a Distinguished Fellow in Cultural Policy Studies at the [[Heritage Foundation]]. 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|Dallas]], [[Texas]]-based [[Salem Communications]]. In addition to his radio show, he is the Washington Fellow of the [[Claremont Institute]]. Further work at the [[Claremont Institute]] includes his role as Chairman of [http://www.claremont.org/projects/projectid.35/project_detail.asp Americans for Victory Over Terrorism (AVOT).] He is also a political analyst for [[CNN]].
Bennett and his wife, Elayne, have two sons, John and Joseph. Elayne is the President and Founder of [http://www.bestfriendsfoundation.org/ Best Friends Foundation], a nationwide [[abstinence]]-based program for adolescents. He is the brother of prominent Washington attorney [[Robert S. Bennett]].
==Political viewpoints==
Bennett tends to take a conservative position on [[affirmative action]], [[Education voucher|school vouchers]], curriculum reform, and religion in education. As Education Secretary, he asked colleges to better enforce drug laws, supported a classical education rooted in Western culture, and derided [[Multiculturalism|multicultural]] courses. He frequently criticized schools for low standards. In fact, in 1988, he called the [[Chicago]] public school system "the worst in the nation."<ref>[http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1124.html Schools and Education<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Bennett has tangled with the educational establishment (which he dubbed "the blob" or <u>blo</u>ated educational <u>b</u>ureaucracy) 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<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0671797190/ (The De-Valuing Of America, page 44)]</ref>
Bennett is a staunch supporter of the [[War on Drugs]] and has been criticized for his views on the issue. On a television show, he said that a viewer's suggestion of [[Decapitation|beheading]] drug dealers would be "morally plausible." <ref>[http://www.nndb.com/people/493/000022427/ (on a June 15th, 1989 appearance on Larry King Live)]</ref>
Bennett is an opponent of [[same-sex marriage]].
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. 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<ref>[http://www.theindyvoice.com/pnac The Indy Voice..."Be the change you want to see in the world." » Project New American Century<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> sent to President [[Bill Clinton]] urging Clinton to remove [[Iraq]]i leader [[Saddam Hussein]] from power.
He has said that the US has a moral duty to support [[Israel]], and that [[Palestinians]] are [[Jordanians]].<ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NWU2M2YyNjFmZDViZmVkN2I2OGEyNjAwOWU1YzQ3ZDM= William J. Bennett on Israel on National Review Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>[http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-bennett072203.asp William J. Bennett on Israel & Terrorism on National Review Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
==Books==
[[Image:Americalasthopebennett.JPG|200px|thumb|right|Bennett's book ''America: The Last Best Hope (Volume I): From the Age of Discovery to a World at War''.]]
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 [[Adventures from the Book of Virtues|animated television series]]) and ''The Death of Outrage: [[Bill Clinton]] and the Assault on American Ideals'' (1998).
Other books:
*''America: The Last Best Hope (Volume II): From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom'' (2007)
*[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1595550550 ''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 (magazine)|Commentary]]''.
==Radio Show and Podcast==
Bennett has a radio show and podcast - available here - [http://bennettmornings.com/site]
==Controversies==
===Gambling ===
In Spring [[2003]], it became widely known that Bennett was a high-stakes [[Gambling|gambler]] who reportedly had lost millions of dollars in [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite news|author=David von Drehle|date=2003-05-03|work=''[[The Washington Post]]''|title= Bennett Reportedly High-Stakes Gambler - Former Education Secretary Lost $8 Million in Past Decade, Magazines Find}}</ref> As a [[Roman Catholic Church|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. 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.<Ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0306.green.html|title=The Bookie of Virtue|work=[[The Washington Monthly]]|author=Joshua Green|date=2003|accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref>
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]]. "All our bills are paid." She added that his gambling days are over. "He's never going again," she said.<Ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/05/bennett.gambling/index.html|title=GOP moralist Bennett gives up gambling|date=2003-05-05|publisher=[[CNN]]|accessdate=2008-04-08}}</ref>
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]]."<ref>[http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/474.html Are Bill Bennett’s gambling days over or not? - The Carpetbagger Report<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
===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 (United States)|Social Security]] system might be solvent today if abortion hadn't been permitted following the [[Roe v. Wade]] decision. The following is from the conversation:<ref>''Morning in America'' [http://mediamatters.org/items/200509280006 Transcript and recording]. September 28, 2005</ref>
:'''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... 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. President [[George W. Bush]] said Bennett's statements were "not appropriate."<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/politics/01bennett.html White House Condemns Bennett's Remark] ''[[New York Times]]'', October 1, 2005.</ref>
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 to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}
==Wikipedia==
Bennett mentions [[Wikipedia]] frequently{{Fact|date=July 2008}} 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]].
==See also==
Radio Show and Podcast *[http://bennettmornings.com/site]
*[[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]]<!--what does this have to do with Bennett? I suggest deleting it.-->
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{start box}}
{{U.S. Secretary box
| before= [[Terrell Bell]]
| after= [[Lauro Cavazos]]
| years= [[1985]]–[[1988]]
| president= [[Ronald Reagan]]
| department= Secretary of Education}}
{{succession box |
before= ''(None)'' |
title= [[Director of the National Drug Control Policy]] |
years= [[1989]]–[[1991]] |
after= [[Bob Martinez]]
}}
{{end box}}
{{USSecEd}}
{{DrugCzar}}
==External links==
*[http://www.bennettmornings.com Morning in America]
*[http://www.bestfriendsfoundation.org/ Best Friends Foundation]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, William}}
[[Category:1943 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:United States Secretaries of Education]]
[[Category:Reagan Administration personnel]]
[[Category:Directors of the Office of National Drug Control Policy]]
[[Category:Heritage Foundation]]
[[Category:American political pundits]]
[[Category:American political writers]]
[[Category:American radio personalities]]
[[Category:Bradley Foundation]]
[[Category:Williams College alumni]]
[[Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Law School alumni]]
[[Category:People from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Eagle Scouts]]
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