CAMPAIGN ’88 : Bentsen Criticizes Bush

Democratic vice presidential nominee Lloyd Bentsen on Friday accused the Reagan Administration of “trying to trash education,” and ridiculed Bush’s often-stated hope that he would become known as “the education President.”

“George Bush awakened one morning and decided he wanted to be the education President,” Bentsen told a meeting of the National Education Assn.’s board of directors in Washington. “But there is no evidence that he’s ever lifted a hand to help education in America.”

His remarks were well-received by the directors of the nation’s largest professional organization, which endorsed the Democratic ticket earlier this month.

The association has sharply criticized the Administration for cutting the federal share of education spending by 30%, and said the cuts would have been sharper had the Democrat-controlled Congress not intervened.

Bentsen vowed that improving education would be Dukakis’ top goal if he is elected President and said Dukakis’ record demonstrated his commitment to learning, noting that Massachusetts went from 40th in the nation to 10th in the nation in education spending per student.

Earlier Friday, at a campaign stop in Charlotte, N.C., Bentsen said voters have begun to “see beyond all that flag-waving” and realize that “Mike Dukakis is in the mainstream of America.”

“Mike Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen have a winning message for the South, fiscal responsibility,” he said. “George Bush likes to talk a balanced budget, but the sad fact is that our national debt has almost tripled since he became vice president. George Bush talking about balanced budgets. It’s like (GOP vice presidential nominee) Dan Quayle talking about his resume. There’s not much to say.”